THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

 THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Related to the current ministry of the Holy Spirit is the matter of spiritual gifts.  Just as the Holy Spirit is the one who empowers Christians, so He also gifts them.  This subject has been the focal point of much controversy with respect to the ecstatic or sign gifts and as a result, many have neglected the normal operation of spiritual gifts.  Such neglect harms Christians and the Church, which this blog hopes to correct.

 First, it is necessary to define spiritual gifts.  They are divinely bestowed supernatural capacities to glorify and serve God, which result from God's grace (Rom. 12:6; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Cor. 1:4, 5, 7) and sovereignty (1 Cor. 12:11, 18; Heb. 2:4).  You cannot earn a spiritual gift any more than you could salvation itself.  They are channels of the grace of God to others, as well as being a result of the grace of God in each believer.  The Scriptures speak of particular gifted men in leadership positions as being God's gifts to the Church (Eph. 4:11 cf. 1 Cor. 12:28).

 How do you distinguish between a natural ability and a spiritual gift?  A natural ability, although ultimately from God, is a result of hereditary factors (parents, grandparents, etc.) and is physical, mental, emotional and social in nature.  A spiritual gift is directly from God and is spiritual in nature, only possessed by Christians.  Both are to be used in God's service, but spiritual gifts are given for edifying the Church (1 Cor. 12:7; 14:3-5, 12, 26).

 As mentioned previously, spiritual gifts are sovereignly distributed and cannot be earned.  Every Christian receives at least one spiritual gift and probably a package of them (Rom. 12:3-6; 1 Cor. 12:11; 1 Pet. 4:10), and no one believer has all the gifts (1 Cor. 12:12-27).  The Holy Spirit is identified as the dispenser of these gifts (1 Cor. 12:11, 18), but all three members of the Godhead are involved (1 Cor. 12:4-6).  Christ is the giver of gifted men to lead the Church (Eph. 4:11) and so can be considered a distributor.

 The question arises – When are these spiritual gifts received?  The Bible does not give a direct answer.  It is implied from other truths.  It is interesting that Paul's statement concerning the placement of a believer into the body of Christ, the Church (1 Cor. 12:13), occurs in the middle of a discussion of spiritual gifts.  This event happens at conversion and so one would expect the same of spiritual gifts.  The fact that a believer is required to serve God upon conversion would also imply an immediate reception of the necessary spiritual gift(s) to do so.  The Scriptures also teach that every believer is complete in Christ at conversion and this would include spiritual gifts (Col. 2:9-10).  It is hard to imagine a new Christian having to wait for progressive spiritual instalments before being able to serve the Lord according to the commands of Scripture.

 It is important to reaffirm the context in which spiritual gifts are to operate.  They are generally given to serve the body, the local church, through a ministry of edification (1 Cor. 12:7; 14:3-5; cf. 1 Pet. 4:10).  Part of this process is evangelism for in order to edify a person, conversion must first take place.  There is a strong "others-orientation" in the use of spiritual gifts and any self-centered use is condemned (1 Cor. 14). They are not to draw attention to or gratify oneself.

 Although divinely bestowed, spiritual gifts do not operate apart from the Christian’s will.  Believers are responsible to use and develop the spiritual gift(s) they have received (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).  God also requires that they use them properly and not abuse them, as was the case in Corinth (1 Cor. 12-14).  The possessor of the gift(s) can exercise control over it (1 Cor. 14:32), avoid confusion (1 Cor. 14:33) and maintain order (1 Cor. 14:40).

 Their effective operation requires God’s power, which demands prayerful dependence on God and yielding to His will.  It is possible to exercise one's gift(s) without the enabling of the Holy Spirit, but there can be no eternal value in such activity apart from God's gracious overruling.  Such was the case in Corinth and thus the need for Paul to write to them to correct their misuse of spiritual gifts and possibly the presence of false gifts.

 How can believers discover their spiritual gift(s)?   Scripture does not command the discovery of spiritual gifts and yet has many commands, some of which require the use of spiritual gifts.  It is interesting to note a comparison between six spiritual gifts and biblical commands:

                         Service (Rom. 12:7a)                     cf.        Rom. 12:11; Gal. 5:13

                        Exhortation (Rom. 12:8a)               cf.        Heb. 10:25

                        Giving (Rom. 12:8b)                       cf.        2 Cor. 9:7 cf. 1 Tim. 6:18

                        Teaching (Rom. 12:7b)                    cf.        Matt. 28:19 cf. 1 Tim. 3:2; 2 Tim. 2:2, 24

                        Showing mercy (Rom. 12:8c)         cf.        Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12-13

                        Faith (1 Cor. 12:9)                            cf.        2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:6

 Regardless of spiritual gifting, believers are to serve according to these commands.  It is not critical to know your spiritual gift(s) before you start obeying and serving God, but a number of things will assist you in this quest:

Prayer -- asking God for wisdom to discern His work in your life (James 1:5).

Examine your desires in the light of possible spiritual gifts.

Get involved in serving the Lord, taking the opportunities offered to you for ministry.  In so doing, you must be willing to fail and persistent in new tasks to allow the development of whatever spiritual giftedness you have.  Watch for a negative attitude, such as, "it's not my gift!"

Evaluate your effectiveness in serving in particular activities over time, after repeated attempts.

Expect confirmation of your spiritual gift(s) from others. 

 

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