Quote:
Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord
I guess it just comes with the territory because of all the water under the bridge, that we have become skeptical of anyone operating the gifts of the spirit. Because of flawed human nature, spiritual gifts can easily be misused. So that is why it is always wise to judge the fruit and not just the gift itself. If the fruit is ultimately leading and pointing to Christ, and not seeking its own self-glorification, that is worthy of paying attention to.
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The reason there is so much skepticism about those who operate gifts is because people do not understand how gifts fit into the Kingdom.
Paul said the Corinthians came behind in NO GIFT. They had them all!
1 Corinthians 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
But, they were so carnal that he could not talk to them about
spiritual things. This sounds so offkey because gifts are SPIRITUAL, and yet the people are not spiritual. One would assume that only spiritual people can operate spiritual gifts.
1 Cor 3: 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
And the reason was that they also had works of the flesh:
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Notice ENVY, STRIFE and DIVISIONS.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath
, strife,
seditions, heresies,
21
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Seditions are divisions)
Jesus spoke of the entrance into the Kingdom and referred to the gifts:
Matt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
So, like these Corinthians, those who operated the gifts but were not carrying their crosses and following Jesus (workers of iniquity who did not hear HIS WORDS and obey them) were those who would not enter the kingdom.
So, this tells us that operation of the gifts is not dependent upon spirituality and even being right with God!
Because people do not understand this, and assume that anyone operating in deep supernatural manners must be spiritual, they are afraid of the gifts, and something makes them hesitate about accepting them, when they see these people preach error and live in sin. That something is their lack of awareness of the possibility to operate in the gifts and yet STILL NOT EVEN BE RIGHT WITH GOD. So, people see someone not right with God and operating gifts, and they get turned off them all.
Branham preached serpent seed and was deeply used in the world of knowledge.
Jack Coe saw miracles and died in an iron lung.
AA Allan was a miracle worker and an alcoholic.
But when one understands what Paul said in the above passages, along with Jesus' words, we know that one is not necessarily correctly serving God just because they're operating the GENUINE gifts. Jesus did not say that those whom he informed were never known by him were not operating genuine works of God's power in Jesus' name! He simply did not look for that, as they assumed HE WOULD and appealed to those gifts, when they were disallowed into the kingdom.
Once you know that, then you lose that resistance and skepticism, and realize that we need to look to others things to determine our spirituality such as the fruit and willingness to follow Jesus with our crosses, and not supernatural feats of gifts of the Spirit.
That does not mean we should avoid the gifts! But just know that they are not meant to determine spirituality, but benefit the body of Christ. And spirituality is found elsewhere. So, a truly spiritual person, like Paul the Apostle, would operate gifts and also bear fruit of the Spirit while carrying his cross!