| Command to Love by Church of God Group (Christchurch, New Zealand) |
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| To the Children of God, brothers, and sisters of Jesus Christ in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, this is a call to attention and a call to action. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give, that you love one another”. This Love is the ultimate gift of the Holy Spirit and yet is the greatest challenge to us, as humans. The church is the body of Christ, and as such is the Temple in which the Holy Spirit resides. All that Christ achieved and His miraculous powers were the work of the Holy Spirit and He passed on this mantle of responsibility to us, His followers and His brothers and sisters. All that He achieved and then “greater than this” was to be accomplished in this collective body – us – the church. As the Love of the Church waxes and wanes, the power of the Spirit ebbs and flows. At this time, we struggle with relationships, we have trouble maintaining the bond and we feel helpless to reconcile when a rift has occurred. We are human and we will at times offend and be offended. This has separated us from each other. We are human and this will happen, but we are the children of the living and almighty God, and we are empowered by the glorious Holy Spirit of grace, that we will surmount these contentious barriers. The primary driver in our relationships, Love, which we are to seek first and foremost, will empower us to overcome. Let us also be aware that we must not allow ourselves to be tools of Satan whose primary aim is to denigrate and disempower God’s people. As the Passover season draws near, some of us have committed to fast and pray to petition our Father, the Source of Love, to strengthen Love in the Church. We will fast and ask God to inspire and guide us as individuals in how we can change to express this mighty love. We hope that people will applaud this concept and allow it to transcend the current barriers and “groupings”. It is our hope that love will rise above all the individual ideas and thoughts, and thus triumph over the “fortresses of our minds”. There is a blueprint for love – to esteem each other as greater than ourselves and there is also an elaborate description of what Love looks like in a functioning relationships in 1 Corinthians 13, the Love chapter which we are all familiar with. Let us all unite with the Father and Son, in strengthening Love amongst the brethren. Let’s regard each other as if each were Christ Himself. “If you have done this (to) for these the least of my brethren, you have done it (to) for me.” Please let’s uphold, respect, and Love each other as we would our most beloved friend – Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. We invite you to fast and pray with us prior to the Passover service. With hopeful Love, in Jesus Name. |
| The History of the Letter “Command to Love” by Church of God Group (Christchurch, New Zealand) |
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| Out of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) fell many groups, large and small. Often these groups splintered further still. This project, “Command to Love”, came out of a small bible study group investigating the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. We are bible students and disciples of Christ who tackle bible study, almost exclusively, through exploration of the bible itself, not through expansive tracts and sermons produced through the organized ministry. We allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the hidden truths not apparent at a cursory reading of the Word. We see the Church as a living organism, made up of many parts. It is the body of Christ, of which our small group is a part. We are all suffering from the mighty blows the church has received. In our study of the miraculous gifts and through reading and re-reading the first letter to the Corinthians, particularly chapters 12-14, it became evident to us that the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit, is primarily for the edification (teaching) and building up of the Church, i.e., for the “common good”. Unfortunately, the larger body of WCG was discouraged from seeking these gifts. Partly, this was because the ministry itself adopted the roles of evangelism, prophecy, teaching, and healing, but also because the miraculous gifts were not really acknowledged as having a role in today’s world. Our readings however, proved otherwise. It was clear that the gifts were a means of the church caring for each other, for building up each other and the edification of the collective group. The gifts are therefore timeless and relevant in each age. They are to teach, to comfort, to heal, to warn, to project, to care, to help – they are powerful expressions of love for one another through the manifestation of the Spirit of grace. This truth had been overlooked by ourselves and the larger fellowship in which we had our roots. As a supernatural tool from God that empowers the brethren to care for each other more effectively, the gifts of the Spirit, therefore, are expressions of love of the brethren, one for the other. With this realization, it became painfully obvious that the gifts – message of wisdom, message of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in all kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues, which are to be utilized in the appointments God directed – i.e. apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, gifts of healing, help, administration, and speaking in tongues – are not and will not be expressed or manifest until the church faithfully responds to the commandment to love one another. Our “cell” groups are ideal places to