Daily Friendship with God #17 Gifts of the Spirit

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to the followers of Jesus through personal relationship with Him (the Holy Spirit). They are gifts and cannot be earned based on the meaning of the word “gifts” which is a favor which one receives without any merit of his own. God lets us know that it is of great importance that we are to desire the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives through the gifts as noted in 1 Corinthians 14:1. The reason that God desires for us to desire spiritual gifts is because God loves us and knows what is best for us. Without a question of a doubt when a person is in relationship with the Holy Spirit to the extent that His gifts are freely flowing through them is the extent of the level of fulfillment and Joy they can and will experience in life. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shadows that shifting (by sunlight) (James 1:17)

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if 1) prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or 2) ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in 3) teaching; he who exhorts, in 4) exhortation; he who 5) gives, with liberality; he who 6) leads, with diligence; he who 7) shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-8)

1) Prophecy was discussed in DFWG # 15 and 2) Ministry will be discussed in depth in Daily Friendship with God #22. 3) Teaching: as in all of DFWG the foundation is relationship with God and with others. This means that teaching is to promote instruction and explain how to personally know God deeper. As a person is taught how to know God deeper the results will be they will know how to teach others how to know God relationally. Jesus is our example in all things and while He was on earth He was called Rabbi which means teacher. Jesus said the following: 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)  

To be a good teacher a person must first be a good student. In John 14 Jesus lets us know that the Holy Spirit is currently the member of the God head Who is to teach us all things. This means that when we are seeking to learn we need to do so relationally by the Holy Spirit. 4) Exhortation: To call to one’s side or summons to encourage and strengthen to encourage. In this we see the relational dynamic as it notes to call to one’s side. 5) Gives (giving): when the gift is working with in relationship with the Holy Spirit giving not self-seeking but rather it is with openness of heart manifesting itself by generosity. 6) Leads: to set or place before as a protector or guardian to care for and give attention to. Again we see the giving relational dynamic, for in each of the words that describes leading others, time is spent with them in relationship’s focused on the needs of those that are being lead not on the leaders needs. 7) Shows mercy: to help one afflicted or that is seeking aid. The English definition is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Again this is 100% in context to relationship’s (with others and just as importantly God and yourself). 

Spiritual Gifts in unity in diversity. 

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledgethrough the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

God loves us so much that He does not want us to be unaware of the blessings that comes to us as we live in relationship with Him. In addition He does want us to lack any of the Spiritual gifts He gives to those that are in relationship with the Holy Spirit. The first gift we receive is salvation which comes with eternal life and the indwelling of God(God living inside of us), Who will never leave for forsake us. BEST DEAL EVER! But it gets even better! As we continue in relationship with the Holy Spirit and grow in our understanding of who He is and desire the gifts that He freely gives we receive the gifts He wants us to have. The reason why He gives the gifts is in order to manifest them through those that are in relationship with Him. The Purpose of revealing His gifts is that all will universally be benefited. The word of wisdom: since this is a gift that comes from God this kind of wisdom is supreme intelligence, such as belongs to God. It is supernatural wisdom that when it is revealed all say “wow that came from God” and even if there was a dispute now all are in unity(read Acts 15:19-22).  The word of Knowledge: The word of knowledge is knowledge that is given to us supernaturally. It is a knowledge of things that you would not know through a natural acquisition or study about people or situations. Many times Jesus knew about things that He could not have known unless the gift of word of knowledge was operating in and through Him as is noted in Matthew 17 when He said:

“Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” (Matthew 17:27) 

Again all the gifts are intended to build up all and bring glory to God not an individual. 

The Gift of Faith

For by grace are you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God is so cool that He can give many manifestations of a gift. He starts out the gift of faith with Salvation to an individual, then He gives then another dose in giving people supernatural faith in order to manifest His Glory in and through them.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. (Act 6:8) 

The root word for full is the same as is used in Ephesians 5:18 where it tells us to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit continually. The gift of faith produced powerful great wonders and Miracles in a man named Steven over 2000 years ago. The amazing thing is God is the same today yesterday and forever and He through the Holy Spirit is still giving the gift of faith to those that are in relationship with Him.  

