Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
(Matthew 28:19, 20)
Every human being is bestowed with certain gifts...capabilities, talents, aptitudes. God wants us to use these talents to serve Him and to bring others to Him. These are sometimes known as Spiritual Gifts, because through the power of the Holy Spirit we can learn to use these capabilities to help each other for God's glory. Of course, we still have other natural abilities we use on a regular basis in our jobs, hobbies and everyday life, but there are some talents we feel spiritually led to use:
The apostles spoke of and clarified the meaning
of spiritual gifts.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
(1 Corinthians 12:1)
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-12)
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
(1 Corinthians 12:28)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...
(Romans 12:6)
Our Gifts May be Different
but they are All Important
Our Gifts are:
- From God
- Through Christ
- Empowered by the Holy Spirit
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Psalm 68:18)(Ephesians 4:7, 8)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(Ephesians 4:11,12)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
(Romans 12:6-8)
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
(Titus 1:9)
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:25)
The Gift of EXHORTATION
(To urge or incite by strong appeal, advice or argument)
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
(2 Timothy 4:5)
The Gift of EVANGELISM
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1)
The Gift of FAITH
The Spirit bestows a gift and provides the occasions and opportunities for its use: then the repeated use of the gift creates a ministry. For example, most of us pray for others as a matter of course, as part of our Christian life. But sometimes there is a supernatural unction, an anointing, that comes upon us to pray for someone in particular. That is the gift of intercessory prayer. A habitual exercise of that gift produces the ministry of intercessory prayer.
Every member of God's Church (believers in Christ) is given a gift or gifts. It is up to us to determine what they are and use them!
The Holy Spirit bestows gifts and provides opportunities for us to use them. It is still our choice to take advantage of these opportunities! As Christians, we have a certain obligation to discover, develop and use our spiritual gifts to glorify God by serving others.
You don't have to be a Sunday School teacher to exercise the spiritual gift of teaching. Authors of books, leaders of a Bible study group, Webmasters, chat room moderators are all examples of opportunities where one can teach others to observe the things Jesus commanded.
Discover Your Spiritual Gifts -
1. The best way to start on your path of discovering your own spiritual gifts is by becoming familiar with the spiritual gifts described by the apostles in the New Testament. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4 go in to detail about the different gifts provided by the Holy Spirit.
2. Get Busy! The next best way to discover your spiritual gifts is by getting involved in service to others. First expose yourself to areas of service involving your natural abilities. If you are talented in the area of:
MUSIC?...start there; Art? ...start there;
NURSING? ...start there; NURTURING,
CARING FOR CHILDREN?...start there;
GARDENING?...start there;
FLOWER ARRANGING?...start there.
No matter how small the talent may at first seem to be, it can still be used for God's glory through service to others. Some of these suggestions might at first seem silly, but they can still be used for the good of others if you think about it. For example, arranging some flowers and bringing them to the local nursing home could bring joy to someone who is lonely and forgotten. Think about what you are naturally good at and use that talent to serve someone else. Some proficiency in a certain area may suggest a potential gift.
3. Try something new. A willingness to try something new may uncover a gift we never even knew existed.
4. Pay attention to your desires. We're not talking about weaknesses here! But, a person may be drawn toward a certain area of service. Desire for a particular gift may point to the existence of that gift. With a God of order, desire, gift and calling are all related. A gift, therefore, may often be preceded by desire and followed by the opportunity to use it.
Biblical Spiritual Gifts -
Develop Your Gifts -
The WeymouthTranslation renders I Timothy 4:14-15 as follows:
"Do not be careless about the gifts with which you are endowed. Habitually practice these duties and be absorbed in them so that your growing proficiency in them may be evident to all."
The Gift of DISCERNMENT
...or Distinguishing of Spirits
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
(1 John 4:1)
The Gift of GIVING
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity...
(Romans 12:6-8)
The Gift of GOVERNMENT
...Administration/Leadership/Ruling
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
(1 Corinthians 12:28)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...he that ruleth, with diligence...
(Romans 12:6-8)
The Gift of HEALING
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
(1 Corinthians 12:9)
The Gift of KNOWLEDGE
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
(1 Corinthians 12:8)
The Gift of MERCY
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
(Romans 12:1)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
(Romans 12:6-8)
Since our heavenly Father has shown mercy to us forgiving of our sins, providing salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, we should be willing to show mercy to others. We are instructed to demonstrate care for others who are suffering and to do so with cheerfulness.
As every man hath received a gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(1 Peter 4:10,11)
For to one is given by the Spirit...
10 ...the working of miracles...
(1 Corinthians 12:10)
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles...
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts...
(1 Corinthians 12:28-31)
The Gift of MIRACLES
The Gift of PASTORING
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(Ephesians 4:11)
Pastors not only teach their congregations, they also CARE for them.
The Gift of PROPHECY/Speaking
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
(Romans 12:6)
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
(1 Corinthians 14:29-33)
Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
(1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21)
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
(1 Corinthians 14:3)
A supernaturally inspired utterance from God. A genuine prophetic utterance never contradicts, neither is equal to, the written Word of God. To foretell. To speak from the mind of God. Prophecies are to be judged
(1 Cor. 14:29, 1 Thes. 5:20-21).
The prophet is to exercise his gift by entire dependence on the Spirit of God, where and when and in the capacity determined by God. Since prophecy is primarily a speaking gift, the prophet is to speak "the utterances of God," not his or her own opinions.
Prophets stand next in importance to apostles in Paul's enumeration of the spiritual gifts
(1 Cor. 12:2) - "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues."
Prophecy is not to be despised, but respected.
Prophecy is not to be confusing. Many False Prophets offer vague and confusing predictions. True prophets of God will provide precise, clear information that does not contradict God's Word (the Bible).
True prophecy from God should bring peace, edification (to instruct and improve), exhortation (to urge/convince) and/or comfort.
The Gift of TEACHING
The reason we don't believe the gift of prophecy is extinct is because of what the Bible says in Acts 2:16-18: "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Joel 2:28
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy."
Joel 2:29
Develop Your Ministry -
The Gift of WISDOM
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
