The Spiritually Gifted Body of Christ

The body of Christ, that is His Church, is spiritually gifted. That which belongs to Christ belongs to us because when we believed in Him, He grafted us into His body, the Church.

The Lord reveals insights to us in His Holy Word about His body. He wants us to understand His body and how it works. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” [1]

Jesus says that the one who professes that He is Lord is in His body. He or she has the Holy Spirit. So, other members in the body of Christ should not discount such a one because he or she does not manifest a particular spiritual gift. He compares that to an eye saying to a hand, “I have no need of you” which is not true. [2] The hand is needed. Eyes should not arrogantly exclude hands from their gatherings because they want every Christian to be an eye.

The Holy Spirit gives members in the body of Christ various gifts for the excellent functioning of the body of Christ here on the earth. So, we can do the work of Christ. So, we can represent Him well.

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” [3]

Diverse gifts, differing ministries, diverse activities, but the same Spirit of God is at work in all of us for the good of us all. Praise the Lord! The Holy Spirit is distributing these gifts to the believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Our physical bodies are a reflection of the body of Christ. Jesus connects with us others who serve Him, and they complete us. [4]

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” “We have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” “The body is not one member but many.” “God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” “If they were all one member, where would the body be? [5]

The Lord says, “There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” [6]

We should not exclude fellow Christians because they lack certain spiritual gifts, nor should we exclude Christians because they have them. “God has appointed these in the Church.” The Lord says, “Earnestly desire the best gifts.” [7]

Jesus revealed to us how we can be His witnesses. He said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” He follows up His teaching on spiritual gifts in the body of Christ with an entire chapter of verses on how to love one another. [8]

So, let us receive Christ and all that He has for us. Seek and receive spiritual gifts from His Spirit as a service unto Him and His body. Use the gifts Christ has given you. Do it out of love for God and love for neighbor.

[1] 1 Corinthians 12:1, 3
[2] 1 Corinthians 12:21
[3] 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
[4] 1 Corinthians 12:12
[5] 1 Corinthians 12:13-14, 18-19
[6] 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
[7] 1 Corinthians 12:28, 31
[8] John 13:35, 1 Corinthians 13