Walking Christian on the Holy Spirit CHARACTERISTICS

In a similar way, the Holy Spirit inside a Christian is a life-giving source that enables a believer to bear spiritual fruit … qualities that are evidenced both inwardly and outwardly.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Galatians 5:22–23

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?

Love

Am I seeking the highest and best for others or seeking to serve my own needs?

Joy

Am I living with gladness over what I have or fretting over what I don’t have?

Peace

Am I resting in the strength and security of God or worrying about my circumstances?

Patience

Am I enduring difficult trials calmly or complaining and becoming bitter?

Kindness

Am I exhibiting a benevolent heart by helping others or resenting having to meet the needs of others?

Goodness

Am I displaying godly character with purity of heart or adopting the world’s standards of morality?

Faithfulness

Am I trusting God in the midst of suffering and sorrow or doubting His perfect and persistent love?

Gentleness

Am I treating others with tenderness and respect or being harsh and short-tempered?

Self-control

Am I rising to God’s call to do what is right in His sight or giving in to my feelings and selfish desires?

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

James 3:17

James 3:17 ESV

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

B. What are the Gifts of the Spirit?

An apple tree grows apples for the benefit of others.

In the same way, when you grow in Christ, you will bring blessings to those around you.

Understanding your spiritual gifts and using them to benefit the body of Christ are vital for spiritual growth and maturity.

QUESTION: “What are spiritual gifts?”

ANSWER: Spiritual gifts are …

— At one time it was Supernatural abilities that the Holy Spirit bestowed upon a believer for the purpose of strengthening the church (the “body of Christ”)

— An opportunity for the Lord to accomplish His personalized plan and purpose for your life

— A means through which you express God’s love to others

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

1 Corinthians 12:4–6

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 ESV

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.

QUESTION: “What if I don’t have a spiritual gift?”

ANSWER:

A spiritual gift is given to every believer.

If you are an authentic Christian, you have been given a spiritual gift, even if you don’t know what that gift is.

“To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

1 Corinthians 12:7

1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

QUESTION: “Does everyone have the same gift?”

ANSWER:

God doesn’t give everyone the same gift. Even though some my have a similar gift. Always remember the gift is for the Church.

“To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.”

1 Corinthians 12:8–10

1 Corinthians 12:8–10 ESV

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.

QUESTION: “What are the different spiritual gifts?”

ANSWER:

There are different ways to categorize the gifts of the Spirit.

The following are two of the passages that list spiritual gifts and how to use them.

Romans 12:6–8

Romans 12:6–8 ESV

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.

— Prophecy

an ability to proclaim or reveal God’s truth

— Serving (ministry)

an ability to recognize and meet the needs of others

— Teaching

an ability to communicate and clarify truth

— Encouragement (exhorting)

an ability to inspire and stimulate the faith of others

— Giving

an ability to entrust assets where they are most needed

— Leadership

an ability to administrate, organize, and coordinate efforts

— Mercy

an ability to reach out with active compassion to comfort others

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Romans 12:6–8

Romans 12:6–8 ESV

1 Corinthians 12:7–11

1 Corinthians 12:7–11 ESV

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.

— Wisdom

an application of knowledge

— Knowledge

an revelation

— Faith

an ability to believe that God will provide

— Healing

an ability to believe that God will cure human illness

— Miraculous powers

an ability to perform feats outside the laws of nature

— Prophecy

an ability to proclaim or reveal what is hidden

— Discernment

an ability to distinguish between truth and error, as well as good and evil spirits

— Tongues

an ability to speak in a language that the speaker has never learned

— Interpretation of tongues

a supernatural ability to understand and interpret messages in tongues

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:7–11

1 Corinthians 12:7–11 ESV

QUESTION: “Can I choose a spiritual gift?”

ANSWER:

No. Each person’s gift is chosen by the Spirit of God.

“He gives them to each one, just as he determines.”

1 Corinthians 12:11

1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV

11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

QUESTION: “Can my spiritual gift change?”

ANSWER:

No.

God is the One who put you in a specific place of service in the body of Christ.

God uses the analogy of the physical body to explain how spiritual gifts function, and He makes it clear that if He made you a “hand” in the body of Christ, you should not try to be a “foot.”

In the same way that a hand remains a hand in the physical body, so spiritual gifts do not change.

“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

1 Corinthians 12:18

1 Corinthians 12:18 ESV

18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

QUESTION: “Can I become ineffective in the exercise of my spiritual gifts?”

ANSWER:

Yes. Gifts mean nothing if they are not administered with a heart of love.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:1–3

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 ESV

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

QUESTION: “Is one gift more important than another?”

ANSWER:

No. Each plays a vital role in the body of Christ. Gifts that may seem less honorable are indispensable.

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.”

1 Corinthians 12:21–23

1 Corinthians 12:21–23 ESV

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

QUESTION: “Why should I try to know my spiritual gifts?”

— To establish God-given priorities in your life. The place where you serve must be in line with your spiritual gifts and God’s truth.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:10

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

— To experience the joy of being used by God.

“The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 13:52

Acts 13:52 ESV

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

— To build up the church.

“To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

Ephesians 4:12

Ephesians 4:12 ESV

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

HOW DO YOU DISCERN YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS?

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Proverbs 18:15

Proverbs 18:15 ESV

15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

• Make sure you have come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to the truth about your personal spiritual gift(s).

• With a humble heart, desire only the gift(s) that the Spirit has given you to serve others. Don’t covet the gift of another.

• Make a list of all the gifts and mark off those that you do not enjoy.

• Think about the times when you as a Christian knew that God successfully used you to help others. Evaluate those successes in light of spiritual gifts.

• Be aware of God’s confirmation through your own joy and fulfillment when helping others.

• Ask one or more mature Christians who know you well for their observations regarding your spiritual strengths and giftedness.

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”

Proverbs 19:20

Proverbs 19:20 ESV

20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Hunt, J. (2008). Biblical Counseling Keys on Holy Spirit: Living Free in the Power and Peace of the Spirit. Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart.