The next few articles are based upon verses from 1 Corinthians 12. (As usual, I encourage all visitors to read the entire chapter – and even more context, when appropriate – to get a bigger picture of what the Bible says and to let the Holy Spirit speak to you directly.)
This chapter talks about these things called “the gifts of the Spirit” in the NIV. Some translations refer to “spiritual gifts”, but the NASB and other translations indicate that the word “gifts” is a so-called “supplied word”, added by translators to make it easier to read in English.
Now, the rest of the chapter refers to gifts directly, and how the Holy Spirit helps followers of Jesus, so I’m not saying that the translators got it wrong, but these first few verses are worth a bit of our time, before we look at specific gifts.
Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3 NIV
If verse 1 is an introduction to spiritual things in general, or even if it is referring specifically to spiritual gifts, there are a couple of implications here:
First, there is a spiritual world. This physical, material world of matter and energy is not all that there is. There’s no need to deny the existence of a physical world that God created good (see Genesis 1:31) and in which He gave us bodies to live. However, there is more than just what we can taste, touch, see, smell, and hear. Our physical bodies are limited in what they can observe, but our minds, hearts, and souls can experience more than that. And, there is more we can’t observe directly, but whose existence can be confirmed by a God who transcends the material world.
Secondly, the spiritual world impacts the physical world. This occurs, in part, because we live in both. As near as I can tell, things like plants and planets exist only in the material universe, and have no spiritual aspect. However, God created human beings with the ability to experience both worlds. Our bodies live in the physical world, but our soul was made for eternity and can know God spiritually.
With this nature (which I believe is special within God’s creation), what we say reflects what is in our heart, for instance (see Luke 6:43-45, Matthew 12:33-37), bringing some of the spiritual world into the physical. And, going the other way, the creativity of God that we see in His work and in His working – both around and through us – confirms and reinforces our faith in His nature and His character (i.e., what God has done in the physical world helps our faith in spiritual matters to grow).
In that light, let’s read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 again. Before the Corinthians Christians found Jesus – when they were serving false gods – they were on the wrong path and followed idols that couldn’t do anything. These idols themselves existed only in the physical world, being made of wood, stone, metal, or otherwise, and couldn’t actually do anything on their own. They were “mute” (verse 2), and couldn’t speak to those who worshiped them.
Why did these now-converted pagans follow useless idols in the past? Maybe the course of their life took them towards idols as a result of the material world (based on their environment or pressure from others), or maybe they were led astray by spiritual forces. Maybe it was both.
However, the Holy Spirit (which verse 3 also refers to as the Spirit of God) is real. We might say that He lives in both the spiritual and physical worlds, but since He was involved in the creation of the physical world, He transcends even our own abilities to have a foot in both worlds. He doesn’t just experience both the spiritual and physical worlds that we understand. As one of the persons of God, He helped create the physical world and so communicating with us – as His creation – is simply a natural extension of His previous work and His plan.
And, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to speak – from the heart – that Jesus is our Lord. Left to our physical and sinful selves, one wouldn’t expect us to yield to someone else, to admit our sins, or to trust someone else to make decisions for us. However, as God calls us to Himself, softens our hearts, and shows us who He is, we can trust Jesus, thanks to the Holy Spirit’s help.
Think about that for a moment: God gives us the ability to choose – to accept or to reject Him – but we wouldn’t even have that choice (or the empowerment to live out that choice) without the help of the Holy Spirit.
I hope that you reaffirm that Jesus is Lord – your Lord and Savior – regularly, whether with those words or through other proclamations and actions. As you do so, remember that it is through the grace of the Holy Spirit that you are able to do so in the first place.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for April 14, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, April 14, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 