Gifts of the Spirit

Before we look at the subject for today, I want to follow up on what I said a month ago. What we talked about was probably new to those of you who were there and might have been a little unsettling.

There will be a second determination on the Day of Judgment based on our works. The reason you probably haven’t heard this before is because at one point in history the Church twisted the works part of the equation with penance, absolution, and indulgences, and other things that promised a path to work your way into heaven.

The Reformation rejected those ideas and championed the “Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone” theology that we are familiar with. But the Reformation also threw the baby out with the bathwater – it threw out the clear teaching in scripture of a Judgment Day accounting of our actions. Scripture even teaches that we will give an account for every idle word we speak:

Matt 12:36-37 – “I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

So, because we focused so much on “Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone” theology, we no longer hear about being judged based on our works; being judged by how we have stewarded the gifts God has given us even though we find this truth in scripture.

The Scriptures say we will give an account for our actions, and a determination based on what we have done will determine our reward after we die. That reward has NOTHING to do with salvation, or eternal life, or riches, or wealth. But it DOES impact our stewardship opportunities in the new creation – a new creation that contains both a new heaven AND a new earth.

I hope that makes sense. Today we’re going to look at Spiritual Gifts. What are they? How are they different from talents? Why does God give them to us? That’s what we are going to look at over the next 30 minutes or so.

But before we get there, we need to fix some story problems. We all view the world through stories that live inside our mind. These stories tell us how the world works, and we interpret everything we experience through these stories. Frequently, these stories are faulty, and we need to realign our stories with reality.

Two people can encounter the same experience but have two radically different reactions, all because our stories are different. How you react when a police officer pulls you over will depend greatly on the stories running through your mind. If someone reacts differently than you to a situation, it’s because they are viewing the world through a different set of stories.

How we view spiritual gifts depends on the stories we view the world through. So, before we look at Spiritual Gifts we need to align our stories about the world we live in, and who we were created to be, with what Scripture says.

Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV) – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

In these two verses we see that when God created the universe, the earth was “without form” (In Hebrew it’s “tohu wa vohu”) – unformed and uninhabited – wild and waste – in one word, it was “Chaos.” Creation was also “void” (empty, barren), and full of darkness. And over the course of the first 36 verses of the Bible we see God, through the Holy Spirit, bringing order and form, bringing fruitfulness and fullness, and bringing light.

The first thing God does, through the Holy Spirit, is bring light where there is darkness. Then during the first three days of creation, God brings form, order, boundaries, and structure. In the next three days of creation, he goes back and fills those forms, structures, and boundaries with fruitfulness and fullness. And finally, on the sixth day God created humanity, male and female, and commissioned them with what I call the Genesis Commission. This is the beginning of our Foundational Identity.

FOUNDATIONAL IDENTITY

Genesis Commission – The First Block of Our Foundational Identity

Gen 1:26-28 (ESV)

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Be Fruitful, Multiply, Fill the earth, Subdue it, and have Dominion over it. – Humans, men and women, were designed to imitate what God has done in creation; we bear his image. We were created and commissioned to bring form and structure where there is chaos, to bring fullness and fruitfulness where there is barrenness and emptiness, and to bring light where there is darkness. God created men and women in his image to serve all of creation as co-regents and stewards of all God created. And we see this commission repeated over and over in scripture.

Genesis 9:1, 7 (Noah and Children); Genesis 16:10 (Hagar); Genesis 17:6-7 (Abraham); Genesis 22:16-18 (Abraham); Genesis 26:23-24 (Isaac); Genesis 28:1-4 (Isaac to Jacob); Genesis 35:9-12 (God to Jacob); Genesis 41:50-52 (Joseph to Ephraim); Genesis 48:2-4 (Jacob to Joseph); Exodus 1:7 (Description of Israel in Egypt); Leviticus 26:9-13 (God to Israel); Deuteronomy 7:12-14 (Moses to Israel); Jeremiah 23:3-4 (God to Israel); John 15:7-8, 16 (Jesus to Disciples).

