The Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit
By Lloyd Gardner
There is a disturbing trend in Christianity today in which believers are choosing between the fruit and gifts of the Spirit instead of embracing both as endowments of God. One segment of Christianity has set aside the spiritual gifts of God as too controversial and in some cases has rejected them completely. The other portion of the body of Christ has embraced the gifts of the Spirit but has tended to de-emphasize the development of the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of believers. It seems to me that both of these manifestations of God are necessary for wholeness in the body of Christ.
There is a general trend away from the understanding that God is supernatural and that everything He bestows on His church has a supernatural, spiritual result when received by faith. The tendency toward being “user friendly” has caused many church leaders to relegate supernatural manifestations to smaller, more intimate meetings apart from the general assembly of the saints. The inadvertent result of this has been a lack of understanding of spiritual gifts and a trend toward humanizing them or ignoring them altogether. On the other hand there are those who use the gifts of the Spirit as the central focus while relegating the fruit of the Spirit to a secondary status.
Both fruit and gifts emanate from God
Paul wrote, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uniformed” (1 Cor. 12:1). This same apostle wrote to the Galatians, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23). Both the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Spirit emanate from God and so are supernatural in origin and effect. Both are essential to life of an individual believer and for the corporate life of the body of Christ in fellowship. As God restores His church He will restore both His gifts and fruit as manifestations of His nature in the lives of His followers.
The word translated “spiritual gifts” in 1 Corinthians 12:1 is actually one Greek plural adjective that would be translated literally “spirituals.” It is a plural word describing unstated things. These “things” are left up to the interpretation of the translator. Paul seems to divide these “spirituals” up into three categories: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers all in everyone” (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Gifts, services, and activities, all from the same Spirit, all having their origin in God. The gifts are supernatural manifestations of the power of God enabling supernatural ministries (services) to take place, and resulting in activities or effects in the lives of believers.
These are all called “spirituals,” meaning they originate in the Holy Spirit and have their inception in the spirit of man. Though they are expressed through the soul and body of human beings, these “spirituals” are supernatural in origin and have a supernatural, spiritual effect in the lives of those who receive them. These are not natural abilities that originate in the natural mind of man but supernatural abilities that originate in the mind of God and are imparted into the spirit of receptive believers.
Nine gifts are mentioned
In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 nine of these spiritual manifestations are mentioned: the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Paul prefaces this list with these words: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (v. 7). Each of these gifts is a manifestation of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit flows forth from our human spirit through the agency of our mind and body for the common good or benefit of the receivers.
I have witnessed these manifestations of the spirit in my own life and in the lives of others on many occasions. Recently a dear brother asked me how I was able to judge whether a word I spoke was from the Spirit. My answer was that it originated in my spirit and came forth to my mind and was expressed by my mouth. There is no mistaking the origin of a word that God desires to speak to the church. When I come into fellowship I do not plan such messages nor do I practice them in any way because they come forth instantaneously by the Spirit for the moment at hand. Their purpose is to benefit or profit the body in some way through words that originate in God.
I am aware that many Christians are fearful of such manifestations because they fear that error can easily be introduced if someone is claiming that God is speaking through them. For this very reason a sizable portion of the body of Christ rejects any present-day prophecy. But Paul says, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 20,21). Paul knew that there would be a tendency to reject and despise prophecies because of their supernatural origin. He tells us not to despise them but to test everything so that we know what to hold fast to. He told the Corinthian church, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said” (1 Cor. 14:29). Christians are not to merely sit by passively as things are spoken in the assembly but to weigh, to judge, to discern by means of the Spirit and the word of God.
Many times I have witnessed a supernatural gift of healing in the church gathering. A young lady is healed of an incurable disease. A woman’s pained and broken body is healed in the presence of all as bones pop and muscles ripple in response to the Spirit’s touch. A hip is healed as the Spirit sets the bones in their proper alignment. When you are a witness to a miracle you know beyond a doubt that this action did not originate in you but flowed from the Holy Spirit by the power of God. These are “spirituals,” gifts of God’s grace and power, manifestations of His nature through available saints.
Paul tells us that he does not want us to be uniformed about these gifts of God, and he encourages us to “desire the spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 12:1; 14:1). These are to be part of what God does in our midst. He is a supernatural God and He desires to manifest Himself supernaturally in our midst as the Spirit leads.
