Important Spiritual Gifts

    There is an adage that goes something like this, "If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck." This rea-soning is far from new. Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruit." And again in Matthew 12:35-37: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things…For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Note here that the Lord says, "you" in that He is speaking to us individually not judging anybody.  Yet the thought clearly is that we should be discerning, and use the wisdom contained in the Lord’s Word to keep harmful influences (leaven) out of our lives, and just as important, from all those striving to do God’s will. 

    So it is necessary that we distinguish between judging fruitage and judg-ing, finding fault and condemning another’s heart and motives. The Lord gave us many examples and instruction concerning how we are to walk after the Spirit...and needful is having a humble heart that does not condemn or personalize bad behavior.  This spirit is embodied in that old expression, “Hate the sin, not the sinner.”  At the same time as noted above, God gives us His Word that we should discern between that which is good and that which is evil (Hebrew 5:14), or contrary to His will.  

    Please read the parable that Jesus gave of a sinner, like every one of us (Romans 3:9-10), who humbly sought forgiveness and went away justified, his sins not imputed to him, while another man, also a sinner, who saw him-self as righteous, was not justified.  This parable of the Pharisee and Publi-can who prayed given in Luke 18:10 is centered on the importance of the spiritual gift of humility (Galatians 5:22-23) as the only condition by which we can receive God's grace when approaching Him through His Son, since "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).

    Like the Publican in the above parable who humbled himself before God, so did the women who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair and tears.  Jesus didn’t dispute that she was a sinner, but told Simon, the Pharisee, in Luke 7:47: “Her sins which are many are forgiven; for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”  This is a statement to take to heart, for it states a positive correlation between forgiving, and being for-given.  Like the Publican, this woman knew she was a sinner, and demon-strated her love for the Lord who came “not to destroy," as He told James and John, “but to save” (Luke 9:56). “God is Love.” And here Jesus demon-strated His likeness to our Heavenly Father by always showing mercy to the humble; all those seeking mercy as in these two examples.  Also remember what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:14, “For if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  In a related matter in Matthew 18:21 we read, “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Till seven times?”  The an-swer Jesus gave in the verse that follows is amazing and demonstrates how GREATLY God loves us, even as sinners.  Jesus said, “I say not to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven.”  Here the Lord is instructing us to always and continually show mercy, just as He is merciful…..to forgive the repeating and repenting offender over and over again.  Now I ask, “How of-ten do we go to the Lord to ask forgiveness for the same offenses?”  Given the obvious answer, let us remember what He warns in Matthew 6:15, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Fa-ther forgive your trespasses.” Clearly love transcends judgment, and humili-ty enables us to put others above ourselves for that greater reward that comes from obedience (John 14:23).

    Now ask yourself the question, “Should we become more self-confident and sure of ourselves as our knowledge and understanding grow?” I believe the answer is “NO”; that the opposite is actually true. Greater knowledge and understanding should make us much more humble, even as Jesus Him-self was humble, for as we grow in appreciation of the Glory of God, our own significance should greatly diminish against that understanding.  And as the Scriptures teach, the more we learn and the greater our understanding, the more will be required of us (Luke 12:48). With God's ways always far great-er than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), we should be truly humble, looking always to the Lord for greater understanding, an unending, even eternal process.  We should also always keep in mind that those we interact with are the Lord's children, giving us no right to interfere by judging them. To his own master he will stand or fall (Romans 14:4).

    But unlike the duck given in the opening adage that is set in his fleshly course, man, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), can transcend the flesh and walk after the Spirit, if his heart’s desire is to walk with God. How-ever, first he must humble himself under the mighty hand of God, and demonstrate his love for God by keeping His commandments. Then spiritual gifts will shine forth (Galatians 5:22-23). Come; let us walk together in the Spirit of God’s love!

J. DiCesare  ©CDMI