Kings and Priests – The Second Block of Our Foundational Identity

Exodus 19:5-6 - “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

The people of God are called to be kings and priests. You and I are called to be kings and priests representing God to the world and interceding on their behalf. This is no light and joyful task.

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in London on June 2, 1953. C. S. Lewis chose not to attend the festivities because the weather was poor, because he hated crowds, and because he was not in the mood to dress up. Instead, he stayed at home. Many watched the event on television (it was the first fully televised coronation, apparently at the behest of Philip).

About a month later Lewis reflected on the event in a letter to a friend (Letters, 3:343):

“You know, over here people did not get that fairy-tale feeling about the coronation. What impressed most who saw it was the fact that the Queen herself appeared to be quite overwhelmed by the sacramental side of it. Hence, in the spectators, a feeling of (one hardly knows how to describe it) — awe — pity — pathos — mystery.

The pressing of that huge, heavy crown on that small, young head becomes a sort of symbol of the situation of humanity itself: humanity called by God to be his vice-regent and high priest on earth, yet feeling so inadequate. As if he said, “In my inexorable love I shall lay upon the dust that you are glories and dangers and responsibilities beyond your understanding.”

Do you see what I mean? One has missed the whole point unless one feels that we have all been crowned and that coronation is somehow, if splendid, a tragic splendor.”

See Deuteronomy 7:6-8; Isaiah 61:5-7; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 1:4-6; Revelation 5:9-10

Tabernacles/Temples of God (Presence) – The Third Block of Our Foundational Identity

The Presence of God was located on top of Mount Sanai when the law was given (Exodus 19:16-20) in sound, fire and smoke. It was located in and over the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) in fire and smoke. The Presence of God was located in the Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 6:1-5) in fire and smoke. And on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit (like tongues of fire and a mighty wind), came to rest on the people of God in order to dwell IN the people of God.

Now we are the temple, the portable tabernacle, of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:18-22).

See also Exodus 19:16-20; Exodus 40:34-38; 1 Kings 8:10-11, Isaiah 6:1-5; Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:18-22

So, we see that men and women are commissioned and designed – created to be God’s representatives, image-bearers of God, stewards of God, coregents with God, kings under the authority of God, priests representing God, and the portable location of the presence of God. That is your foundational identity. That is who you are as a disciple of Christ. All that you do or say should flow through that identity. And when we look at Spiritual Gifts, we need to view them through the lens of our foundational identity.

What Are Spiritual Gifts?

Primary Texts

There are four primary texts dealing with Spiritual gifts: Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Peter 4:1-11.

Romans 12:1-8 (Key verses 6-8) – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

So, in Romans 12 we see that we are to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices (this is how Paul describes worship). We are to be transformed by renewing our mind – in order that by testing and examination we may discern the will of God. Why? Because we have different gifts that need to be applied (through our bodies) to accomplish the will of God.

1 Corinthians 12:1–31 (Key verses 1-11, and 27-31) – Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 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. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

In these first 11 verses we see that Paul’s desire (and I believe God’s desire) is that we should not be uninformed regarding Spiritual Gifts – This is NOT secret hidden information. You are supposed to know about this. Paul also lists several gifts as examples of gifts (not an exhaustive list) that are each empowered by the same Holy Spirit.

Then we see the reason that these gifts are given – they are given for the common good of the community. They are not given so that you can be personally enriched or elevated publicly. We also see that the gifts are each “manifestations” of the Spirit. When they are seen it is evident that the Spirit of God is at work. They appear or shine with the presence of the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 12: 27-31 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

Here we see something that we rarely recognize – Gifts can be people, or functions, or roles. An apostle isn’t a talent. A prophet isn’t a skill. A teacher isn’t an ability. These gifts are given to benefit the community in which they function.

We also see that no one has all the gifts. Each person has a different gift “mix.” But we are also encouraged to desire the “greater gifts” or the “louder gifts.” It’s okay to want certain gifts, and to desire them “earnestly” as long as you remember why Spiritual Gifts are given – to benefit the community.

