“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26, NKJV).
Life in the Spirit is a life of fellowship and friendship with God. It is the lifestyle that precipitates revival in both personal and corporate dimensions. The opposite to life in the Spirit is life in the flesh. This is a lifestyle that promotes the self-serving desires of our fallen nature, which cannot please God. Paul explained: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8). The Christian life is life in the Spirit, which is simply a relationship with God that flows out of friendship with Him. Friendship with God is fuelled by the Spirit-aided obedience to His commands. Our Lord is emphatic in His declaration: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). He further explained what friendship with God entails saying, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” – John 14:23. Embracing the word of God in loving obedience is a way to attract His Presence in our lives and unleash personal revival.
Every member has been adequately gifted by the Holy Spirit to make the necessary contribution.
The revival we need is one that will checkmate the passivity of the larger proportion of the church membership and motivate them to come on board and contribute their quota in advancing the work of God. Every member has been adequately gifted by the Holy Spirit to make the necessary contribution. All that one is required to do is to engage his or her spiritual gifts in serving others. Peter tells us how: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Your possession of spiritual gifts confirms that you have a valid role to play to advance God’s interest on earth. Peter reminds us that by using our spiritual gifts in serving others, we are participating directly in the administration of God’s manifold grace. What a privilege! Each spiritual gift reveals an aspect of God’s grace that must be added to create a complete picture. Think of it like a jigsaw-puzzle, your gift represents an indispensable piece without which the puzzle will remain unresolved! Would you rather be the person that would hold up the completion of God’s work on earth? We must all endeavour to be faithful with the stewardship of our gifts so that God’s manifold grace will be made known to the world through us.
Our text speaks to the heart of our need. “Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” God invites and expects every believer to participate in the life of the church by contributing through a variety of gifts He has gratuitously bestowed on him. It is clear from the context that Paul encourages anyone that has a gift to exercise it without turning the service into a competitive disorder. One truth that is obvious here is that everyone is encouraged to come to church feeling that he has both the privilege and the obligation to contribute something that would be a blessing to others. Nobody should go to church with the intention of being a passive consumer. Everybody should come prepared to receive and to give. While the church is a safe place for you to begin to exercise your spiritual gifts, it is by no means the only place. Be ready to use your gift to bring God’s blessing to any person wherever you are. Be ready to switch into action anytime you receive the prompting from the Holy Spirit to release blessings to someone. God’s blessing can both be invoked and received anywhere there is faith to do so. Use your gifts to be a blessing and to be blessed in Jesus’ name. Happy Sunday.
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