The fruit of the Spirit is also supernatural
The fruit of the Spirit is also supernatural in its origin but like natural fruit it develops within us and grows over time as we yield to the Spirit. The gifts are given and are instantaneous in their manifestation. The fruit of the Spirit is gradually produced in our lives just a natural fruit grows on a tree. The tree blossoms in springtime and is pollinated or fertilized. Gradually a small fruit will begin to develop on the stem of the tree and eventually mature into a full-sized delicious fruit. Peter tells us to desire spiritual milk so that we may “grow up to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
Paul lists various manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience, gentleness, self control” (Gal. 5:22,23). The word “fruit” is singular, meaning that God’s tree of life produces many different kinds of fruit. In the New Jerusalem we are told that the tree of life will produce twelve kinds of fruit, one each month (Rev. 22:2). What a glorious picture of our own lives as God chooses to produce His nature in us for the entire world to see.
Jesus spoke of Himself as the true vine and said that we are branches. The branches that do not bear fruit are taken away and those that bear fruit are pruned that they may bear more fruit. Later he said, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 14:1, 2, 8). Later Jesus says, “Abide in my love” (v. 9). Love is the sum total of all of the kinds of fruit. The Father is glorified by the fruit we bear because the fruit is the manifestation of His life in us. Religion tries to change people from the outside with rules, regulations, principles, and protocol, but God changes us from the inside out through the development of His divine fruit. This glorifies and magnifies Him in our lives.
The love chapter is sandwiched between chapters on the gifts
For this reason Paul sandwiched chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians between chapters 12 and 14. Twelve and fourteen speak of the gifts of the Spirit but chapter 13 speaks of the crucial importance of love and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. If we were to pursue the gifts without the fruit we would merely possess supernatural manifestations that come instantaneously by God’s grace. The gifts are given as they are needed but the fruit must develop in our lives as we abide in Christ (John 15:4). The gifts without the fruit are just a lot of noise without any spiritual result (1 Cor. 13:1).
The church in Corinth was in a serious state of disorder and disobedience. They were very fleshly in their behavior and had drifted into sexual immorality, disunity, abuse of the communion meal, and other worldly things. Obviously they were not abiding in the true vine and allowing the fruit of the Spirit to develop in their lives. Yet, Paul wrote that they were not lacking in any spiritual gift (1 Cor. 1:7). It can be assumed, if they were not lacking in any spiritual gift, that this was a church of powerful experiences such as miracles, healings, prophecy, tongues, messages of wisdom and knowledge, and much more.
Gifts are not a sign of maturity
But gifts are not a measure of spiritual growth. God gives gifts. They are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). They do not function according to our spirituality or maturity. They are powerful tools of ministry given by God for use in the lives of His followers.
It is interesting that no spiritual gift is mentioned as a qualification for elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The qualifications for an elder are the fruit of the Spirit and the evidences of maturity. An elder must be a person who has learned to walk by the Spirit so that his life and family are in order. The church is not to be led by gifts or gifted men but by those who have become leaders by example. Obviously they would be men who possessed gifts of the Spirit but it is not those gifts that qualify them to be leaders. Having a family that believes, a life above reproach, humility, self-control, discipline, and being well founded in God’s word, were some of the qualifications for the shepherds of God’s people.
But this does not mean that we are to set aside the spiritual gifts of God. Paul encouraged Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Tim. 4:14). Paul had just told his co-worker to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (v. 12). Paul knew that the most important thing for Timothy was that he walked by the Spirit and demonstrated in his life the fruit of the Spirit. But immediately he encourages him also to “not neglect the gift you have.” The apostle knew the importance of both the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. One without the other leaves us less than God intended.
Paul also warned Timothy of a time coming when people would be “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). The context makes it clear that Paul was speaking of those who claim to be followers of Christ. Those who say it is possible to fully live this Christian life without the power that produces godliness are in serious error and need to be corrected. Those who say that the spiritual gifts are no longer available to the church, that God no longer works miracles through His people, or that the apostles and prophets are no longer available, are making an extremely serious mistake that ultimately leads to the place Paul is warning us about in this passage.
The apostle exhorts us to know “…what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:19). Many Christians do not know that power. Many who teach the word of God are teaching them that this power is not available today or that it is no longer manifested in supernatural works of power. Paul continues to say that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). There is a power at work within us that produces the fruit of the Spirit and releases the gifts of the Spirit for ministry.
