Growing In Love Through Spiritual Gifts

The root of darkness has bound, confined and bedeviled humanity since it’s dawning upon our image-bearing race.  The disobedient choice of the first Adam birthed a bi-product of sin and death in the members of man (Rom. 5:19); and it is for this reason the chasm between God and humanity has existed since the Fall.  The Father instituted a separation between the realms of heaven and earth because holiness and righteousness were all but rejected by the ones whom He created.  An attitude that exalted itself against the Triune God and His ways was birthed and fed through Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey.  Nonetheless, hope was far from lost.  We were created to be voluntary lovers and the choice that was made in the cool of the Garden six millennia ago has in no way hindered and/or altered the plan of God.  His affections have not changed for us, and He is zealous as ever to feel the pleasure of a love that emerges from free will.  His intentions towards humanity can be no clearer than in the Son and set forth in no more explicit a way than in His death on the cross.  

Those who gaze at the moment on Calvary in awe and feel its redemptive power enter into the wisdom, which in the worlds eyes, is considered foolishness – as mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:20 – for the cross will always be considered a “crossing of the line of absurdity” to those who have not experienced its power.  Yet, for us who have experienced it and believe, we mustn’t look at the Crucifixion and notice only the lengths God has gone to redeem us through forgiveness, and the authority we have now been given through our hiddenness in Christ (Eph. 2:2).  Redemption, forgiveness and authority are all very important facets to the Christian faith.  Even so, the reason Christ came and died can be seen as two fold: 1) Go the unimaginable lengths to show His love to us and; 2) make a way for us to both receive (feel) and give ardent love comprehensively (it will be the second that we address).

The verdict of that blood stained cross and empty grave was God giving Himself to us.  It is through the sending of His Spirit this is done (Rom. 5:5), and to not lay a hold of Him and the fullness of our inheritance (that which we have been given – i.e., God) would be to sell ourselves short.  It would be to remain cemented in the foundation of the very cross that beckons us to run in the victory established there.  We fix our gaze on the cross to have an ability to look beyond it.  The launching pad to fulfilling the first and greatest commandment (loving God with all out heart, soul…) comes from what we have been given through the cross.  A freshly paved avenue has been laid, giving us the ability to walkout intimacy with God at a level that seemed to near extinction before Jesus’ coming.  This avenue can be best defined as the New Covenant, or more specifically and to help develop the title of this article, it is God living in us, i.e. the Holy Spirit (John 14-16).

Now that somewhat of a foundation has been laid let us take a look at what gives weight to my title.  Christ died and sent His Spirit so we could be with Him where He is – in the Spirit (John 17:24).  Through the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in us we now have entrance to that very place.  It is in this realm that we find Him, learn about Him and become like Him.  For God is Spirit and loving Him in a manner worthy due Him, is done there, where He dwells (John 4:24).  The Spirit taking abode in us is both a promise as well as an invitation.  It is a promise of our eternal inheritance but an invitation into experiencing an undetermined degree of that inheritance now.  Now, put simply, our inheritance is God, and it is this area of study that makes us true theologians.  For genuine theologians are not birthed by natural means, but by spiritual.  Familiarity with this domain comes only by moving in it (true theology is the inevitable result of experience).  Thus, the operation of the gifts of the Spirit would be the step of faith that comes from a heart truly desiring to love and know God.  The institution of “the gifts” is where the mysteries of God are hastened into the natural order as a revelatory invitation to love (i.e. experience) Him and others in a greater measure (1 Cor. 14:2).  This was Paul’s hammer point concerning spiritual gifts in his first epistle to the Corinthian Church.  In chapters twelve through fourteen he makes it clear that spiritual gifts are given for the profit of all (12:7; 14:3).  After addressing specific gifts and how they are to be used in a communal context he, in the closing of the twelfth chapter, exhorts them to earnestly desire the greatest gifts (12:31).  “Why?” you might ask.  It is for the purpose of love!  This is seen in the apostles’ point made in the next verse (13:1).  The operation of these gifts is meant to usher us into a deeper love.  That is why between faith, hope and love, it is love that is the greatest (13:13).  Faith releases the gifts, hope stabilizes us in the midst of them and love is why they exist.  They are not for platforms, showmanship or bragging rights.  Rather, they are to be faith filled cries of hope that long to love Him more.  No matter how dim our spiritual sight may be, the regular institution of these gifts in our life is the “staring at” and “studying of” those characteristics found within that murky sphere.  It is this practice that is unto both loving Christ more (Eph. 1:15-21) and becoming like Him (2 Cor. 3:18).  Thus, we see intimacy (this word being best defined as both knowing and loving God – the fulfilling of the greatest commandment) as something that hinges heavily on our part to walk by faith in the spirit through the expression of gifts that we have been given in the spirit.  They are doorways into the heart God, Himself.