Ephesians 4:11-16 (Key verses 11-12) -

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Again, we see that Gifts can be people, or functions, or roles. An apostle isn’t a talent. An evangelist isn’t a skill. A shepherd isn’t an ability. These gifts are given to equip saints for the work of ministry, building up the body of Christ. When each part is equipped and working properly, the whole body grows and builds itself up in love.

1 Peter 4:1-11 (Key verses 10-11) - Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Here in 1 Peter we see that each person has received at least one gift – that we should use it to serve one another (as good stewards) – and that we should live for the will of God, accomplishing his “will on earth as it is in heaven.”

As we read through these passages from Paul and Peter, we see that Spiritual gifts can be actions, events, or abilities, and they can be offices or positions. We also see that each list of gifts varies from one to another. So, we understand that Spiritual gifts INCLUDE those gifts that are in the lists, but these are not exhaustive lists. These lists don’t include ALL of the possible gifts. The lists given in scripture are merely examples of the various gifts.

There are a couple of Greek words commonly used for Spiritual gifts.

The word pneumatikon means a thing, event, or person embodying the Spirit, or breath, or wind of God.

The second word, charisma means a thing, event, or person embodying the Grace of God; these are sometimes called gifts of grace.

Paul uses four other words or phrases similarly which when translated mean: gifts, ministries, acts of service, operations, activities, workings, or manifestations of the Spirit.[1]

How Are Spiritual Gifts Different From Talents?

Sometimes, when we can’t find good answers to questions, the reason is not because there is no good answer, but usually because we are asking the wrong questions. How are spiritual gifts different from talents? Does that question make sense if we use these definitions?

Pneumatikon means a thing, event, or person embodying the Spirit, or breath, or wind of God. The second word, charisma means a thing, event, or person embodying the Grace of God; these are sometimes called gifts of grace. Can persons be described as talents? No. Can events be described as talents? No. Can things be described as talents? Sometimes.

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers are all called gifts in Ephesians chapter 4, but we don’t call any of them talents – they are people, or roles, or offices, or positions.

Healings, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and the interpretation of tongues are all called gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, be we don’t call them talents – they are events. Things that happen at a specific time.

We should think of talents as gifts, but they may not always be Spiritual gifts.

Let’s turn these around. A person CAN be described as embodying the Spirit, breath, or wind of God. An event CAN be described as embodying the Spirit, breath, or wind of God. A thing, including talents, CAN be described as embodying the Spirit, breath, or wind of God. All of these – persons, events, and things – CAN be described as embodying the Grace of God.

Trumpet Example – I can be given a trumpet; I can receive the trumpet as a gift. I can learn the correct fingerings for each note. I can become skilled in the correct fingering and aperture. In other words, I can develop skills and proficiencies for my gift. But it’s not until my breath blows through the trumpet that I make any sound.

In the same way, God has given us gifts, talents, and abilities. We can, and should, develop skills and abilities in the proper use of those gifts. But those gifts will produce nothing of spiritual or eternal value unless I allow the Spirit, the breath of God, the wind of God, to blow through those gifts.

Also, if I have not developed skills and abilities in a particular gift, I will hinder or limit the way that the Spirit of God can use that gift. If I am not aligned with the will and love of God, if I am not submissive to the Spirit of God, I will only produce a squawking sound (as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:1, “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”).

Why Does God Give Spiritual Gifts To Us?

Some people say that Spiritual Gifts can help you identify your “Calling.”[2]This assumes you only have one calling; God may call you to several positions or functions, and he may call you differently at different times or seasons in your life. But I think we should look at gifts and calling differently.

If Spiritual Gifts are tools to be used based on your identity (see above), then they should be used in everything you do regardless of whether it is your “calling” or not.

We are called to bring light to the darkness around us. That’s part of our identity. What gifts (what person, event, or thing) has God given you that the Spirit of God can work through to bring light to darkness?

