The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 224

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XXXVII. Spiritual Gifts. " But desire earnestly the greater gifts.

lent I

The

And

a

still

way show

I

more

Cor. xii. 31 (R. V.).

charismata or spiritual gifts are the divinely ordained

means and powers whereby the King enables His Church form

its

excel-

unto you."

to per-

task on the earth.

The Church has a

calling in the world.

It is

being violently

attacked not only by the powers of this world, but

No

the invisible powers of Satan.

much more by

rest is allowed.

Denying that him may yet

Christ has conquered, Satan believes that the time left

Hence his restless rage and fury, his incessant upon the ordinances of the Church, his constant endeavor to divide and corrupt it. and his ever-repeated denial of the authorAltho he will never sucity and kingship of Jesus in His Church. ceed entirely, he does succeed to some extent. The history of the Church in every country shows it it proves that a satisfactory condition of the Church is highly exceptional and of short duration, and that for eight out of ten centuries its state is sad and deplorable, cause for shame and grief on the part of God's people. bring him victories. attacks

;

And

yet in

all this

task to accomplish.

warfare

It

it

has a calling to

may sometimes

fulfil,

an appointed

consist in being sifted like

wheat, as in Job's case, to show that by virtue of Christ's prayer faith

can not be destroyed in

its

bosom.

But whatever the form of power to perform it; a

the task, the Church always needs spiritual

power not in itself, but which the King must supply. Every means afforded by the King for the doing of His work is a charisma, a gift of grace. Hence the internal connection between work, office, and gift. Wherefore St. Paul says " To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal," i.e., for the general good (?rp6f :

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