Jesus demonstrated in His earthly walk the walk of those who would follow Him. On many occasions He commanded His followers to love one another. He made it abundantly clear that all of His true followers would be people who walked in love for one another and for the world. The law of love would be the guiding and empowering force in the lives of true disciples. He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He came to fulfill the law and the law was fulfilled in the commandment to love one another.
Two chapters later, in His prayer of intercession for the body of Christ, He prayed, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). The desire of Christ was that the love of the Father for His Son would be in His followers. This love would be the manifestation of God in their lives, for God is love (1 John 4:8). This supernatural love would produce a supernatural oneness: “…that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:23).
Love and unity are the ultimate evidences
Love and the unity it produces in the followers of Christ are the ultimate evidences of the incarnation of the Christ directed by the Father. Upon seeing this unity no person of the world is able to deny that the Father sent the Son into the world. Many will still reject Him but they will do so knowing who He is and from whom He came.
But Jesus didn’t stop there. He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12,13). This speaks of the manifestation of God’s power in true believers through the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. The promise is that believers will do the works that He did upon the earth and even greater works because He would go to the Father and pour out the Holy Spirit on all who believe. Both the bearing of fruit and walking in His power glorify the Father (John 14:13; 15:8).
The gifts and fruit of God work hand in hand
The gifts and fruit of God work hand in hand. Ephesians chapter four presents this case. The chapter begins with admonition to walk worthy of our calling especially in maintaining the unity of the Spirit in our midst. The first six verses speak of our unity and the seventh verse speaks of our diversity: “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Yes we are to be one in the Spirit but at the same time we are each graced in a unique way for the ministry of God’s eternal purpose. Verse eight says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” As victor over sin and the world Christ gave gifts to His church as the spoils of His great spiritual battle. These gifts were secured by His blood and presented as a result of His victory over death and hell.
Then “…he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (v. 11,12). Christ has provided these five equipping ministries to equip the saints for their part in God’s plan. This equipping involves restoring us in the fruit of the Spirit so that we are able to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, and in the gifts of the Spirit so that His power within us may be released in ministry.
Brothers and sisters let us not be afraid of God’s power expressed through the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. Let us embrace the fullness of what He desires to do in our midst. Only then will we see the building up of His body and progress toward the fulfillment of His purpose in us all. God bless you all as you seek to glorify our Lord in all things.
By Lloyd Gardner
There is a disturbing trend in Christianity today in which believers are choosing between the fruit and gifts of the Spirit instead of embracing both as endowments of God. One segment of Christianity has set aside the spiritual gifts of God as too controversial and in some cases has rejected them completely. The other portion of the body of Christ has embraced the gifts of the Spirit but has tended to de-emphasize the development of the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of believers. It seems to me that both of these manifestations of God are necessary for wholeness in the body of Christ.
There is a general trend away from the understanding that God is supernatural and that everything He bestows on His church has a supernatural, spiritual result when received by faith. The tendency toward being “user friendly” has caused many church leaders to relegate supernatural manifestations to smaller, more intimate meetings apart from the general assembly of the saints. The inadvertent result of this has been a lack of understanding of spiritual gifts and a trend toward humanizing them or ignoring them altogether. On the other hand there are those who use the gifts of the Spirit as the central focus while relegating the fruit of the Spirit to a secondary status.
Both fruit and gifts emanate from God
Paul wrote, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uniformed” (1 Cor. 12:1). This same apostle wrote to the Galatians, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23). Both the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Spirit emanate from God and so are supernatural in origin and effect. Both are essential to life of an individual believer and for the corporate life of the body of Christ in fellowship. As God restores His church He will restore both His gifts and fruit as manifestations of His nature in the lives of His followers.
The word translated “spiritual gifts” in 1 Corinthians 12:1 is actually one Greek plural adjective that would be translated literally “spirituals.” It is a plural word describing unstated things. These “things” are left up to the interpretation of the translator. Paul seems to divide these “spirituals” up into three categories: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers all in everyone” (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Gifts, services, and activities, all from the same Spirit, all having their origin in God. The gifts are supernatural manifestations of the power of God enabling supernatural ministries (services) to take place, and resulting in activities or effects in the lives of believers.
These are all called “spirituals,” meaning they originate in the Holy Spirit and have their inception in the spirit of man. Though they are expressed through the soul and body of human beings, these “spirituals” are supernatural in origin and have a supernatural, spiritual effect in the lives of those who receive them. These are not natural abilities that originate in the natural mind of man but supernatural abilities that originate in the mind of God and are imparted into the spirit of receptive believers.
