A Thought for the Day – 085 – Charisma and Dorea
Proverbs 10:19 – The cause may seem justified, but it is the
effect that defeats a proper change. Something as large as a health care
package, backed by a declining government is equal to much words and much sin.
However, we might do well to say less and pray more.
Comments and challenges
Faith,
Hope and Love are identified by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 along
with his exhortation to the Corinthian church regarding “Spiritual gifts” which
began in his earlier chapter, chapter 12 and ends with the last verse of
chapter 14. Yesterday I made an error in commenting of 1 Corinthians 13:13 in
that it is “love” that the apostle identifies as being the greatest of the
three “spiritual gifts” and not faith.
Also, I
would like to take the time to express some deeper thoughts about this 1
Corinthians passage of chapters 12 through 14 which for the most part is abused
by people and churches throughout Christendom. It is easy for you and me to
take the Word of God and make it a personal project and what I mean by that is
that we read something from the Holy Bible and we make it a personal and unholy
practice.
If we
were half the student we ought to be of the Living Word of God we would see (in
this instruction from the apostle) that he does not use the word “gifts” as a qualification
for individual saints, his words are directed to the church. Yet we are all
used of God the Holy Spirit to be personally involved and spiritually endowed. When
referring to his subject he uses the Greek word “Charisma” so I believe that
the use of the word “gifts” as translated into English misses the intended
instruction. The word “Charisma” carries enough divine weight to say that we as
children of God are endowed by God the Holy Spirit to be equipped spiritually
with certain divine qualifications.
These
endowments are to be utilized by the local church in those men and women who
are spiritually mature (equipped) with the greater or permanent endowments of
faith, hope and love as identified in chapter 13 verse thirteen and I believe
that if we do not know the love of God or how to use the love of God all the
rest of the spiritual endowments fall flat including faith and hope.
Now if
we look at the Ephesian passage in chapter 4:9-13 when the apostle is giving
instruction about pastors, teachers and evangelists, even prophets he uses a
different Greek word for gifts, the word “dorea” which is a Greek word for “gift”
a gratuity. These are the permanent gifts used of God the Father to bring the
local church family through sanctification (maturity).
Of course
my looking into this is not exhaustive, but I do know this; One: this word
comes from another Greek word “doron” which is a “present” or “offering”
offered to one who is called of God to sacrifice his life back to God as a gift
offering. Also “dorea” is used in every mention of what God the Father does for
each saint from the point of justification all the way through to glorification
and the Greek word “charisma” is what the Holy Spirit of God does to move the
saints of God through sanctification. For me these are big avenues of confusion
in the modern day church of Jesus Christ. More on Faith, Hope and Love
tomorrow.
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