Understanding Spiritual Gifts!

INTRODUCTION

In these day and time when there are a lot of mysteries going on and a lot of heresies flying around the place, the need arises for the Christian to go back to the bible and get a good knowledge of the foundations upon which the church was built. This is because we today live in a time when so many basic ingredients of our faith are scoffed upon as being ‘fake’, without substance and null and void. However, while we do recognise that there could be good cases of mysterious faiths going about, we do need to understand that the only reason why there is a fake is because there is an original somewhere which the criminals are trying to fake. This cannot be better explained than to use the fact that there is no fake thirty naira (N 30) note in Nigeria. Why? Simply because there is no original

N 30 note in circulation.

Therefore, the necessity of this study is to espouse to the mind the biblical basis for spiritual gifts and to show infallible proofs that spiritual gifts are still relevant and more importantly, still operational today.

WHAT ARE SPIRITUAL GIFTS?

‘Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant’. 1 Cor. 12:1

Paul in the above scripture
 opened the chapter by saying he would not have the Corinthian Christians ignorant about spiritual gifts. He was trying to show them the importance of spiritual gifts to the Christian walk and he said, they could be ignorant of anything but not of spiritual gifts. This was extremely important to their Christian journey and the Apostle Paul did not want them to be unaware or misinformed. It can be deduced that this subject is extremely important that it deserves special care and attention.

A gift can simply be defined as a special or unusual ability. It can also be defined as a talent.

Spiritual gifts from the Greek word ‘charismata’ are special endowments and abilities given by the Holy Spirit to the church for the edifying and building up of the church. I like the way the Message translation of 1 Cor. 12:1 puts it:

“What I want to talk about now is the various ways God's Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable.’’

From the above translation, we can describe spiritual gifts as ‘various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives’. They can also be described as supernatural abilities bestowed on an individual by the Holy Spirit of God; a disclosure of the Holy Spirit’s activity in His church.

It is important to also note that what makes the gifts spiritual is the working of the Spirit behind each gift. Take away the Spirit from the gift and it’s no longer a spiritual gift.

ESSENCE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

The major reason why the Holy Spirits endows spiritual gifts upon an individual is for the building up of the church which is the body of Christ.

‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:’ Eph. 4:12

The individual is empowered with spiritual gifts not primarily for his own individual benefit but for the benefit of the church.

“What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.” 1 Cor. 14:26 (AMP)

Spiritual gifts are to glorify Jesus and not to exalt or give place to the flesh. Spiritual gifts, of course are not supposed to overpower the individual like an evil spirit does.

CLASSIFICATION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

v Vocal Gifts – speak words that will edify, exhort and comfort the hearer.

1.      Divers kind of Tongues

2.     Interpretation of Tongues

3.     Gift of Prophecy.

v Revelation Gifts – reveals or makes known something and cause a person to see or know the truth about another individual or situation.

4.     Word of Wisdom

5.     Word of Knowledge

6.     Discerning of Spirits

v Power Gifts – action gifts, which will cause someone to do or accomplish something.

7.     Faith

8.     Working of Miracles

9.     Healings

1.     Divers kind of Tongues

These are supernatural utterances from God; it is a means of divine and spiritual communication. It is a verbal or vocal miracle. It began on the day of Pentecost and was the immediate evidence of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost - ...and began to speak with other tongues...Acts 2:4. By exercising this gift, man speaks directly to God through his spirit by using a spiritual language

‘If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him.’  1 Cor. 14:2 (MSG).

This gift was the same prophesied by Jesus in Mark 16:17 saying, "These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues,” (MSG).

This gift manifests in two ways – first, it is a means of prayer, better called praying in the spirit in which a person prays in a language he does not understand and does not bother about the interpretation but knows that he is not praying amiss. Also, this gift can also manifest in another way by which the speaker speaks in a language he doesn’t understand but is understood by the hearer as was witnessed on the day of Pentecost; in this way, it becomes a sign unto the unbelievers as in Acts 2:7.

More importantly, divers kinds of tongues is the only gift that gives the individual manifesting a private self edification as advocated in Jude 20 – “But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit,” (MSG).

2.    Interpretation of Tongues

This is a supernatural presentation of God’s Spirit of the meaning of an utterance that was spoken by a person in a language he does not understand. Its purpose is to give a message from Christ. The message is first given in an unknown tongue after which a person that is led by the Spirit of God now speaks in a language familiar to the people present. It is not the translation of a foreign language because the interpreter is not aware of what he is saying at the material time for he is under the control of the Holy Spirit.

3.    Gift of Prophecy

This is regarded as the greatest of the vocal gifts. It is for edification, exhortation and comfort. Prophecy involves human will and faith but does not involve the human intellect. It is a sudden insight of the Spirit prompting edification, exhortation or comfort. This gift operates in two ways – Foretelling, which is speaking about things which are not but are to come in the future. And Forth-telling, which is a spirit inspired message.

