7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Why is it important that we should spend time thinking about the gifts of the Spirit? It is important because it is revealed in the Bible. This topic is mentioned in several places in the New Testament. Approximately twenty different gifts are mentioned. It is hard to be very precise about the number; we are not always sure whether two different words refer to the same gift or to a different gift. There are three passages in particular which look at the gifts in detail (1 Corinthians 12:1–31; Romans 12:1–21 and Ephesians 4:1–32). Now God has seen fit to include this subject in his written Word, not just once, but several times. Here we remember that all Scripture is profitable, and this is Scripture, so we simply cannot afford to neglect anything that he has revealed to us.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:1, writing to the Christians:
Edward DonnellyNow concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed [or ignorant].So, that is his wish for God’s people. He does not want us to be ignorant about these things. He wants us to know about them, to be informed. That is simply what we are trying to do in this series. We are trying to inform ourselves, as the apostle says we should do, and as God wants us to do. So that is the first great reason for studying this subject: because it is revealed in the Bible.1
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.