CHRISTIAN CELEBRITYISM
Within Christian circles a lot of times, we “wow” other people who seem to be more and “better” gifted than us and insist that if at all the Lord be praised then it must through them. Moreover, we give them that special place and hold them in high regard for the fact that we are not “as good as” them. A look at this matter in strict Biblical perspective is…
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
Romans 12:6-8
So, if I may rephrase – we must do what you are given to do in the proportion and manner that we are given to do it with. Now, the celebritist culture can lead us and has lead us to think that we are not as useful as someone else and the types who are spectators and not actors of the Christian faith, so to speak. The Bible does address this in…
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
I Corinthians 12:31
The reference above speaks of this “most excellent way” to “desire the best gifts”. If you read on right up to the 14th chapter, this most excellent way is Love.
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts...”
I Corinthians 14:1
It also instructs that these gifts are to be made manifest most importantly with love.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
I Corinthians 13:1-3
What would this love be by Biblical definition?
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…”
I Corinthians 13:4-8
The manifestation of our gifts ought to be guided by the love the above verse describes. Moreover love (this love) is the love that we know to be God and that which comes in abiding in Him for true Love is God (rather God is love) as it says in I John 4.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. “
“We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him”
I John 4:7, 13, 16
Then comes the question – How do we follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts?
Let us take a look at the following references surround the passages that have been referred to. The verse that unites the message regarding of how we are to “eagerly desire the best gifts” is very much akin to…
“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
I Corinthians 10:23-24
The passages in question are exhorting the believer to use their gifts for benefit of others. In particular…
“But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?”
“You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified”
I Corinthians 14:3-6, 17
One important thing to implement with our gifts is that we serve the purpose of Love through them. As discussed I John 4, (only) God is Love and to love we have to be born of God, know God and live in God (vs. 7, 16) by which we bear fruit of Him…
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5
…and therefore of Love (since God is Love). It is not an intended effort but rather a resultant effort.
A close to the topic is only apt in the form of…
“Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.”
“But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. In the Law it is written:
"Through men of strange tongues
and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord.”
I Corinthians 14:7-9, 19-21
There is a sure balance between the two. While we must speak “intelligible words” using our gifts which translates into effective communication of whatever means concerning the gift in question, it also means that we must be always speaking fully completely of God concerning which I Corinthians 12:3 says…
“Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.”
…by which we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to do it intelligibly taking into consideration the need of the ones whom we are ministering to.
Therefore if you consider yourself a non actor in the Kingdom of God, you must eagerly desire the greater gifts and do so by following the way of love, by being in God who is love, intending to edify the Kingdom of God (inclusive of the Church) by asking God himself to bestow them on us if He so intends and enable you to reach out to his people and the unreached intelligibly.
But do not think that you have not a role to play if you think that you are not bestowed a gift. Each step of the way that you take in Christ is an act that bringeth forth fruit the fruit of God from one who is in God and that can go a long way if you strut your stuff as God would enable you too. We must be as we are called and furthermore as we are enabled to be and must also think of ourselves in the role that God has placed us in no less that we ought to like the different parts of the body play their own roles each as in I Corinthians 12.
The celebritist nature that we impose on people who seem to be “more talented” than us must not perturb our role in the Kingdom of God and we must consider ourselves as equal as each one of our brothers in Christ differing only the grace that has been given to us to do that which God would have of us but toward Christ and His Kingdom is our call and we all play our parts as needed as the other by God’s ordination.
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
Romans 12:6-8
So, if I may rephrase – we must do what you are given to do in the proportion and manner that we are given to do it with. Now, the celebritist culture can lead us and has lead us to think that we are not as useful as someone else and the types who are spectators and not actors of the Christian faith, so to speak. The Bible does address this in…
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
I Corinthians 12:31
The reference above speaks of this “most excellent way” to “desire the best gifts”. If you read on right up to the 14th chapter, this most excellent way is Love.
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts...”
I Corinthians 14:1
It also instructs that these gifts are to be made manifest most importantly with love.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
I Corinthians 13:1-3
What would this love be by Biblical definition?
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…”
I Corinthians 13:4-8
The manifestation of our gifts ought to be guided by the love the above verse describes. Moreover love (this love) is the love that we know to be God and that which comes in abiding in Him for true Love is God (rather God is love) as it says in I John 4.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. “
“We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him”
I John 4:7, 13, 16
Then comes the question – How do we follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts?
Let us take a look at the following references surround the passages that have been referred to. The verse that unites the message regarding of how we are to “eagerly desire the best gifts” is very much akin to…
“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
I Corinthians 10:23-24
The passages in question are exhorting the believer to use their gifts for benefit of others. In particular…
“But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?”
“You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified”
I Corinthians 14:3-6, 17
One important thing to implement with our gifts is that we serve the purpose of Love through them. As discussed I John 4, (only) God is Love and to love we have to be born of God, know God and live in God (vs. 7, 16) by which we bear fruit of Him…
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5
…and therefore of Love (since God is Love). It is not an intended effort but rather a resultant effort.
A close to the topic is only apt in the form of…
“Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.”
“But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. In the Law it is written:
"Through men of strange tongues
and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord.”
I Corinthians 14:7-9, 19-21
There is a sure balance between the two. While we must speak “intelligible words” using our gifts which translates into effective communication of whatever means concerning the gift in question, it also means that we must be always speaking fully completely of God concerning which I Corinthians 12:3 says…
“Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.”
…by which we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to do it intelligibly taking into consideration the need of the ones whom we are ministering to.
Therefore if you consider yourself a non actor in the Kingdom of God, you must eagerly desire the greater gifts and do so by following the way of love, by being in God who is love, intending to edify the Kingdom of God (inclusive of the Church) by asking God himself to bestow them on us if He so intends and enable you to reach out to his people and the unreached intelligibly.
But do not think that you have not a role to play if you think that you are not bestowed a gift. Each step of the way that you take in Christ is an act that bringeth forth fruit the fruit of God from one who is in God and that can go a long way if you strut your stuff as God would enable you too. We must be as we are called and furthermore as we are enabled to be and must also think of ourselves in the role that God has placed us in no less that we ought to like the different parts of the body play their own roles each as in I Corinthians 12.
The celebritist nature that we impose on people who seem to be “more talented” than us must not perturb our role in the Kingdom of God and we must consider ourselves as equal as each one of our brothers in Christ differing only the grace that has been given to us to do that which God would have of us but toward Christ and His Kingdom is our call and we all play our parts as needed as the other by God’s ordination.
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