THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY

“…And yet show I
unto you a more excellent way!”
I Corinthians 12:31b
New Living Translation

The spiritual gifts were very important to the Corinthian church, as they should be to any assembly of believers. However, they put more emphasis on the more ‘showy’ and spectacular grace gifts of the Spirit. In doing so, it caused much confusion in the body of Christ. From the text, there were feelings of superiority, inferiority and individuality. The Corinthian church did not esteem the sovereignty of God and His placement of gifts in the body. Also, the Corinthians failed to celebrate their diversity and chose rather to vie and jockey for only a few of the gifts.
The Apostle Paul used the analogy of the human body to help the Corinthian believers understand that it takes every diverse part of the body to operate for the body to be healthy. When each part of the body operates as it should the body will be healthy and will mature.
The Apostle Paul went on to give a ‘more excellent way’ to conduct body ministry that should be the standard of each congregation. It is the higher way of love! Love should be the only motivation for ministry. Love for God and then love for the brethren. Without true {agape} love as the motivation, all the gifts are as ‘sounding brass and tinkling cymbals’ or just noise (I Corinthians 13:1)! Church life is not about trying to fit in or about being recognized. Once we are baptized into the Body of Christ we are already accepted and fit in. The scripture says that we have been accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6). When we assemble and have other motives and intentions that drive us, then we are not operating in the more excellent way. The love of God that has been poured into our hearts should always be the impetus for operating in the spiritual gifts.
We know that ‘God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call}’ (Romans 11:29). It is possible to operate in gifts and callings without love or without being in right standing with God and even have a degree of effectiveness. However, since God looks on the motive and intent of the heart, will He know us on the day of judgment? Will all of our works be burned by the fire because it was only not motivated or done in love?
Allow the more excellent way of love for Christ and His body to motivate you to discover, develop and exercise your spiritual endowments for the health and increase of the body of Christ.