The Wind - Spirit
John
3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not
know where it comes from or where it goes.”
One could
say the Spirit does what He wishes for the word used for wind is the same word
for the Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians:
12-14 the work of the Spirit is manifested. He does what He does at the
pleasure of the Father somewhat in the same way Christ obeyed and went to the
cross.
The power of
the Spirit is limited only by one thing and that is the will of the Father. At
the command of the Father the Spirit went forth and created the world and after
the raw creation He brooded or watched over the works of his hands and put the
finishing touches to the creation. The awesome power of the Spirit is
unknowable except in part.
In 1 Corinthians
12 we are partakers of a small part of His power as He wishes to share it with
each one. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 There are different
kinds of spiritual enablements, but the same Spirit distributes them.
Verse
5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but
in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one
the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is
given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge
by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to
another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another
speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation
of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he
distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
The
scripture goes on to say that the regenerated people come into being, what is
called the body of Christ here on earth each with a portfolio of their own.
1 Corinthians
12:18-27 But
as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
19 If all were a single member, where would the body
be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to
the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet,
"I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body
that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body
that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our un-presentable
parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do
not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part
that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the
members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all
suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are
the body of Christ and individually members of it. It is the member’s
responsibility to recognize where they have been placed in the body and what
their duties are and to act accordingly.
It is my
belief that you can find your ministry gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12
somewhere. 1 Corinthians 12: 28-31 is a
short list of ministries that must be in the body of Christ in order for the
body to function to its fullness. Since chapter thirteen follows chapter twelve
it is assumed that is the better way Paul refers to but I feel chapter fourteen
continues what he is teaching in chapter twelve with chapter thirteen being Parenthetical.
The most
important thing to realize is; this is where it is at. This is what the Holy
Spirit is doing today and it is incumbent on every believer to fulfill his God
assigned work within the body of Christ. Those who fail to follow the Spirit’s
leading nullify the grace bestowed upon them and the body suffers. Thanks be to
God who has counted us worthy to serve Him.
