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Communion in Gifts and Graces
Today’s passage reminds us that God has given each of His children at least one spiritual gift. If we do not use the gift or gifts the Lord has given us, the body will be diseased and will not function properly. But when we serve one another through the use of our gifts, the church is healthy and is able to ward off the infections of impurity, false doctrine, and an unloving spirit. How are you using your gifts to ensure the health and welfare of Christ’s body? View Resource
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The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
When we separate the baptism of the Holy Spirit from conversion, we end up with second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. But as the Lord has poured out His Spirit on all His people, this is impossible. Christians may be at different points in their sanctification and level of Christian maturity, but no Christian lacks the Holy Spirit in his life. Let us be encouraged by this, for it means that we will certainly grow into conformity to Christ. View Resource
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The Body of Christ
In summarizing today’s passage and the communion of saints, answer 55 of the Heidelberg Catechism says that “each member should consider it a duty to use these [spiritual] gifts … for the service and enrichment of the other members.” One clear implication of today’s passage is that we are sinning if we are not putting our gifts to use in the church. It is therefore incumbent upon each of us to determine our gifts and then use them to serve others. View Resource
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The Gifts of the Spirit
Today’s passage is an important text on the priesthood of all believers. Paul does not mean to deny the roles of elders, teachers, and other officers in the church; rather, he tells us that every Christian is to be involved in ministry and that all of us have gifts that are indispensable to the well-being of Christ’s body. If we are not using our gifts to edify the body, we are sinning against the body. Let us all look for ways to use our gifts in the service of Christ and His church. View Resource
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The Meaning of Baptism
Whenever we read the Nicene Creed we confess belief in the communion of saints. This means that we become united to every believer who has ever lived whenever we trust in Jesus. The other Christians we know are not merely acquaintances; we are one body with them in Christ. Think of some people in your church whom you do not know well. Make plans to get together with them and fellowship as a way to display the unity we all have in Christ. View Resource
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The When of Spirit Baptism
The greatest danger of positing a second blessing of the Holy Spirit is its creation of a Christian caste system. It divides the church into Spirit-haves and Spirit-have-nots, separating what God has united. This leads to feelings of superiority and inferiority depending on the group into which we fall, which is contrary to how we are to regard ourselves and others (Phil. 2:5-11). If we are in Christ, we have His Spirit, and we do not need a special experience by which He is conveyed to people. View Resource
