Topical Bible: The Gifts of God: Spiritual: Christ the Chief of

Bible > Topical > The Gifts of God

◄ The Gifts of God: Spiritual: Christ the Chief of ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the Christian faith, the concept of spiritual gifts is deeply rooted in the understanding that God, through His grace, bestows various gifts upon believers for the edification of the Church and the glorification of His name. Among these spiritual gifts, Christ Himself is recognized as the chief gift, embodying the ultimate expression of God's love and grace to humanity.

Christ as the Supreme Gift

The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the preeminent gift from God to mankind. In John 3:16 , it is written, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse encapsulates the essence of Christ as the supreme gift, given for the salvation of humanity. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus provides the means for reconciliation with God, offering eternal life to all who believe.

The Incarnation: God’s Gift of Presence

The incarnation of Christ is a profound demonstration of God's willingness to dwell among His people. In Matthew 1:23 , the prophecy is fulfilled: "Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (which means, "God with us"). This act of God taking on human flesh is a gift that signifies His intimate involvement in the human experience, providing a perfect example of righteousness and love.

Christ’s Role in Bestowing Spiritual Gifts

Christ not only embodies the chief gift but also plays a central role in the distribution of spiritual gifts to believers. Ephesians 4:7-8 states, "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.'" Through His ascension, Christ empowers the Church by granting diverse spiritual gifts, enabling believers to serve one another and advance the Kingdom of God.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

One of the most significant gifts Christ promised to His followers is the Holy Spirit. In John 14:16-17 , Jesus assures His disciples, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth." The Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, indwells believers, guiding, comforting, and equipping them for service. This gift ensures that the presence and power of Christ continue to operate within the Church.

Christ as the Source of All Spiritual Blessings

Ephesians 1:3 declares, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms." In Christ, believers receive a multitude of spiritual blessings, including redemption, forgiveness, and adoption as children of God. These blessings are not earned but are graciously given through faith in Jesus, the chief gift.

The Gift of Peace and Rest

Jesus offers peace and rest to those who come to Him. In Matthew 11:28-30 , He invites, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." This invitation highlights the spiritual rest and peace found in Christ, a gift that transcends earthly troubles and provides solace to the soul.

Conclusion

In summary, Christ stands as the chief of all spiritual gifts, embodying the fullness of God's grace and love. Through His life, death, resurrection, and ongoing presence through the Holy Spirit, He provides believers with the ultimate gift of salvation and the means to live a life empowered by spiritual gifts. As the source of all spiritual blessings, Christ remains central to the believer's faith and practice, continually drawing them closer to God and equipping them for His service.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 42:6
I the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 55:4
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 4:10
Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 6:32,33
Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Man the Image of the Creator, and Christ the Head of the Man ...
... the chief commandment, [5563] just as Christ has shown ... may now leave the subject
of spiritual gifts, facts themselves ... in claiming them for his God, and whether ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter viii man the image of.htm

Tenth Sunday after Trinity Spiritual Counsel for Church Officers.
... who appoints all offices, and the Spirit who confers all gifts, be true God. No
creature is able to impart spiritual offices and gifts; that is impossible ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/tenth sunday after trinity spiritual.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... sot, and that I want those blessed gifts of knowledge ... it be so, that the saved soul
is Christ's love, when ... with temptations, and the hidings of God's face, yet ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Christ Appears in the Synagogue at Nazareth. --His Life is ...
... seeming, and destitute of a spiritual sense, they ... the distribution and application
of miraculous gifts, acts freely ... and the protecting hand of God alone saved ...
/.../section 128 christ appears in.htm

Who Bring Christ
... divided, and which were evidently arranged according to their spiritual nearness
to ... follows that what keeps away Christ and all His gifts, and God in Him ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/who bring christ.htm

Of the Five Kinds of Men who Shall Appear at the Judgment
... THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE: THE FIRST BOOK ... Christians; for, since they
received fewer gifts of God ... The first coming, when God became man and lived ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter x of the five.htm

Man's Chief End
... preached that they might outshine him in gifts, and get ... heaven; but they are not
carnal but spiritual delights ... Christ, in feeling the love of God, in conversing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 mans chief end.htm

The Supremacy of Christ
... This union is spiritual and not mechanical; it is holy and ... 18) in remembering the
Apostle with substantial gifts in his ... is Lord to the glory of God the Father ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/study ix the supremacy of.htm

Prayer and God's Work
... cause, and if we are as honest and spiritual as he ... in heart and life, thoroughly
devoted to God, would not ... the littleness of grace (rather than of gifts) in a ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/vii prayer and gods work.htm

The Gifts of Heavenly Wisdom
... Sometimes Wisdom's hands do not hold these outward gifts. ... One prime condition of
healthy spiritual life is the ... our gaze upon the facts of God's revelation and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the gifts of heavenly wisdom.htm