The Abiding Supernatural Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 13:13 ASV (13) But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

That is, they abide, while the believer abides, in the present world.

Later, sight replaces faith, hope is fulfilled, but the greatest of the three abides forever.

The lesser supernatural spiritual gifts have ceased. (Together with the special spiritual offices (Ephesians 4:11) and the special spiritual supernatural signs or miracles of the apostolic age.)

1 Corinthians 13:8 ASV Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.

From the most favored, prophecy, to the least favored, tongues, the special gifts of the apostolic age have ceased.

But they have been replaced by much better things:

1 Corinthians 13:9-12 ASV (9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; (10) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. (12) For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.

And the three great gifts abide.

The Gospel According to Jesus

The Gospel according to Jesus may be found in Matthew 16.24

We usually draw quite different lessons from this verse.

But a consideration of the immediate context would seem to indicate that it is the Gospel and not the Christian walk that is primarily in view. Verse 21 indicates the context.

Matthew 16:21 KJV From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Three verses later, verse 24:

Matthew 16:24 KJV Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

"Let him deny himself" - Be willing to give up all he has and is in his natural life in this world.

"Let him take up his cross" - Confess that he is a sinner deserving crucifixion. This is the basis upon which any right to life, possessions, family, and reputation is relinquished.

All that have been born again have made this confession and have implicitly relinquished all rights.

"Follow me" - To the place where Jesus will "be killed". It is there that the sinner's cross becomes Jesus' cross. And Jesus pays the price for the sins.

All that have been born again have made this journey spiritually.

The result of the journey:

Colossians 2:14 KJV Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Pilate judged rightly in a sense when he declared the only offense of Jesus was to be the "King of the Jews", and had that "indictment" nailed to his cross.

But the list of our offenses against God is both real and lengthy.

And each offense, past, present, and future. was put to Jesus' account, "nailed to His cross", when we were born again.

And Jesus paid the price for each every offense.

Matthew 27:46 KJV And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

The physical and emotional suffering of Jesus are counterparts to the greater spiritual suffering. Those who have been born again, that is, "crucified with Christ", often report that their conviction of sin preceding conversion included an intense awareness of the eternal separation from God that they were then facing. This is a part of the human side of spiritual separation. But Jesus, as God, had a spiritual fellowship and communion with the Father and the Spirit from everlasting, from the infinity of eternity past. This was broken for six hours on the Cross. This was the price of our sins.

John 19:30 KJV When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Jesus declared that the sacrifice had been accepted. The sins paid for. The writer of Hebrews explains:

Hebrews 10:14 KJV For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

May all who have received this greatest of blessings give thanks and praise without ceasing.

And may all who have not been born again, have no rest, until they have sought and found "so great salvation".

Seeing the Wisdom From Above

The wisdom from above is near:

Deuteronomy 30:14 KJV But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

The wisdom from above is accessible, "easy to be intreated":

James 3:17 KJV But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

The wisdom from above will accomplish God's good pleasure:

Isaiah 55:10-11 KJV For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The wisdom from above has been placed in the hearts and minds of the born again:

Hebrews 10:16 KJV This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

The wisdom from above is spiritual, telling the born again of the things freely given them by God:

1 Corinthians 2:12 KJV Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The wisdom from above has renewed the mind of the born again after the image of the Creator:

Colossians 3:10 KJV And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The wisdom from above has spoken to the born again in and through a Son, the unique Son of God:

Hebrews 1:2 YLT in these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages;

The wisdom from above could be seen in the unique Son as in a glass in the time of the apostles:

2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The wisdom from above may be seen more clearly in post-apostolic times:

Revelation 22:4 KJV And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

The proper application of Revelation 22:4 is little understood. Few have overcome the traditions of men when it comes to translating and interpreting the first verse of Revelation 1:1.

The Gospel of Jesus

Matthew 16:21-24 KJV From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. […] (24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

"Let him deny himself" - Be willing to give up all he has and is in his natural life in this world.

"Let him take up his cross" - Confess that he is a sinner deserving crucifixion.

"Follow me" - To the place where Jesus will "be killed". It is there that the sinner's cross becomes Jesus' cross. And Jesus pays the price for the sins.

Colossians 2:14 KJV Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

"He cannot see the kingdom of God"

John 3:3 KJV Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

In those days, in Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, the Kingdom of God was in their midst.

Luke 17:21 LITV nor will they say, Lo, here! Or, Lo, there! For behold the kingdom of God is in your midst.

But it was hidden from most.

John 1:10-11 KJV He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But there were those with sight, those who had been born again.

John 1:49 KJV Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.