IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY CHARLES STANLEY
Charles Stanley In Touch Daily Devotional 8 November 2022, Tuesday Message. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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TOPIC: Caution Regarding Spiritual Gifts
SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: 1 Corinthians 12:14-30
IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians addressed several problems in the church, including the misuse of spiritual gifts. The people in that fellowship valued only certain gifts—believers with the “better” ones were elevated above others, while those without the preferred abilities were considered less important.
In teaching about spiritual gifts, Paul warned church members not to think more highly of themselves than they ought (Romans 12:3). The gifts are not given to exalt certain individuals but to benefit the congregation, and no gift is more important than any other. God considers them all necessary for the health of a local church. Each believer receives at least one gift in accordance with the Spirit’s purposes and choosing. It’s God’s business to decide who has which ability.
We must be careful not to assign undue value to certain gifts. Nor should we place unwarranted emphasis on giftedness as a way to assess one’s spiritual maturity or importance in the church. Let’s release any preconceived ideas about the value of spiritual abilities and instead celebrate how God builds each local body of believers. Our omniscient Father places His children where they can minister through their gifts and also be blessed by others doing likewise.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 20-21
REFLECT: God wants us to appreciate the unique gifting of every member in His church.
In Touch Daily Devotional 8 November 2022 By Dr. Charles Stanley. He is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.