We are called to bring form and order to the chaos around us. That’s part of our identity. What person, event, or thing has God given you that the Spirit of God can work through to bring form and order to chaos?

We are called to bring life, and fullness, and fruitfulness to the emptiness and barrenness around us. That’s part of our identity. What person, event, or thing has God given you that the Spirit of God can work through to bring life, and fullness, and fruitfulness to emptiness and barrenness?

We are called to be kings and priests in the world. What gifts has God given you so that the Spirit of God can work through you to steward creation the way that God the Owner would steward it? What gifts has God given you, that the Spirit of God can work through, to communicate God’s message to the people around you? What gifts has God given you (that the Spirit of God can work through) to intercede on behalf of the people around you before God?

You and I are temples, portable tabernacles of the presence of God, carrying his Spirit with us wherever we go. What gifts has God given you that the Spirit of God can work through to reveal his presence in your life and in the lives of those you meet every day?

The answers to these questions are WHY God has given us gifts. The gifts God gives us are meant to equip us to live out our identity in the world. But the gifts can only be used with spiritual impact when we allow the Holy Spirit to work through them, to accomplish God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Recap – Spiritual Gifts

What are Spiritual Gifts? – A thing, event, or person embodying the Spirit, or breath, or wind of God. Or a thing, event, or person embodying the Grace of God.

How are Spiritual Gifts different from talents? – A talent CAN be a Spiritual Gift IF we allow the Spirit of God to work through it. A person or event can also be a Spiritual Gift IF they embody the Grace of God. But a talent, person or event is not necessarily a Spiritual Gift if the Spirit of God, the Breath of God, is not flowing through them.

Why does God give Spiritual Gifts to us? – To accomplish our role and commission as God’s representatives, as image-bearers of God, as stewards of God, as coregents with God, as kings under the authority of God, as priests representing God, and as the portable location of the presence of God.

Conclusion

Foundational Identity

Genesis Commission – Be Fruitful, Multiply, Fill the earth, Subdue it, and have Dominion over it

Kings and Priests – Coregents with God of all of creation. Priests representing God to the people we meet and interceding on their behalf before God.

The Presence of God – Portable locations of the Presence of God as temples or tabernacles of his Spirit.

A Spiritual Gift is a thing, event, or person embodying the Spirit, or breath, or wind, or Grace of God.

God gives us Spiritual Gifts to empower us to accomplish our commission, or role. Spiritual Gifts are the marks of the Presence of God in our lives.

Other Important Texts

Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:31; Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Peter 4:2; 1 Peter 4:10

To close, I want to quickly look at John 2:23 and on into chapter 3.

John 2:23-3:2 – Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Jesus was becoming popular because of the signs he was accomplishing. But Jesus did not entrust himself to their praise. This didn’t excite him. But when Nicodemus comes and says, “No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” Jesus gets excited!

Jump down to John 3:20.

John 3:20-21 – “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Jesus says that whoever does something true, or practices the truth, comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his/her actions have been done in God.

That is what defines Spiritual Gifts –

someone who fulfills their role as coregent with God,

someone who properly bears the image of God,

someone who properly represents God,

someone who stewards his/her resources with a kingdom mindset,

someone who assumes the role of a king and a priest of God,

someone who is mindful that they are the portable location of the Presence of God

and someone who acts in such a way that the presence and power of the Spirit of God have clearly been at work, accomplishing the will of God “on earth as it is in heaven.”

God has given things, events, and people as gifts through which the Spirit of God can work to advance the Kingdom of God. How are you partnering with the Spirit of God to accomplish his will and advance his kingdom? Those things, those events, and those people are spiritual gifts, given to equip the saints for ministry, to help the body grow in love, to serve one another, and to accomplish the will of God and advance his kingdom.

[1] John D. Barry et al., eds., Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), sec. Spiritual Gifts. [2] Samuel D. Rima, Leading from the Inside Out, 51117th edition. (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Publishing Group, 2000), 62.

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