Purpose of Supernatural

Purpose of the Gifts

1 Corinthians 13:13 “13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 14:1–5 “1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church (love is others focused). 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.”

Can you see the intent, the purpose, the motivation is love.

If we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will seek gifts for building up each other. Using the gifts to support pride or separation from fellow Christians is an abuse of the purpose for which God gave us the gifts.

Neglecting the gifts means neglecting a resource God gave us to build up each other. The gifts must be used in a way that honors the unity of the church and also godly leadership.

1 Corinthians 13 is used at weddings, contextually, it is Paul’s discussion about the gifts of the Spirit and their purpose.

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 “1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

It is at this point that we can be thankful that the Corinthians were not perfect, they had the Spirit’s gifts, and Paul commended them for it in chapter one, but man they were not Christ-like. If they had been, we may have never had this exposition on some of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

As we will see - love is not some of these things, it is all of these things. And these characteristics of love correlate to the very nature and character of God reveal in Exodus 34 when He reveals His name and nature.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Many of the characteristics that Paul lists here are precisely the opposite of the characteristics he attributed to the church earlier in chapter 5:1 and 8:1

The Corinthian church was like many parts of the Western church today - individualistic, socially leveled, and divisive. Although Paul commends them for their pursuit of Spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 1:5,7) he is bringing correction here for something more serious, they lack love.

The purpose of the gifts:

For building up the body of Christ

Love must coordinate the expression of the gifts so that it does not divide.

Which is why prophecy is more valuable than uninterpreted tongues.

We are to seek spiritual gifts, but love must guide our seeking for what is best.

Our lives of sacrificial love, not simply spiritual experiences, demonstrate how much the Spirit has of our hearts.

The way the Bible defines a “dead” church, however, is not what everyone means by the term. Some of the more extremist charasmatics have claimed that dead churches are any churches that do not speak in tongues, but this is false. Biblically dead churches are those that disobey Christ’s call and in which most of the members are not truly Christians. (Rev. 3:1-2)

Conclusion

Therefore we conclude, the gifts are here today, He is gifted you for powerful witness.

Therefore, let us desire and pursue love. Love seeks to build up and edify others.

Gift & Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today Conclusion

At the same time, we must seek the gifts with the right motives. One can pray in tongues without living a Spirit-filled life (compare the spiritually immature in