What are the gifts of the Spirit ?
Every Christian has the guidance of the Spirit of God. Jesus said He was sending the Holy Spirit to help us. (John 14:16) The word that He used, Paraclete, has a meaning of a friend, Helper, Advocate, the One called alongside. This word implies that the Holy Spirit walks beside you. The Holy Spirit has His arm around you to keep you for falling. The Holy Spirit gives you guidance and intercedes for you to the Father in your behalf.
The Spirt has many functions
The Spirit is our comforter, helper and witness to our salvation. This is what Jesus gave us when he said he would be leaving but would send another. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, helper and guide. The Holy Spirit is a Gift from God. There are gifts that come to us through the Holy Spirit. These are special gifts, above and beyond this relationship with the Holy Spirit These gifts have become known as gift(s) of the Holy Spirit.
These are real
They are not developments of human capabilities. They are not some polish of your personality. They have nothing at all to do with your stature or place in society. The person who is being used by God in this manner, through the gifts of the Spirit, has no cause to brag or be proud. No credit can be taken for achieving some accomplishment. It is a gift. period. It is not from your own effort. It is given to freely to you. You had nothing to do with it.
Every Christian has one
If you are a Christian, then you have at least one gift: The Spirit walking alongside you. God has many gifts for His followers. Some of us has discovered our gifts and some have not. Some have discovered that they have more than one! Some have two or three or more. The gifts of the Spirit in question , are not given for you the believer The gifts of the Spirit are given for the Body of Christ, through you. The gifts of the spirit are for one reason: To make the body of Christ complete. To help, in the truest sense of the word. They are for the Church. The Church with a capital “C” .
The gifts of the Spirit are to glorify Christ. These gifts will always demonstrate God’s power and presence. These gifts will always ultimately aid in bringing the lost to Christ. You have gifts waiting for you. Look for them. You must discover your gifts.
A listing of the gifts (1 Corinthians 12-13)
The gifts of the Spirit are:
- To one is given a message of wisdom.
That is wise counsel, through the Spirit. Wise counsel enables a person to deliver messages of wisdom. To those who are needing wisdom from God for their circumstances.
- To another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit
That is clear understanding. Clear understanding. enables a person to do successful research.In the same context it enables a person to remember as well as find answers. This would be toward a view to share the knowledge.
- To another, faith by the same Spirit.
That is simple trust. Simple trust and faith given by the Spirit. This gift is the ability to believe God without doubt. It is an inner conviction placed there by the Spirit. It is for your own benefit to trust in God's words and messages.
- To another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit
That is healing the sick. The gift of healing comes to you by the Spirit. This gift is one of the supernatural manifestations. Manifestation that brings healing and deliverance from illness.
- To another, the performing of miracles.
That is miraculous acts. This gift is the ability to call on God to do supernatural acts. These supernatural acts are focused on one point: To reveal the power of God. It is something like God showing up and showing off. These actions by God at the requested of the gifted are focused on increasing one’s belief and faith in Christ.
- To another, prophecy
That is proclamation prophecy. The gift of prophecy is not predicting the future. Sadly, many have this mistaken idea. Rather has the meaning of “ speaking forth” or “Speaking out” Telling people what God’s divine will is in a particular situation and the consequences if His will is ignored. This gift has been called a gift of proclamation. One has described it this way: It is telling something like it is, that is “forth-telling,” and it is not predicting the future or “foretelling.”
- To another, distinguishing between spirits,
That is good or evil spirits.
This is the ability to knowing the difference between spirits one is confronted with and the One True Spirit from God.
There are four spirits in our reality that we need to be concerned with.
- The first is the Spirit of God.
- The second is an spirit of an angel.
- Another is the spirit that is evil.
- The last one is the spirit of a man.
- To another, different kinds of languages,
That is tongues. The speaking of different kinds of languages. The gift of tongues is speaking in a language a person does not know. This gift is often used to minister to someone or a group of people who does speak that language. A very common display of this gift occurs in a meeting where God uses the gifted to speak to the people gathered in a language unknown to any of them. It may be a standard earthly language or it may be a completely spiritual language.
When God delivers a message in this manner, there is always one in attendance who will given an interpretation. Otherwise it would simply be confusion and it would not be God authored.
- To another, interpretation of languages.
That is the interpretation of tongues. When God gives a message in tongues , there will be always an interpretation of what was said into the language of the people present. This is a supernatural verbalization of the message delivered. This is a gift . The person speaking has no idea what is being said. The person who gives the interpretation has no knowledge of the language being spoken. If someone speaks in tongues, you can ask God to give the interpretation through you.
2. Benifit for the Church
These gifts are intended for the benefit of the Church. These gifts are empowerment. Empowerment for the Body of Christ. Empowerment to do the work of Christ. These gifts always exalt Christ These gifts always witness to God’s power. These gifts always, build up the Body. These gifts always enlarge the Body of Christ by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. These gifts will always exalt Christ, and are witness of God’s power.
Notes:
1. John 14:16
2. 1 Corinthians 12-13