That Which Is Perfect

1 Corinthians 13;10 "That which is perfect"

### The Active Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church: Their Purpose and Continuation

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are essential aspects of the Christian faith, given to believers for the edification and growth of the Church. These gifts are not only active but are also vital for the Church's mission and will continue to be so until the end times. Here, we will explore the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, their purpose within the Church, and why they will remain active until the rapture and the ultimate revelation of God's perfect love.

#### The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Bible outlines several spiritual gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit, primarily found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Romans 12:6-8, and Ephesians 4:11-13. These include:

1. **Wisdom** - The ability to apply knowledge in a godly and practical way.

2. **Knowledge** - Insight into the deep things of God and His purposes.

3. **Faith** - Extraordinary confidence in God's power and promises.

4. **Healing** - The supernatural ability to restore health.

5. **Miracles** - The power to perform signs and wonders.

6. **Prophecy** - Speaking forth God's messages.

7. **Discerning of Spirits** - The ability to distinguish between different kinds of spirits.

8. **Tongues** - Speaking in languages unknown to the speaker.

9. **Interpretation of Tongues** - Understanding and explaining the meaning of tongues.

10. **Serving** - Helping others with a joyful heart.

11. **Teaching** - Instructing others in the faith.

12. **Encouragement** - Uplifting and motivating others.

13. **Giving** - Generously sharing resources.

14. **Leadership** - Guiding others with wisdom and humility.

15. **Mercy** - Showing compassion to those in need.

#### Purpose of the Gifts

The primary purpose of these gifts is to build up the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:12-13 states that these gifts are given "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." The gifts help believers grow in their faith, serve others effectively, and work towards the unity and maturity of the Church.

#### Continuation of the Gifts

The gifts of the Holy Spirit will continue to be active in the Church for several reasons:

1. **God's Indwelling Presence** - As long as the Holy Spirit dwells within believers, His gifts will be active. The Spirit's work in revealing Christ and His nature does not cease with the completion of the Bible but continues through the lives of Christians.

2. **Ongoing Mission** - The Church's mission to spread the Gospel and make disciples of all nations requires the empowerment and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The gifts are essential tools in fulfilling this Great Commission.

3. **Edification of the Church** - The Church is continually growing and needs ongoing edification. The spiritual gifts help to build up the Church, encourage believers, and bring unity and maturity.

4. **God's Sovereignty** - God, in His sovereignty, has chosen to work through the gifts of the Spirit. His plans and purposes are accomplished through these gifts until the end of the age.

#### The Fulfillment of Time and God's Love

The continuation of the gifts will persist until every person chosen by God has come into His kingdom. When the rapture occurs, and the Church is gathered before God, believers will fully know His perfect love. This will be the time when "that which is perfect" has come, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:10. In the fullness of time, God's perfect love will be revealed to His Church, and the partial understanding and manifestations of the gifts will give way to complete and eternal knowledge and love in the presence of God.

Until that day, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are indispensable for the life and mission of the Church. They are divine tools given to believers to manifest God's power, love, and truth in the world, drawing people to Christ and strengthening the body of believers. As we await the fulfillment of God's plan, let us embrace and faithfully steward the gifts of the Holy Spirit, knowing that they are a foretaste of the glorious future that awaits us in His presence.

### What Does 1 Corinthians 13:10 Mean?

Paul is showing that love is eternal, while spiritual gifts are temporary. This refers to godly love, from the Greek word "agape," meaning sacrificial and selfless active love. Our knowledge of God and His plans for the world is relatively limited.

The gifts of the Spirit work by love—God's love—and reveal to us in part the love of God while we are still in our earthly bodies. But when we are in heaven, we won't need the gifts of the Spirit as we do on earth because we will fully know God's love.

1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter. Paul speaks about God's perfect love. "Perfect" does not refer to the Word of God, as erroneous cessationists might assume, suggesting that the gifts of the Spirit are no longer needed or active in the church.

The gifts of the Spirit will be active in the church as long as the church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit on earth. The Holy Spirit's nature did not stop revealing the nature of Christ to, in, and through His body after the completion of the King James Version of the Bible. The job of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Christ, who is the prophet, healer, baptizer, performer of signs and wonders, miracle worker, author of our faith, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-revealing. Every gift of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 is a manifestation of the Spirit revealing who Jesus Christ is to and through His Church. Paul did not mention these gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 just to tell us in 1 Corinthians 13 that we don't need them anymore. In fact, we do and will continue to need them until the fullness of the body of Christ is complete.

Ephesians 4:11-13 states: "So Christ himself gave the apostles (New Testament apostles beyond the twelve apostles of Christ), the prophets (who prophesy, not just proclaim the gospel), the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit has come to reveal the person of Christ. According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, the gifts of the Spirit testify to the nature and ministry of Jesus. Anyone who is a cessationist and denies that these gifts are for today is also denying the Holy Spirit's ongoing ministry to reveal the person of Christ (John 16:13-14). Furthermore, equating the manifest testimony of Christ through the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the work of the devil is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32), which is an unforgivable sin.