Jul 17, 2015 Words of Grace – Spiritual Matters
Christians have forever asked what it means to be spiritual. What spiritual experiences must we have, knowledge must we attain, and personality must we possess to be spiritual? That is the question being addressed in 1 Corinthians 12, which we will consider this Sunday at Grace.
The world of the Corinthian Christians included a variety of spiritual experiences. Before they came to faith in Christ, many of them were regularly at the pagan temples offering prayers and sacrifices and participating in physical and emotional expressions of worship. Now they are Christians. So how should they think about spiritual matters? What matters spiritually?
Paul teaches these Christians that spirituality comes from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads a person from loyalty to personal and cultural idols to the confession that Jesus is Lord through repentance and faith. That same person is then given gifts and empowered to serve the common good of the church. The church where believers are confessing the Lordship of Christ and being strengthened by service to one another then communicates the power of the gospel to the world.
This vision of spirituality is centered on God, grows from the gospel, builds the church, and witnesses to the world.
This weekend, I hope you will read 1 Corinthians 12 and pray for our worship gathering on Sunday.
– Scott