He Is the Head of the Body
The gifts of the Spirit are entrustments that must be used to build up the body of Christ and benefit every member.
G.W. North emphasizes the significance of understanding both our individual importance and the gifts we have received as members of the body of Christ. He explains that these gifts are not only for personal edification but are essential for the mutual benefit and building up of the entire body. The ministry of the saints is to utilize these gifts for the glory of Christ, with Jesus as the Head of the Body guiding and empowering each member through His Spirit. Each member must submit to Christ to develop a collective mind that reflects the Spirit's purpose. Ultimately, the gifts enable the body to function effectively, mirroring the way Jesus operated among people.
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However, having come to the realisation that he himself is of more importance than the gift, a person must also know the importance of the gift with which he has been honoured. We have been made members of the body in order that the gift(s) we each have received may be used for the glory of the Christ and the edification and mutual benefit of every member of the body. Gifts of the Spirit are not only enablings, they are also entrustments, and because this is so, it at once becomes apparent that they must also be necessities.
The lifelong ministry of the saints is to build up the body, and the gifts are given for this fundamental purpose.
The overall power and mastermind working through all this is in Jesus, the Head of the Body, and the Spirit animating the body is His Spirit, into which every member has been made to drink. Having thus become members of His body, each has to submit to Him in order to develop the mind of the Spirit of the body. Each member is a gift; what are called the gifts are means of function, enablings distributed to make the body fully operational among men now in the same way and by the same powers as the Lord Himself operated among men of old.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of the Gift
- The Purpose of the Gifts
- The Power Behind the Gifts
- Jesus, the Head of the Body
- The Spirit animating the body
Key Quotes
“We have been made members of the body in order that the gift(s) we each have received may be used for the glory of the Christ and the edification and mutual benefit of every member of the body.” — G.W. North
“The lifelong ministry of the saints is to build up the body, and the gifts are given for this fundamental purpose.” — G.W. North
“Each member is a gift; what are called the gifts are means of function, enablings distributed to make the body fully operational among men now in the same way and by the same powers as the Lord Himself operated among men of old.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We must submit to Jesus, the Head of the Body, to develop the mind of the Spirit and use our gifts for the benefit of others.
- The gifts of the Spirit are not just enablings, but also necessities that must be used to build up the body of Christ.
- As members of the body of Christ, we must use our gifts to edify and benefit every member, just as the Lord operated among men of old.