Spiritual Gifts and Our Individual Uniqueness

[HKHaugan]

What we need to grasp is the concept of uniqueness.  Every person born into this world is different, individual and unique.  Why?  Because Jesus is unique.  It is His uniqueness that is the pattern for every person born.  Remember, as we have mentioned before, that after He was resurrected Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to hold on to Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father and that He was going to ‘your Father and my Father.’  The Father is unique and the Holy Spirit is unique.  Yet the three are one and the One is three.  That indicated the unique relationship of each.  Of course Jesus’ special relationship is the pattern for humanity.  Each has a special relationship with the Father because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit operates in each person uniquely. 

 

What are the implications of uniqueness for each of us?  There is an overall umbrella that God gives us and that is each congregation, every group and every gathering of believers is unique.  No two groups are alike whether they are denominational or independent.  Each has a unique calling in a unique neighborhood, community and nation.  We are planted in a body, in a place, in a time and group.  There is no moment in history that is the same.  Each moment is unique. 

 

Let’s look at three further implications. 

 

First, the very fact of spiritual gifts shows that each of us has a special place in the Body of Christ.  The gifts are given to exalt the uniqueness of each child of God who in turn, realizing what God has done for each, exalts Him.  God has chosen this way to show His glory to the world and how much He really cares for each individual. 

 

Second, the gifts are not only given individually they are tailor-made for each individual.  No one gift will be exercised the same way.  Each brings his or her uniqueness to their gift. 

 

Third, no gift is superior to another thus it is the Holy Spirit whose power and distribution are exalted.  It is the uniqueness of the Holy Spirit, which is lifted up. 

 

In the whole process of gifts functioning in the Body there is no question.  When the gift bearer acts he or she knows it is the Holy Spirit who is doing the work.  The result is the deepening of worship, the increased desire to develop the gift or gifts, the awareness of the needs of others and the growth of the Body.  In the heart one becomes humbler, hungry for the Word and more open to the Spirit.

 

What we can see from the overall teaching on spiritual gifts is that we are being prepared for the return of Jesus.  Jesus has shown us the way of the Cross in the practice of spiritual gifts. As we become a ‘living sacrifice (Rom.12:1)’ it is the Cross that is the way we are shown to lay ourselves aside and take up our cross of faith and practice our spiritual gifts for ministry.  That being done we find the Holy Spirit has been building our unique character through His fruit of joy, love, patience, kindness and sound mind.  Then one day we will hear those great words from the Lord, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.  Come into the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.”   Can there be any other reason than the unique love of the unique Father through our unique Lord operating through the unique Holy Spirit uniquely in each of us?