express this love and no doubt this is well developed in many home groups and larger groups. However, with even a very cursory glance over the wider WCG fellowship (WCG has had a name change to Grace International and also has many offshoots under different names) and all its splinter groups great and small, reveals great chasms and rifts between brethren. Many harsh words have been spoken. Many of us have cast off brotherhood and love. We cast off the brethren. We sever relationships and maintain distance for a range of reasons, seemingly justified, but all are contrary to Christ’s command to love. Love is the “sign” that we are his disciples, yet in our fellowship (or lack of fellowship) we so fall short of this tenet and are clearly not able to be identified through this one hallmark – brotherly love. Hence, this letter “Command to Love”. This letter is an invitation to all who will hear that we need to beseech God our Father, to restore and strengthen love in our fellowships. The cavernous rifts must be healed. The severed relationships must be restored. Vanity, pride, and affront must take a back-seat to humility, mercy, forgiveness, tolerance and love. May God have mercy on us, and may God work with us in this, the greatest miracle in this age, where love has waxed cold in a world steeped in sin. Each of us has a role to play in this. Each of us can learn to let love rule supreme in our interactions with each other. Each of us can allow tenderness, compassion, co-operation, collaboration, and care to replace pride. It also became evident in this study, that our common enemy has all but destroyed the glorious power of the Bride of Christ. Let us stop turning on each other and let us rally together and fight this most important spiritual battle together. Cast out Satan and his attitudes which disrupt harmony and peace. Let us not be his weapons of war. Let us be tools in Christ’s hands as he leads us to victory, harmony, peace, and love which needs to begin in the church of God, the body of Christ, the Bride. When we do this, the Bride of Christ will rise up glorious and powerful, a mate suitable to the Saviour, the Lamb of God, who, in humble subjection to the Father’s will, allowed himself to be led to slaughter, because in love, God wished to save the world. Brothers and Sisters, we are the Church, his body, and his bride. Let us live worthy of this calling, rightly perceiving the body. Let’s learn to love one another and let’s build strong ties now that will not and cannot ever be severed for the glue of the Holy Spirit’s love is beyond Satan’s ability to destroy, but it is up to each one of us to earnestly seek repentance in this and learn new and better ways of managing our relationships with each other. We contend, that once we, as a church, have rejected Satan’s influence and have overcome pride, vanity, and harshness, that love will bloom and grow and thrive, and that the people of God will shine again like beacons in the night. We contend also, that once we are doing this more perfectly, the powerful workings of the Spirit, working miracles amongst us will be clearly evident and each of us will have our place, our role, and our “fruit” as we contribute fully and wholeheartedly to the edification, building up and common good of the whole church. May God be with you all. |
| Edifying the Church of God Through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit by Church of God Group (Christchurch, New Zealand) |
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| Christ and Love Christ’s love for us was so great that He was willing to suffer and give up His life for us. “Greater love has no man than this, than he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Christ desires that we have this greatest expression of love for one another. “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Our lives are to be living sacrifices to our Lord and Saviour and to each other (Romans 12:1). We hope, in this study, to demonstrate how the gifts of the Holy Spirit, expressed in love, are used for the “building up of the church”, in the care of one another and show how they are as relevant to this age as any other. Why Study the Gifts? This Bible study arose because a small group questioned why miracles of healing are not commonly seen in our fellowship. A similar situation existed in the Corinthian church, in Paul’s day. Paul told the Corinthians it was because they were “not discerning the Lord’s Body” (I Corinthians 11:29-30). Are we the same? Paul tells the church; “For you are the Body of Christ and members in particular” (I Corinthians 12:27). In this context he tells the church that he would not have them “ignorant concerning the spiritual gifts” (I Corinthians 12:1), and continuing, he expounds the operations of the ‘Body of Christ’ and how these gifts are disseminated. This paper focuses on the “love chapter” as it sits within this 1st letter to the Corinthians, (i.e., from I Corinthians 11:17 to the end of chapter 14) and asks us to reflect on the command to love and to learn to live in harmonious fellowship with the brethren. We explore the “tools” God gave us to care for and uphold each other, as He builds up the church. We are led to ponder the breadth and depth of the power of the Holy Spirit and ask why we should not be blessed with similar gifts today. The study shows how the distribution of spiritual gifts is to all, not a few, according to God’s grace; that we are to desire spiritual gifts – to eagerly and earnestly seek for God to bless us with these gifts, in expressing love and care for each other in miraculous and powerful ways. This paper also shows how we must submit to Christ as He leads us via inspiration of the Holy Spirit to exercise the gifts. The Greatest Gift of All The greatest ‘gift’ we receive from God is His Spirit. (This word ‘gift’ is from the Greek “dorea” – kindness, gratuity, or favour.) The Holy Spirit is a gift of immeasurable value available to all who are called to salvation. Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). It is God’s purpose and plan, to bring us to the fullness of Christ – to become His son, or daughter, with His divine nature. We are to be fellow heirs with Christ in God’s very own family “And I will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:18). And “… if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint–heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:17). Receiving the Holy Spirit is the beginning of an incredible transition from what we are now to what we will be like in God’s Kingdom. It is through this power of the Holy Spirit that we receive the ‘gifts’, which are the subject of this paper. These gifts, from the Greek “charisma”, are miraculous faculties or endowments, hence are at times referred to as the charismatic gifts. In Romans 12 Paul challenges us to seriously examine ourselves to determine what gifts we have and use them to the best of our ability (Romans 12:3-8). Why Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians? The timing of the letter seems to be looking towards the Passover season, a time when we are instructed to examine ourselves before partaking of the memorial service commemorating Christ’s death. It is in the context of discerning Christ’s broken body (Passover) and understanding the church to be the “Body of Christ”, that the congregation needed correction. The letter to the Corinthians addressed their attitudes, not the least of which were divisiveness and contentiousness. In I Corinthians 11:17-18 Paul comments on the divisions in the church in which their “meetings cause more harm than good” (verse 17), and he corrects their attitudes by developing an analogy of the church as a “body” of which Christ is the head. The letter to the Corinthians shows striking parallels with the church today, and Paul’s instruction about cohesiveness in the body for health, well-being and strength is equally an exhortation for the church now in this age. Each of us can reflect on how our attitudes, words and actions either build up or tear down the loving bonds of the Spirit. What Makes a Healthy Church? A healthy church works together in love and is firmly linked to Christ through the Holy Spirit. Christ had likened Himself to a vine (John 15:1-8) and we individuals to the branches which must abide in Him. The branches reach out and wrap themselves around one another and hug one another for support and a place to grow. We know that we must produce much fruit, but without Him we can do nothing (verse 5). In Paul’s analogy of the body, Christ is the head and as such directs all we do. We, the brothers, and sisters of Christ, are seen as “members” of the body. Paul says that each part is apportioned a role or function according to God’s grace. As in the body, even those parts we hide in modesty have primary functions, imperative to the health of the whole body. If one part is sick, injured or cut off it affects the well-being of the whole person. Likewise, in the church, when individuals suffer, the church as a whole suffers (I Corinthians 12:14-27). By comparing our close relationships to the inter-dependence in human anatomy, Paul demonstrates that each person in the church has a part to play in the maintenance (health and well-being) and work of the church. For each member to participate, God grants specific gifts through the Holy Spirit. There are different gifts, services, and workings but God works them in all men (I Corinthians 12:4-6). Each of us is to use our gifts for the healthy functioning of the whole body, appreciating one another’s gifts and depending on one another. I Corinthians 12:27-31 shows how the “parts” should have “equal concern for each other”. All of Us Can Have These Gifts The scriptures are clear: the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to “profit withal” (I Corinthians 12:7). I Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV) states: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one just as He determines.” The scriptures say we are to eagerly desire the greater gifts, i.e., those that profit the most (verse 31). Through that one and self-same Spirit, God has set the members in the Body as it pleases Him (I Corinthians 12:18). Note that this “one body” is in effect, the working Body of Christ (verse 27). Many members baptized into one body, all drinking of the same Spirit (verses 12-14) and each essential to the effective working of the whole body, as we submit to Christ the Head. In the past, it has been implied that only the ‘ordained’ ministry has gifts as part of their consecration into a role, but I Corinthians 12 shows that we are all able to be filled with the power of the Spirit – Christ in us – and exercise the gifts that God grants us, and indeed we must do to be effective in the work we are called to do. Power from on High Jesus promised that the disciples would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Paul expounds on these gifts of power and how they ought to be recognized and utilized for the functioning and work of the “Body of Christ”. It is Christ’s work being done through us and in us. “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). We individuals are the work of God, and we are called to do good works. Christ also told us “These things you will do and greater works than these.” It is by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, that “greater works” will be done (John 14:12). Dare we believe that we could do greater works