Nine gifts are mentioned
In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 nine of these spiritual manifestations are mentioned: the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Paul prefaces this list with these words: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (v. 7). Each of these gifts is a manifestation of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit flows forth from our human spirit through the agency of our mind and body for the common good or benefit of the receivers.
I have witnessed these manifestations of the spirit in my own life and in the lives of others on many occasions. Recently a dear brother asked me how I was able to judge whether a word I spoke was from the Spirit. My answer was that it originated in my spirit and came forth to my mind and was expressed by my mouth. There is no mistaking the origin of a word that God desires to speak to the church. When I come into fellowship I do not plan such messages nor do I practice them in any way because they come forth instantaneously by the Spirit for the moment at hand. Their purpose is to benefit or profit the body in some way through words that originate in God.
I am aware that many Christians are fearful of such manifestations because they fear that error can easily be introduced if someone is claiming that God is speaking through them. For this very reason a sizable portion of the body of Christ rejects any present-day prophecy. But Paul says, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 20,21). Paul knew that there would be a tendency to reject and despise prophecies because of their supernatural origin. He tells us not to despise them but to test everything so that we know what to hold fast to. He told the Corinthian church, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said” (1 Cor. 14:29). Christians are not to merely sit by passively as things are spoken in the assembly but to weigh, to judge, to discern by means of the Spirit and the word of God.
Many times I have witnessed a supernatural gift of healing in the church gathering. A young lady is healed of an incurable disease. A woman’s pained and broken body is healed in the presence of all as bones pop and muscles ripple in response to the Spirit’s touch. A hip is healed as the Spirit sets the bones in their proper alignment. When you are a witness to a miracle you know beyond a doubt that this action did not originate in you but flowed from the Holy Spirit by the power of God. These are “spirituals,” gifts of God’s grace and power, manifestations of His nature through available saints.
Paul tells us that he does not want us to be uniformed about these gifts of God, and he encourages us to “desire the spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 12:1; 14:1). These are to be part of what God does in our midst. He is a supernatural God and He desires to manifest Himself supernaturally in our midst as the Spirit leads.
The fruit of the Spirit is also supernatural
The fruit of the Spirit is also supernatural in its origin but like natural fruit it develops within us and grows over time as we yield to the Spirit. The gifts are given and are instantaneous in their manifestation. The fruit of the Spirit is gradually produced in our lives just a natural fruit grows on a tree. The tree blossoms in springtime and is pollinated or fertilized. Gradually a small fruit will begin to develop on the stem of the tree and eventually mature into a full-sized delicious fruit. Peter tells us to desire spiritual milk so that we may “grow up to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
Paul lists various manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience, gentleness, self control” (Gal. 5:22,23). The word “fruit” is singular, meaning that God’s tree of life produces many different kinds of fruit. In the New Jerusalem we are told that the tree of life will produce twelve kinds of fruit, one each month (Rev. 22:2). What a glorious picture of our own lives as God chooses to produce His nature in us for the entire world to see.
Jesus spoke of Himself as the true vine and said that we are branches. The branches that do not bear fruit are taken away and those that bear fruit are pruned that they may bear more fruit. Later he said, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 14:1, 2, 8). Later Jesus says, “Abide in my love” (v. 9). Love is the sum total of all of the kinds of fruit. The Father is glorified by the fruit we bear because the fruit is the manifestation of His life in us. Religion tries to change people from the outside with rules, regulations, principles, and protocol, but God changes us from the inside out through the development of His divine fruit. This glorifies and magnifies Him in our lives.
The love chapter is sandwiched between chapters on the gifts
For this reason Paul sandwiched chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians between chapters 12 and 14. Twelve and fourteen speak of the gifts of the Spirit but chapter 13 speaks of the crucial importance of love and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. If we were to pursue the gifts without the fruit we would merely possess supernatural manifestations that come instantaneously by God’s grace. The gifts are given as they are needed but the fruit must develop in our lives as we abide in Christ (John 15:4). The gifts without the fruit are just a lot of noise without any spiritual result (1 Cor. 13:1).
The church in Corinth was in a serious state of disorder and disobedience. They were very fleshly in their behavior and had drifted into sexual immorality, disunity, abuse of the communion meal, and other worldly things. Obviously they were not abiding in the true vine and allowing the fruit of the Spirit to develop in their lives. Yet, Paul wrote that they were not lacking in any spiritual gift (1 Cor. 1:7). It can be assumed, if they were not lacking in any spiritual gift, that this was a church of powerful experiences such as miracles, healings, prophecy, tongues, messages of wisdom and knowledge, and much more.
