There are a few things that drive me batty when it comes to theological discussions. One is putting God in a box. As modern people we have a tendency to try to put everything into our own understanding, unknowns are simply something we don’t know yet. If we even allow God to exist in our thinking, we try to fit Him into our own limited understanding, limiting Him. This sermon series has been looking at the Holy Spirit, trying to grow us in our understanding of who He is and how He works in our lives. This week we study the gifts of the Spirit. Of course, when we do that study we will start making lists of what those gifts of the Spirit are. Lists invariably put God–for that is who the Holy Spirit is–we put Him into a box. That isn’t to say we shouldn’t make lists, but that we should never ever say, “This is the list, we know everything about the gifts.”
I don’t think even the great apostle Paul desired to say, “This is the absolute list of gifts.” We can see this in in [1 Corinthians 12-14][1co12] where he seems to always be adding one more new one. For example, we don’t see the gift of hymns in chapter 12 but it is obvious that is one of the gifts he mentions in chapter 14. And rarely do we see the gift of “helping” in the lists but there it is in 1 Corinthians 12:28. In Romans 12 we see a different view of the gifts of the Spirit. But Romans 12 still follows the general pattern that Paul set out in Corinthians; all the gifts are important, all the recipients of the gifts should actively use them, and the gifts are nothing if not done in the atmosphere of love.
Paul in Romans 12:1-2 also answers the question, “But how will I know…?” We must turn ourselves completely over to God, make Him the center of our lives and then do everything to move towards that center. Paul says “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world.” (vs 2) This world wants to draw us away from God. It presents many things that look great, it may even demand that we conform to its way of thinking. But that moves us away from God. As we lay our lives down for Christ, we will then be able to know what God’s will is for our lives. We will then know Him and the gifts of the Spirit He has provided to us. We will then be able to practice and use those gifts to build each other up to the glory of God.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things.To him be the glory forever! Amen. -Rom 11:33-36 (NIV)