4.    Word of Wisdom

This is a revelation of a future occurrence. It is a supernatural utterance at a given moment through the Spirit, supernaturally disclosing the mind, purpose and way of God as it applied to a specific situation. Having the wisdom of God means having insight into the true nature of things. It is completely different from the wisdom of this world which the Bible describes as being earthly, sensual and devilish. (James 3:15)

5.    Word of Knowledge

This has to do with present or past events being revealed by God to man. It is a supernatural revelation of information pertaining to a person or an event usually having to do with an immediate need. An example of a place in scriptures where this gift was manifested was when Jesus met the Samarian woman at the well and he told her ‘For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband...’ (John 4:18).

6.    Discerning of Spirits

This is an ability to see into the realm of the Spirit and to detect the true source of circumstances or motives of people. The gift is not limited to seeing evil things alone; you might see the Spirit of God, human spirit or even angels. This gift was manifested by the Apostle Paul on his way to Philippi in Acts 16 when he turned back and rebuked the spirit of divination in the damsel who was possessed and was still ‘preaching the gospel’.

7.     Gift of Faith.

This is the supernatural manifestation of the power of God. It involves special faith to receive miracles. This gift helps you to receive miracles into your life. Saving faith which is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22; Roms. 10:17) is a product of the word of God, while the gift of faith is beyond that in that it receives a miracle by the Spirit of God. Gift of faith is about receiving miracles in a time of danger.

8.     Working of Miracles.

Unlike the gift of faith, working of miracles requires action from an individual. The power of God is upon the miracle worker (vessel of God) at the time of the miracle.

9.     Gift of Healings.

This is a gift freely given to God as a way of drawing people closer to Him. It involves the ministration of healing to the sick. This was sufficiently manifested by Jesus on his earthly journey as evidenced in Acts 10:38 which says

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

QUALIFICATIONS FOR OPERATING IN THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT

Ø  Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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

Ø  Be drunk with the Spirit.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” (Eph 5:18)

It is important to state at this point that everyone who has undergone the baptism of the Holy Spirit should expect to receive one or more of the spiritual gifts. This is backed up in the following scripture:

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” 1 Cor. 12:7

WHO GIVES SPIRITUAL GIFTS?

The Holy Spirit gives these gifts at His own discretion. 1 Cor. 12:4 says that

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”

1 Cor. 12:11 also says

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

However, this does not preclude the fact that we can ask for gifts we desire as explained in 1 Cor. 12:31 and 1 Cor. 14:1:

“But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces)...” (AMP)

“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.”

HOW TO OPERATE IN SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

Many spirit filled believers speak in tongues but are not moving in any of the other spiritual gifts. This misses the point of being Spirit filled. Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of being baptised in the Holy Spirit, but it is not the primary reason for receiving the baptism. The Lord baptises us in the Holy Spirit so we become people who minister the supernatural power of God to the world around us.

Many people struggle in the knowing how to move in spiritual gifts. This is due in part to a false perception about how spiritual gifts operate. Because these gifts are supernatural, people expect to experience them in a completely supernatural manner. That doesn’t always happen. Moving in spiritual gifts involves much the same process as receiving our prayer language (speaking in tongues). Some people seeking to speak in tongues wait for God to open their mouth and move their tongue for them. Speaking in tongues, however, only occurs when we open our mouths and in faith participate with the Holy Spirit to fill out speech with His words (...and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance – Acts 2:4). Moving in spiritual gifts requires faith and active participation on our part.

Spiritual gifts usually come to us without much sensationalism. Someone receives a word of wisdom, not from an audible voice in the sky, but simply as a thought. There is uncertainty as to whether it is their own thought or a revelation of the Holy Spirit. The answer isn’t known until the gift is given. One must exercise faith and move on what they feel God is giving them, living with the possibility of being wrong. Moving in that supernatural requires a willingness to live with a certain amount of ambiguity and uncertainty. Our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit improves us as we practice listening to Him and actively participate in what we believe He is giving us.

DYNAMICS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

ü  Spiritual dynamics occur in a church when everyone is encouraged to exercise spiritual gifts, not just a few people. This can happen as individuals are challenged to take responsibility for their part in the process. In order to move in spiritual gifts, we must be prepared to listen for the promptings of the Holy Spirit and faithfully exercise any gift that is imparted to us.

ü  Spiritual gifts can be demonstrated through someone, regardless of their background, education, experience, or level of maturity. One’s personal makeup may or may not correlate to the type of gift they receive from the Holy Spirit. Those who are intellectually trained and gifted may not receive supernatural words of wisdom or knowledge. Those who are strong communicators may not experience gifts of prophecy or tongues. Doctors and nurses may not receive gifts of healing. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to people according to His will and purpose.

ü  Spiritual gifts are not permanent or continuously possessions of an individual. Paul states that a gift is ‘given’, a present tense verb indicating the present activity of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are not a resident talent that a person carries along with them. Its demonstration in the individual is solely dependent on the immediacy of the Holy Spirit’s activity in them and their responding faith.

ü  A spiritual gift is always for the person receiving it, not for the person giving it. When a prophecy is spoken, it is not for the prophet but for the person(s) to which the prophecy is directed. These are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to people using other people to accomplish it. It demonstrates our need for each other and builds up our unity in Christ.

CONCLUSION

Key to maintaining spiritual unity is not to compare each other in regards to the distribution of spiritual gifts. Everyone is used differently in the body of Christ. The point of receiving a spiritual gift is not to make someone more important but to make the church more capable of ministry.