Christian Basics No 7: What does the Holy Spirit do? (Part 2) (Canon Paul Hardingham continues this year-long series on the very foundations of our Christian faith.) (Material taken from Parish Pump, web site for Church Magazines) Somebody once defined a football match as ‘22 people on the field desperately in need of rest, watched by 50 thousand people in the stands, desperately in need of exercise! It reminds us that church is not a spectator sport! The Holy Spirit equips us to serve God in the Church and daily life through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are variously described as spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:1) or grace gifts (1 Cor. 1:7), the latter word being used in modern Greek for a birthday present! They are love gifts from God that we cannot earn or deserve, that are open to everybody. Note what Paul says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7): ‘to each one’: the gifts are available to every Christian. Everyone will have a different ‘gift-mix’, with their own particular contribution to offer. ‘the manifestation of the Spirit’: the gifts of the Spirit enable an invisible God to be real and visible. As we exercise the gifts that God has given to us, in our speech or service, people will be able to say, ‘God is at work here’! ‘for the common good’: the aim of the gifts is to build up the body of Christ and extend the kingdom of God. They are not intended to meet our own needs or reputation, but simply to serve and encourage others. With the gifts given by God, we are able to fulfil His purposes in His world. Paul urges us to ‘eagerly desire’ the gifts that God has for us (1 Cor. 12:31). How true is this for me? Any present that we are given needs unwrapping before we can enjoy it. Are we doing this with our spiritual gifts? Spider Whoever said “Out of sight, out of mind” never had a large spider disappear in the bedroom. 17
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