Gifts of the Spirit
He gives good gifts
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. NLT 1 Peter 4:10
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. NLT 1 Corinthians 12:7-10
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. NLT Romans 12:6-9
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. NLT 1 Corinthians 12:7-10
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. NLT Romans 12:6-9
These are the gifts that are commonly listed but it would be foolish to think that God is limited in what gifts He can give. That being said I will go over my understanding of each of the gifts listed below. Just so that I am clear about these gifts, the gifts reflect the goodness of God, the giver. They do not reflect the goodness of the one the gift is given to. A spoiled child can receive gifts. That was the issue addressed in the book of 1st Corinthians. They had gifts but they lacked love; love is what God commands from us.
Word of Wisdom
Purpose: Godly understanding of how to live.
What does it look like: The major way I have experianced this gift is understanding the word of God. When people have struggles in their lives wisdom is a great gift. Like King Solomon, God may give us wisdom for living life well, but we still have to be obeident to Him to live well.
What does it look like: The major way I have experianced this gift is understanding the word of God. When people have struggles in their lives wisdom is a great gift. Like King Solomon, God may give us wisdom for living life well, but we still have to be obeident to Him to live well.
Word of Knowledge
Purpose: To display that God knows each of us intimately.
What does it look like: Private infromation is given by God about someone else. God wants us to share this information with that person normally. Words of knowledge often opens their hearts up to listening to God.
What does it look like: Private infromation is given by God about someone else. God wants us to share this information with that person normally. Words of knowledge often opens their hearts up to listening to God.
Faith
Purpose: To give us boldness to trust God beyond our normal experience.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Healings
Purpose: To remove disease (physical, emotional, and mental) raising the dead, casting out demons, and removing harmful abnormalities.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Miracles
Purpose: To display the power and/or love of God.
What does it look like: Multipling food, walking on water, parting a sea, moving a mountain, teleporting, causing a tree to wither, causing the sun to stand still for several hours, causing stone walls to crumble, causing enemies to destroy themselves, calling down fire from the sky and many more are listed in the bible. This can look like anything you can imagine and more.
What does it look like: Multipling food, walking on water, parting a sea, moving a mountain, teleporting, causing a tree to wither, causing the sun to stand still for several hours, causing stone walls to crumble, causing enemies to destroy themselves, calling down fire from the sky and many more are listed in the bible. This can look like anything you can imagine and more.
Prophecy
Purpose: Strengthens, encourages and comforts the body of Christ.
What does it look like: Prophecy is a word from God. He tells us how he sees us. This could be a word of correction, reinforcement, discipline, revelation, comfort or encouragement. God can also give us direction (how often do we pray for it.) Remember to test every prophecy you hear against the bible. Prophecy will never go against the Word of God.
What does it look like: Prophecy is a word from God. He tells us how he sees us. This could be a word of correction, reinforcement, discipline, revelation, comfort or encouragement. God can also give us direction (how often do we pray for it.) Remember to test every prophecy you hear against the bible. Prophecy will never go against the Word of God.
Discernment
Purpose: To protect us against the schemes of the enemy.
What does it look like: A feeling of uneasyness about a person or situation. Sometimes even a word is given to explain why the situation is not of God.
What does it look like: A feeling of uneasyness about a person or situation. Sometimes even a word is given to explain why the situation is not of God.
Gift of Tongues
Purpose: To strengthen us spiritually and to speak in an unknown language as a sign to unbelievers.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Interpretation of Tongues
Purpose: Complements the gift of tongues and allows us to understand what is said in a different language.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
These gifts come from a list in the book of Romans. These are gifts given to us to do things well. I think these are gifts that God has woven into who we are, unlike the Gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit are a sign of God's power expressed through us. The gifts below are part of who God made us to be.
Ability to Prophesy
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ the ability to speak the living word of God into others lives.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Serving Others
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ the ability to show the love of God by helping with needs.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Teacher
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ the ability to understand what God has said in the scriptures.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Encourage Others
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ reinforcement of God's purpose in each members life.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Giving
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ the ability to show the love of God through His provision to meet needs.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Leadership Ability
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ the ability to work together well.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
Showing Kindness/Mercy
Purpose: Gives the body of Christ the ability to show others the grace of God.
What does it look like:
What does it look like:
The Argument Against the Gifts of the Spirit
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. NASB 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
This scripture and personal experience is what backs the argument that the gifts have ceased.
Scripture - This scripture does say that prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will be done away/cease when the perfect comes. Those that point to this scripture reason that the perfect is the completed New Testement (The Bible). Okay, the bible is completed. So now all believers know fully the truth of God, because they see clearly the truth for what it is. Is that reality? Or, is the perfect a referance to the second coming of Christ, when we are face to face with our savior?
Personal Experience - Why don't the leaders of the church experience the gifts, if the gifts are still in operation? I have a scripture for that.
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. NIV Matthew 13:58
Many of them have been taught that the gifts don't exist anymore. They don't believe that God operates through the gifts anymore. God meets them where their faith is.
What about those that have been healed, recieved wisdom, knowledge or prophecy. They are looked at as crazy, much the same as the prophets in the bible were seen as crazy.
So, what about those that are seeking the gifts but they have not experienced them? This is a case by case question. I can not give a blanket answer to it. But here is my atempt; some still doubt, some have spiritual battles or sin issues that are stopping the gift from happening, some are praying and the gift has not come because of the battle that is going on around them (like in the book of Daniel). Some of the gifts are not easily seen. I have known people that have operated in a gift and did not recognize it as a gift of the Spirit. It may be something else beyond what I have listed.
Scripture - This scripture does say that prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will be done away/cease when the perfect comes. Those that point to this scripture reason that the perfect is the completed New Testement (The Bible). Okay, the bible is completed. So now all believers know fully the truth of God, because they see clearly the truth for what it is. Is that reality? Or, is the perfect a referance to the second coming of Christ, when we are face to face with our savior?
Personal Experience - Why don't the leaders of the church experience the gifts, if the gifts are still in operation? I have a scripture for that.
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. NIV Matthew 13:58
Many of them have been taught that the gifts don't exist anymore. They don't believe that God operates through the gifts anymore. God meets them where their faith is.
What about those that have been healed, recieved wisdom, knowledge or prophecy. They are looked at as crazy, much the same as the prophets in the bible were seen as crazy.
So, what about those that are seeking the gifts but they have not experienced them? This is a case by case question. I can not give a blanket answer to it. But here is my atempt; some still doubt, some have spiritual battles or sin issues that are stopping the gift from happening, some are praying and the gift has not come because of the battle that is going on around them (like in the book of Daniel). Some of the gifts are not easily seen. I have known people that have operated in a gift and did not recognize it as a gift of the Spirit. It may be something else beyond what I have listed.