Verse of the Day 9/23

Verse of the Day 9/23

 

1 Corinthians 12:7 English Standard Version (ESV) ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ... ¹¹ empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 

We've been considering "God's glory is man fully alive" and how it is displayed in His children.  In response to this concept a friend wrote that he has been studying what the glory of God is - 1) Glory relating God to Himself and 2) Glory relating to man.  Yesterday we considered what it meant to have His "presence", the Holy Spirit living in us.  It is His Spirit that enables us, that works in us to accomplish His purposes through us.

 

My wife Jean is in a Bible study group that is going through the book of Acts and recently was discussing the concept of being filled with the Spirit.  As I read these verses this morning, I thought they did a good job of bringing the two together.

 

When I think of manifestation I think of something made visible, in this case when the Spirit is alive and working in us it should be evident to us and visible, through our actions, to those around us.  The benefits are for the "common good", its not all about me.  Notice also that it is God who apportions the gifts, as He wills.  There should be no jealousy of the gifts of others but cultivating the gifts that God has given us to produce fruit, fruit that will last, to God's glory.

 

Regarding this "common good", John Piper writes, "the Spirit is manifest for this purpose: the common good. The Spirit does not give gifts and ministries so that we can boast in our spiritual prowess. He gives gifts and ministries for two reasons: to manifest himself and to help us do good to each other in the church. Gifts are for the glory of God and the good of the church.

This is right at the heart of our understanding of biblical theology: the pursuit of God's glory and the pursuit of what is good for us are not two separate pursuits. If you want to do good for people, you try to manifest God to them. If you want to manifest God and make him known for who he really is, you make it your aim to do good to others."

No matter what gifts are yours, no matter what season of life you are in, "if you want to manifest God and make him known for who he really is, you make it your aim to do good to others."

 

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."  - John Piper

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

 ⁴Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.