How Desiring Style over Substance Results in Spiritual Immaturity...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter that reveals that Christians act unchristian when we desire style over substance in spiritual gifts. Yesterday, Paul revealed for us the reality that desiring style over substance in spiritual gifts results in no profit for others. While the person who is speaking in tongues or exercising a different spectacular spiritual gift may have an valid emotional encounter with God through the Holy Spirit, they have no way to understand what that experience means, which results in no transformation in terms of their personal spiritual growth or the spiritual growth of others.

We see the Apostle Paul unpack this idea and reveal a second result that occurs when Christians act unchristian by desiring style over substance in spiritual gifts. We see this beginning in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians 14:

What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen " at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul begins by asking “What then? What should I do?” Paul answers that question by stating that during his times of worship that he will pray and sing songs of praise with the spirit and the mind also. This phrase literally means that he will worship God through song and prayer in the power of the Spirit and in full possession of one’s mental faculties. Paul will not settle for simply an emotional experience and Paul will not settle for simply an intellectual experience. Paul desired that both his head and his heart be engaged fully in worship as he received and responded to God’s word.

How often, however, do we simply settle for one or the other? We either only want the emotional experience that makes us feel good and does not require us to critically think and apply the truth about God. Or we only want the intellectual truth about God, where we are "fed" with the truth, without being challenged to change how we feel or act. And even today, we see many churches that are at either one or the other extreme. God calls, us however to worship Him in the power of the Holy Spirit both emotionally and mentally engaged in who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do.

Paul then explains what happens when we worship God simply through the unrestrained emotional experience that was occurring in Corinth, and can occur in churches today. Paul explains that when the spiritual gift of tongues is exercised without any interpretation as simply an emotional response to worship, those who are followers of Jesus recognize that you are worshipping, but cannot join in the worship in a way that results in spiritual growth and maturity as followers of Jesus.

Paul here is revealing for us the reality that desiring style over substance results in spiritual immaturity. While Paul reinforces his desire that spiritual gifts be exercised for the spiritual growth of others by stating that while he exercises the spiritual gift of tongues more than any member of the church, he would rather speak five words that were intelligible and understood by others that would result in him teaching them in a way that results in spiritual growth.

So, do you use and exercise the spiritual gifts you have been given for the spiritual growth and good of others?