An introduction to Spiritual Gifts

Last week we had Pentecost and as part of this we read from acts about the outpouring of the Holy spirit on the apostles, and how as Peter and the others spoke the people around them all heard the message in their own language and I thought Google translate was good but this was awesome.

This week and over the next few weeks we are going to look at how this coming of the Holy Spirit changes those early believers and how that same Holy Spirt continues to impact his church, us, today.

We are going to look at the fruits of the spirit, the spiritual Gifts that the Holy Spirit gives believers and the power the Holy Spirit brings. We are going to start with the Gifts

What are these gifts: Used not use

Spiritual; gifts are special abilities given to the Christian by the Holy Spirit. As the term "gift" emphasises these special abilities are given to us freely. They are not something that we earn. We receive them as a part of our salvation. The gifts are manifestations of the Spirit’s presence. ( 1 Corinthians 12:7 )

1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

The Greek word for “manifestation” means – an appearance, shining forth, a making visible, a clear display, plain evidence.

Each of us is used to reveal the presence of the Holy Spirit. The important point here is that we are the “used” and not the “users”. Some people get this the wrong way around.

Some people want to use the gifts rather than be used by the Spirit in the gifts. They have the idea backwards. They think the gifts are tools we use to do the work of God. In reality, we are tools the Holy Spirit uses to manifest Himself. The gifts then help alongside us to do God’s Work. We partner with the Holy Spirit.

Difference between Gifts and talents

We all know people who have special talents. Some have the ability to do wonders with music. Others may have a talent for art or crafts such as drawing or sewing. Some can take a canvas and a paintbrush and create a masterpiece. For others a piece of wood becomes a beautiful kitchen table. I have known people who can take a group of total strangers and organise them into cohesive team. Most individuals have talents of one kind or another. Are these things or abilities the same thing as a “spiritual gift?”

I believe that every talent or ability has its source in God. The writer of James said, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

It is God’s desire that each of us would take whatever talent we have and make it available to him. These things are to be a part of our sacrificial giving to God just as surely as when we put money into the offering plate.

But talents are not the same as a “spiritual gift.”

What makes a spiritual gift distinct from a talent is that God owns the results. A talent can be used for good or bad. The person has a choice in how a talent is used. A spiritual gift is an empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual gift and will often work through a talent or ability.

A person may have the natural talent of public speaking and has no fear of standing before a crowd and can be very persuasive. It is a talent that can be used argue anything from upholding the rights of the poor and the disadvantaged or it could be used to promote big businesses interests. The talent is neither positive or negative, neither moral or immoral.

It is a talent that can be used effectively in the church or not. It is when the Holy Spirit gives us our spiritual gift that the individual talent takes on real life. For example if the Spirits’ gift is “compassion” then the talent of public speaking can be used to move people to respond to a specific need. If one has the spiritual gift of prophesy then one may be lead to preach.

A person may have the talent of music, or sewing, or medicine, or be a brilliant mechanic If the Holy Spirit gives the gift of evangelism or the gift helps then that partnership between talent and gift, between Holy Spirit and you will be used to lead others to Christ.

What makes spiritual gifts distinct is that God owns the results. God gets the credit, because what is accomplished is beyond our own abilities. This is the uneven partnership that we have with the Holy spirit.

What gifts we get are not our choice

The Holy Spirit decides who will get which gifts. He gives them out at his own good pleasure. We do not suddenly decide that we are going to have a certain spiritual gift like we would choose cereal from the grocery store. The Holy Spirit in his own wisdom and by his own choosing decides which gift we will or will not receive.

These Spiritual gifts are divine abilities given to every Christian, by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, to be used to serve and strengthen one another, and to glorify God.

I’ll repeat that because I want you to get it… These Spiritual gifts are divine abilities given to every Christian, by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, to be used to serve and strengthen one another, and to glorify God.

I believe every believer gets spiritual Gifts. Yes, some get more, some have more of a gift or develop their ability or increase their availability but the long and short of it is every believer gets these gifts. but because we are “used” and not the “users” the Spirit chooses which gift is to operate.

1 Corinthians 12:7

1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

There is no room for jealousy but we can desire more gifts.

So what are these gifts

Time to clear some confusion.

People talk about the various places that the gifts are listed in the bible, Corinthians, Romans Ephesians and even Isaiah 11.

The lists all differ in their contents and rightly so. We get a little stuck with the English language but when Paul wrote these the language used seperates the lists.

so it may be good to understand what a gift is, before we look at what they are. A spiritual gift is spiritual in character (pneumatikon), sovereignly given by God the Holy Spirit (charismata), to others (diakonia), in the power of God (energeema), with an evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christian as he serves God (phanerosis).

In Corinthians we get the Pneumatikon a list of Gifts spiritual in character.

Some would view these as the only supernatural gifts of the spirits and in some ways they are specifically noted but Paul notes these in the context that no-ne should feel superior because they have been given these gifts, that no one gift is more important than the others. Paul sets these gifts as being part of a wider collection of gifts which also include leadership gifts and serving gifts.

1 cor 12:27-31

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 NIV

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

In Romans Paul speaks about given gifts as a result of God’s grace (Charismata) and lists: Prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and showing mercy are listed. These are generally not generally Spiritual in nature (Pneumatika) with the exception of prophecy, but all gifts, no matter what they are to be used for the building up of the body of Christ. They are all important.

Recapitulation

As believers we are all given gifts from the Holy Spirit and although we do not get to choose what those gift are we can be assured that they are the right ones for us, for our situations and the time we find ourselves in. Because God is a loving and generous father we are to desire the gifts, and we can ask for them. But we must not lose site that we do not use the gifts but the Holy spirit uses us to Manifest the gift to benefit the church, convince the non believer, teach the believer and to bring glory to God.

Next week we will tackle some of the Pnuematikon Gifts, starting with the gifts of speech, well look at what they are and how we can practically move in those gifts

Until then lets pray.

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