than Christ? Now let’s look at these powerful gifts: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, diverse tongues, and interpretation of tongues, manifestations of the one and self-same Spirit (I Corinthians 12:11). These are not normal or common talents, but amazing and miraculous expressions of God’s power, through His people. We all ‘drink’ of the same marvelous Spirit, the well-spring of which is the Father through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who promises us Eternal Life. Love is the Foundation We are exhorted to follow the way of love, and eagerly desire spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 14:1). Paul says that although it is possible to be most spectacular in the manifestation and expression of the gifts, this has no meaning unless love motivates our every undertaking on behalf of Christ (I Corinthians 13:3). Love and respect toward one another are paramount to the outpouring of miraculous gifts upon the children of God. Speaking in tongues, having the gift of prophecy, understanding mysteries, performing miracles, moving mountains, bestowing gifts, or even being a martyr – without love, these are meaningless expressions of self-promotion (I Corinthians 13). We must, in love, treat each other as we would our Saviour. After all, is that not what we commit to when we wash each other’s feet? When we come together for fellowship and worship, shouldn’t there be even more to our Sabbath meetings? Shouldn’t they reflect the loving expression of the work of the Holy Spirit in us, for the benefit of the church and its members (I Peter 4:10-11)? Paul asks; “What good am I to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” (I Corinthians 14:6). For us to benefit one another in this way, we must seek and utilize these amazing gifts. “Forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12). The gifts are holy. They are powerful and they are to be used to the benefit of all of us – to build up, to teach, to nurture, and to inspire. Jesus rejects any work that does not stem from love for Him toward the brethren. “If you, did it for the least of these, you did it for me.” Likewise, if you did not, if you saw “my” need, but did not act – if you did not help “these, the least of my brethren”, you ignored the Lord’s need (Matthew 25:31-46). Chapter 13 of I Corinthians, the love chapter, concludes with this thought. So many things will pass away which at this time seem important, (including the gifts), but love will endure forever. Do we love? Are we lovingly caring for each other’s well-being? Only each individual can answer this. Developing the Fruits of the Spirit The Holy Spirit – the indwelling of Christ – perfects patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in us. These are the ‘fruits’ of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruits of this great gift – the Holy Spirit – are developed as we interact with God through prayer, study and fasting, and through developing and nurturing loving relationships with others (especially those in the Body of Christ), until we come to perfection in the fullness of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). It takes time for these attributes of God to be developed to the extent that they fully motivate and direct the way we behave. Love is the greatest of these attributes. It is important to understand the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and spiritual gifts. The fruits of the Spirit are ultimately common to all who have God’s Spirit and are the result of having that Spirit. They are to be developed as we grow in grace and knowledge. Spiritual gifts are not common to all; they differ from individual to individual. They are spiritual tools to be used for edifying brethren and for the congregation to help one another work together with love and respect. When we have God’s divine nature, we will extend His love within us to others, especially the brethren whom He has called into the congregation, or Body of Christ (I John 3:16). Love is a deep-seated aspect that permeates all of our thoughts and actions. This “agape” love is the first great commandment that Christ mentioned – to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls (Matthew 22:37-38). Using the gifts for their intended purpose – to edify other members of the Body fulfils the second great commandment to love our neighbor. We express His love through the gifts. The Gifts and their Purpose Different gifts serve different purposes. Let’s examine Paul’s discussion regarding the role of prophecy versus speaking in tongues. “But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort” (I Corinthians 14:3). However, the person “speaking in tongues” speaks to God (verse 2). Acts 2:2-11 shows that the miraculous gift of the ability to speak in foreign languages was given as a witness on the day of Pentecost. The purpose of gifts of healing, teaching and knowledge are self-evident, but gifts of prophecy, words of wisdom, working of miracles, tongues etc. seem somewhat mysterious to our modern thinking. Paul makes it clear that however they are manifested, the gifts are for the building of the church and to develop our love for one another. One example of the gifts in practice is seen in Paul’s letter to Timothy. Paul refers to the prophecy given through the laying on of hands on Timothy and implores Timothy to pursue this work wholeheartedly. In the context, it appears that Timothy’s gifts were to teach and preach (I Timothy 1:18 and I Timothy 4:11-16). Why is it we do not see this type of ministering to each other in our church today more specifically in regard to gifts other than preaching and teaching? We too can ask and trust God to anoint us each with miraculous power