Spiritual Gifts

Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts:

How has God uniquely gifted me for service?

Romans 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

1.     Misunderstanding spiritual gifts

            Spiritual gifts are not solely natural abilities

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:

Galatians 1:15-16  But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

            Spiritual gifts are not solely personality temperaments

Personality Type Equivalents

• Proponents of this theory declare that man is comprised of four temperaments, each having its own special characteristic.
• Hippocrates in the fifth century proposed that there are four liquids in the human body which determine a persons health. The four liquids are 1) blood, 2) phlegm, 3) chole (yellow bile), and 4) melanchole (black bile).
• This temperament chart is based on general observations, and may not have any real merit.

            Spiritual gifts are not the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Godly attitudes that characterize the lives of only those who belong to God by faith in Christ and possess the Spirit of God. The Spirit produces fruit which consists of 9 characteristics or attitudes that are inextricably linked with each and are commanded of believers throughout the NT. love. One of several words for love, agape, is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service (John 15:13; Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16, 17).[1]

            Spiritual gifts are God-given abilities

• The primary function of spiritual gifts are for serving

1 Corinthians 12:5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

• God gifts us to perform service in His strength

1 Corinthians 12:6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

• Spiritual gifts are visible services preformed for others

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

• When you exercise your gift in the service of other believers, it is to be recognized as the manifestation, the display of the Spirit of God. God has chosen to minister to His people through us.

2.     Understanding spiritual gifts

            Revelatory gifts

• Helped start the church. Provided revelation of previously unrevealed truths an ability to communicate those truths with authority.

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

            Apostleship

Acts 1:21-22  “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

            Prophecy

• Speaking forth the truth of God

1 Corinthians 14:29-30 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.

            Distinguishing spirits

• Supernatural ability to discern things

1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

            Word of wisdom

• Knowledge put to practical use

            Word of knowledge

• Revelatory knowledge

            Confirmatory gifts

• Confirmed the inspired message. Tongues secondary purpose was revelatory, primary was confirmation.

            Faith

1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Acts 27:22  And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

            Healing

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;

            Miracles

1 Corinthians 12:10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

            Tongues

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

            Interpretation of tongues

1 Corinthians 14:27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.

            Speaking gifts

• Depends on the divine revelation given to the church.
• Purpose is for edification

            Evangelism

• Ministry of conversion and initiation of churches in unchurched areas. Ministry like that of the apostle, someone who is a trailblazer.

Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

Acts 21:8  On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

            Teaching

• Ability to grasp, arrange and present revealed truth effectively to the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:28  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

            Pastor/Teaching

• Teaching with the heart of a shepherd, gifted to feed the flock.

Ephesians 4:11  And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

            Exhortation

Romans 12:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

            Auxiliary gifts

            Helps

• Service gifts that was the precursor to the office of deacon

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

            Mercy

• Specific  form of help in that it helps those who need relief from misery, pain, anxiety.

Romans 12:8  he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

            Giving

• A compulsion to give to help relieve the needs of  others

Romans 12:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

            Governing

• Special administrative abilities to govern the church towards effective service

1 Corinthians 12:28  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

The gifts are found in Romans 12:6-8 (listing seven gifts), I Corinthians 12:8-10 (nine), I Corinthians 12:28 (eight), I Corinthians 12:29-30 (seven), and Ephesians 4:11 (four). Subtracting those repeated brings the total to nineteen. The following chart shows them all as they are listed in these New Testament passages.

[2]

3.     Discovering your spiritual gifts

            Recognize that God has gifted you

Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

            Stir up your gift

2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

            Practice your gift

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

·         Don’t look for a single gift God has prepared each one of us like a snowflake. You are uniquely you.

1 Peter 4:10  As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

• Do you wonder what is your gift? The gift will become evident by your exercise of it.
• The emphasis of Scripture is body function and mutual help and edification.

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[1]John Jr MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., Ga 5:22

[2] http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/spiritualgifts/ch02.htm