The Will of the Spirit
In our current message series, we’ve been studying 1 Corinthians, and many issues we see within the church of Corinth stand to teach us a needed lesson about the source of all spiritual gifts. The congregation there had been misled by spiritual elites who regarded their spiritual gifts as superior in comparison to others. This mindset inevitably leads to the devaluation of some believers in comparison to others. Spiritual immaturity is often driven by emotion rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We grow in maturity by yielding to the Spirit even when it hurts to do it. The Holy Spirit is always leading us to maturity. The Spirit expresses this through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, when he says in chapter one, verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight: 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
All of the gifts of the Spirit have the same source, the Spirit of God. They are equally valued and given by His authority. Contrary to what was happening in the Corinthians church, these spiritual gifts aren’t given based on merit or who we believe qualifies for it. God gives these gifts as He wills. Daily, we must tell our flesh and emotions to agree with the will of God despite our disagreement with the will of God. The administration of the spiritual gifts trains us in obedience to the will of God. They are distributed without our advice and have a single source independent of our help. This is a test of our faith and dependence on our heavenly Father.
Jesus himself yields to the will of his father in this well known passage of scripture Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Obedience can acknowledge the weakness of the flesh and align itself with the providential plan of God at the moment.
Today, we have the opportunity to align ourselves with the will of God, and it’s not too late to do so. In all we do, we can follow His guidance, not solely through our own willpower, but by allowing the Spirit's power to work within us. The Holy Spirit empowers believers through their gifts to build up the body of Christ and uplift the church. The important question is: Are we willing to submit our own will in order to help others experience hope, edification, and encouragement?
JOURNAL: What is something God is calling you to submit to Him today?
We grow in maturity by yielding to the Spirit even when it hurts to do it. The Holy Spirit is always leading us to maturity. The Spirit expresses this through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, when he says in chapter one, verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight: 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
All of the gifts of the Spirit have the same source, the Spirit of God. They are equally valued and given by His authority. Contrary to what was happening in the Corinthians church, these spiritual gifts aren’t given based on merit or who we believe qualifies for it. God gives these gifts as He wills. Daily, we must tell our flesh and emotions to agree with the will of God despite our disagreement with the will of God. The administration of the spiritual gifts trains us in obedience to the will of God. They are distributed without our advice and have a single source independent of our help. This is a test of our faith and dependence on our heavenly Father.
Jesus himself yields to the will of his father in this well known passage of scripture Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Obedience can acknowledge the weakness of the flesh and align itself with the providential plan of God at the moment.
Today, we have the opportunity to align ourselves with the will of God, and it’s not too late to do so. In all we do, we can follow His guidance, not solely through our own willpower, but by allowing the Spirit's power to work within us. The Holy Spirit empowers believers through their gifts to build up the body of Christ and uplift the church. The important question is: Are we willing to submit our own will in order to help others experience hope, edification, and encouragement?
JOURNAL: What is something God is calling you to submit to Him today?
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