THE GIFTED

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

1 Corinthians 12:1–11 ESV

1 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.

The gifts of the Spirit are a result of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Between verses four and eleven, the word “same” appears six times. It’s important to know that these are various gifts from the same Spirit, not a different Spirit moving in each gift. That means that the manifestation of these gifts won’t conflict with one another. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant to point to Jesus. The Spirit reveals Jesus as savior and lord. The Spirit and the manifestation of His gifts demonstrate God’s love for His people and His desire for them to walk in the same unity that Jesus Himself shared with the Father (John 17).

There is no manifestation of the Spirit apart from the testimony of Jesus. The Spirit will always point to Jesus. That’s His job. He empowers believers with His gifts to bring people into the Kingdom and a relationship with the King.

It’s important to note that this passage discussing spiritual gifts precedes a passage discussing the body of Christ and God’s role in placing each person in the body according to His will.

These passages are connected, because we have to recognize that the distribution of spiritual gifts is God’s doing, as verse eleven states. Furthermore, the reason God gives these gifts to spiritual people is for the building of the Church. As we unpack each of these gifts over the next several weeks, we’ll intentionally talk about the purpose of each gift as it pertains to the building of the Church.

That doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit doesn’t work in you for your own benefit. The gifts of the Spirit that 1 Corinthians 12 details for us are not gifts for us, though; they’re gifts for others that God trusts us to steward for the edification of the body of Christ.

That means that the gift of the Spirit for someone else works through you. You are the vessel by which the gifts of the Spirit are delivered to the Church. That means we have to become willing, able, and competent in operating in these gifts.

The goal of the next several weeks is for us to become expert operators of the gifts of the Spirit. We need to know how to activate these gifts for the building of the Church. These manifestations are tools that we use to grow and develop each other into the people we were created to be.

We were each given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. That means that wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues are given to us to use for the good of others.

We have been gifted to be givers. We can all operate in these gifts. I believe the Lord has designed us specifically to have inclination to certain gifts, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t lay hands on someone and pray for their healing unless you’ve been designated as one with a gift for healing. It also doesn’t mean that you can’t be wise unless you’ve been appointed with a recognized gift of wisdom.

Don’t let the list handicap you. While the fruit of the Spirit are meant for all of us to have in operation at all times, the gifts of the Spirit will be available to you when you need them, as long as the fruit of the Spirit are working through you at all times.

1 Samuel 10:7 ESV

7 Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

The New King James Version says to do “as the occasion demands.”

When the situation requires wisdom, being filled with the Spirit and sensitive to His voice means that you can have it. When the occasion demands the working of miracles, you can operate in it for the common good and the building of the Kingdom.

The end of 1 Corinthians 12 seems to shift gears and say that these gifts have an order of importance and Paul even seems to omit certain gifts from the list as if they aren’t at the same level as the others. Don’t get caught in the weeds in reading and interpreting 1 Corinthians 12.

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 ESV

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. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The point being made is that all of our gifts are necessary for the fulfillment of this mandate to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and allow spiritual gifts to work through us. Remember that this passage comes on the heels of the discussion of every part of the body’s necessity to the whole body’s benefit and overall good.

Don’t forget how 1 Corinthians 13 starts. Paul is stressing the importance of the gifts of the Spirit and their use in the body of Christ, but he’s telling us that the more excellent way is walking in love. Love is the fuel that powers the gifts of the Spirit. It’s the more excellent way than validates the gifts and makes room for them to operate. What good is a miracle or a word of prophecy if it doesn’t point back to Jesus?

We have to become skilled with these gifts. If I were to give you a car and you didn’t know how to drive, you’d wreck it. You may even put the wrong fuel in it. You may not be mature enough or have enough knowledge to know what the gifts need to work at peak performance. It takes practice and intentional learning to become a master of something. That’s the goal of these next several weeks.

What would The Bridge look like in August if we spent the next several months if we became proficient in our working of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit? How would our generation be changed if there were one hundred experts in Fort Worth, Texas who knew how to use these spiritual gifts for the building of the Church?

We’ve spent nine weeks cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in us. It’s not a process that stops. Seeing a greater demonstration of the gifts will require a greater impartation of the Spirit of Love. It will require a greater cultivation. It takes time to grow, but there has to be a moment of intentional planting in good ground.

In order to get to good ground, there may need to be some work done in you. Maybe your ground is good and it’s time for an impartation.

Either way, answering the call to bear His fruit and operate in His gifts will require a choice on your part. What gets uprooted to make room for more of Him? What do I do to cultivate His presence in my life? Those choices are more important when you go home than they are right now, but it can start with a quality decision here tonight. By faith, let’s move forward with preparing the place for the Holy Spirit to work through us by allowing Him to move in us tonight.