Gifts are not a sign of maturity
But gifts are not a measure of spiritual growth. God gives gifts. They are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). They do not function according to our spirituality or maturity. They are powerful tools of ministry given by God for use in the lives of His followers.
It is interesting that no spiritual gift is mentioned as a qualification for elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The qualifications for an elder are the fruit of the Spirit and the evidences of maturity. An elder must be a person who has learned to walk by the Spirit so that his life and family are in order. The church is not to be led by gifts or gifted men but by those who have become leaders by example. Obviously they would be men who possessed gifts of the Spirit but it is not those gifts that qualify them to be leaders. Having a family that believes, a life above reproach, humility, self-control, discipline, and being well founded in God’s word, were some of the qualifications for the shepherds of God’s people.
But this does not mean that we are to set aside the spiritual gifts of God. Paul encouraged Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Tim. 4:14). Paul had just told his co-worker to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (v. 12). Paul knew that the most important thing for Timothy was that he walked by the Spirit and demonstrated in his life the fruit of the Spirit. But immediately he encourages him also to “not neglect the gift you have.” The apostle knew the importance of both the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. One without the other leaves us less than God intended.
Paul also warned Timothy of a time coming when people would be “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). The context makes it clear that Paul was speaking of those who claim to be followers of Christ. Those who say it is possible to fully live this Christian life without the power that produces godliness are in serious error and need to be corrected. Those who say that the spiritual gifts are no longer available to the church, that God no longer works miracles through His people, or that the apostles and prophets are no longer available, are making an extremely serious mistake that ultimately leads to the place Paul is warning us about in this passage.
The apostle exhorts us to know “…what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:19). Many Christians do not know that power. Many who teach the word of God are teaching them that this power is not available today or that it is no longer manifested in supernatural works of power. Paul continues to say that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). There is a power at work within us that produces the fruit of the Spirit and releases the gifts of the Spirit for ministry.
Jesus demonstrated in His earthly walk the walk of those who would follow Him. On many occasions He commanded His followers to love one another. He made it abundantly clear that all of His true followers would be people who walked in love for one another and for the world. The law of love would be the guiding and empowering force in the lives of true disciples. He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He came to fulfill the law and the law was fulfilled in the commandment to love one another.
Two chapters later, in His prayer of intercession for the body of Christ, He prayed, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). The desire of Christ was that the love of the Father for His Son would be in His followers. This love would be the manifestation of God in their lives, for God is love (1 John 4:8). This supernatural love would produce a supernatural oneness: “…that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:23).
Love and unity are the ultimate evidences
Love and the unity it produces in the followers of Christ are the ultimate evidences of the incarnation of the Christ directed by the Father. Upon seeing this unity no person of the world is able to deny that the Father sent the Son into the world. Many will still reject Him but they will do so knowing who He is and from whom He came.
But Jesus didn’t stop there. He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12,13). This speaks of the manifestation of God’s power in true believers through the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. The promise is that believers will do the works that He did upon the earth and even greater works because He would go to the Father and pour out the Holy Spirit on all who believe. Both the bearing of fruit and walking in His power glorify the Father (John 14:13; 15:8).
The gifts and fruit of God work hand in hand
The gifts and fruit of God work hand in hand. Ephesians chapter four presents this case. The chapter begins with admonition to walk worthy of our calling especially in maintaining the unity of the Spirit in our midst. The first six verses speak of our unity and the seventh verse speaks of our diversity: “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Yes we are to be one in the Spirit but at the same time we are each graced in a unique way for the ministry of God’s eternal purpose. Verse eight says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” As victor over sin and the world Christ gave gifts to His church as the spoils of His great spiritual battle. These gifts were secured by His blood and presented as a result of His victory over death and hell.
Then “…he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (v. 11,12). Christ has provided these five equipping ministries to equip the saints for their part in God’s plan. This equipping involves restoring us in the fruit of the Spirit so that we are able to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, and in the gifts of the Spirit so that His power within us may be released in ministry.
Brothers and sisters let us not be afraid of God’s power expressed through the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. Let us embrace the fullness of what He desires to do in our midst. Only then will we see the building up of His body and progress toward the fulfillment of His purpose in us all. God bless you all as you seek to glorify our Lord in all things.