for the benefit of our brethren. Seek the gifts “Desire spiritual gifts… (I Corinthians 14:1) so you may excel”, for the building up of the church (verse 12). We look for these miracles in our lives as we struggle through our trials, i.e., a word of exhortation from God to come from another’s lips to fortify a brother or sister in a personal challenge (word of wisdom or revelation). A prophecy or revelation may be given for the whole church or for an individual, e.g., as a confirmation of a gift of the Spirit. If, for God’s work, a mountain needs to be moved, we would be able to say, “Go from here to there.” (Matthew 17:20) and it will go (worker of miracles). Christ has confirmed to us that whatever we ask “in His name” will be given (John 14:13, 15:16). We may tend to shy away from miracles because of the flamboyant behavior shown in some religious programs on television. The authors of this paper are not advocating this type of showmanship, but do feel that we, as the Body of Christ, need to acknowledge that miraculous gifts are for the Church of God. We are exhorted to desire them amongst us for the church’s edification. We should ask for that which is aligned with Christ’s purpose and will. As we have already seen, Jesus told us; “These things you will do and greater than these” (John 14:12-14). He offers us this power of the Holy Spirit. Will He Find Faith on the Earth? Believe. The gifts – these holy, uncommon, miraculous gifts are not latent or inherent talents, they are miraculous expressions of God’s love, and are offered to us, to desire, to ask for, to seek, and to use. Christ said, when He returns will He “find faith on the earth”? Consider what He says here. When Christ visited his hometown, not many miracles were performed, because of “their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:57-58). These out-workings of the Spirit are evidence of faith. The church, each one of us, will be empowered and upheld by the Spirit of God as we believe. It is imperative that love, and only love, guides this pursuit. It is imperative that the church believes, seeks, and accepts in faith what it has not dared to fully embrace in this age. By Much Prayer and Fasting God desires us to be earnest, not lukewarm, or disinterested (Revelation 3:15-16). Remember when the disciples, on their first independent evangelistic tour, sought to cast out a particular demon, but were powerless? Christ’s response was “These come out only through much prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). When, out of love we desire these gifts, understand that we put ourselves forward to work for Christ. We are not our own. It will require courage, faith, time, and sacrifice. This is why we must fast and pray to seek God’s grace as one who is prepared to join Him and work for Him. To humble ourselves so we may be pliable and effective tools in His hands. To ensure all we do is always from love, never from pride, vanity, or self-promotion. Prayer with fasting is a powerful spiritual tool because it demonstrates humility, earnestness and complete devotion and submission to God and His will. How well are we doing in the greatest love of all? Are we ready to lay down our lives for our friends? It is time to seek these gifts through God’s power, grace and glory and give the Holy Spirit full reign. When will our stories to each other be wondrous evidence of God at work amongst us, as we, in love, minister to one another? Think how this is different to the stories we now tell. We will speak of healings, miracles and prophecies, and blessings as power from on high inspires our meetings and our lives. Surely when we are expressing love in accordance with the scriptures and inviting and allowing full expression of the Spirit of Christ in each of us, the Church will rise up glorious, powerful, and worthy, without flaw, as we see her in Revelation? Conclusion In this paper we have shown through Paul’s writings and other scriptures, how God blesses His children with the Holy Spirit, which in turn empowers us to care for one another within our fellowship body, the church. These wonderful gifts are far greater than natural talents as they impress on us the very power and love of God toward one another. The blessings of the gifts are made available for all of us, and we are urged to desire them, seek them, and use them to serve each other individually and to fortify the church as a whole. We hope this study will prompt our fellowship groups to read again I Corinthians 11, 12, 13 and 14 and similar chapters, in order to understand more fully, and to be more open to seeking, accepting, and using these gifts given by God to His children. There is an Almighty potential we are yet to witness in these coming years. The power of God must outstrip the confusion of the Evil one. We are the instruments by which God will accomplish His will. Have we, in the church, overlooked the breadth and depth of the POWER of the Holy Spirit and missed, or even dismissed, the miraculous gifts available to us, thus not operating as effectively as Christ intended? This paper emphasizes how love and only love must guide all we do in Christ’s name, for the work of the church, for the brethren and for the sake of the Gospel. It is the authors’ heartfelt desire that love, expressed in our care for each other, grows more meaningful, as the “time” draws near. We wait on God, with you, dear brethren, to see His power manifested in the church through the miraculous gifts as we respond to this exhortation by Paul to give love pre-eminence in our relationships. This paper is not an exhaustive study, it is written to share some learning gained from studying the gifts of the Spirit. |
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