The Gift of Healing will be discussed in Daily Friendship with God #18 in depth

The Gift of prophecy was discussed in Daily Friendship with God #15 in depth 

The Gift of Miracles: This gift seems like it is God just showing off, but as in all the gifts it is for God to be glorified and not the person that God is working through. Jesus did many miracles, He turned water into wine (with no grapes) (John 4:46), He walked on water (Matthew 14:25), He multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed About 5,000 men in a day, in addition to all the women and children that were with them Matthew (14:21) He raised the dead (John 11:38-48). This is not to say that Jesus is the only one that preformed miracles by the gift and power of the Holy Spirit. Philip preformed miracles (Acts 8:6) Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:12) as well as Steven in the book of Acts (Acts 6:8). The greatest Miracle that has ever occurred was done by Jesus as He took our sins upon Himself in order to set us free from sin and death. That is the only Miracle that we cannot be empowered to do. The reason why is because we have all sinned and there for we can only die for our own sins, not for others. Jesus did not sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5), so His death was not for Himself, it was on behalf of the whole worlds sins. He did this in order to take the sins of the world away from everyone who receives His vicarious (in place of) atoning (exchange) death. 

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)

The Gift of discerning of spirits: The first thing to understand is there is a physical realm on earth and there is a spiritual realm on earth co-existing at the same time. In each there are living beings. Humans live in a physical form in the physical realm on earth. In addition to that there are spiritual beings call angels and demons that live in the spiritual non-physical world that is on earth at the same time. Just because you cannot see something does not mean that it does not exist. You do not see oxygen but it exist and without it the effects would be that we would all die, you do not see electricity but it exist and when you turn on a light switch you see the effects of it. Most do not see into the spirit realm. We see the effects of it all the time but many do not discern its effects. Jesus had the operation of the gift of discerning of spirits as noted in Mark 5:1-20. Because Jesus discerned that a man was possessed by a demon He interacted with the demonic spirit by casting it out. He did this in order to set the man free from the demonic spirit which was oppressing the man. Demons are only one of the types of living beings that live in the spiritual realm. The other beings that live in the spiritual realm are angels. Angels are sent to minister/ serve those that who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), ministered/served Jesus (Matthew 4:11) are assigned to from Heaven to children on earth as noted in Matthew 18.

 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.( Matthew 18:10 )   

Discerning of spirits is God’s way of helping His children understand in circumstances what spiritual activity is happening and how it is effecting the physical realm that we and others live in. One thing to understand concerning this gift is that there are things that happen in the physical realm that are not the results of angels or demons. One example would be getting a flat tire is not the work of a demon if the tire needed to be replaced long ago. This means we have personal responsibility for our actions in the physical world and at the same time there is the potential that angels or demons may be interacting as well. Read DFWG #27 Angels and Demons for more understanding on this topic. 

The Gift of different kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues: The key scriptures to understand this are found in Acts chapters 2, 10, 19 as well as 1 Corinthians chapters 12,13,14. 

Some very basic understandings are: It is a gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus said would follow those that believe. The gift was active as men spoke in languages they did not know and in doing so the people that heard them speak to them in their own language. This means that a person that spoke in only Hebrew for their whole life, through the gift of tongues, suddenly had the ability to start speaking in Italian or Asian or Egyptian (as well as a list of other languages). When they did, they declared the wonderful works of God. The greatest works that God has ever done was when Jesus died for our sins was buried and rose from the dead better known as the Gospel. The Gospel must have been what they were declaring because the result was that 3000 souls were added to the church. That is the first example of the gift of tongues in the new testament. The gift of tongues is also used to assist the believer in his prayer life and build them up spiritually as noted in 1 Corinthians 14. 

The final place where the gifts of the Spirit are noted is found in Ephesians 4:7-16 and will be discussed in Daily Friendship with God # 23

In conclusion the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to all believers even though not all believers operate in all of them. God is an all wise loving Father that does not force His children to receive or use the gifts that He makes available to them. Some do not desire them and miss out on the blessings that come from believing and receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God in His grace meets people where they are at and  He distributes the gifts to His Children according to what He knows in His mind. As always take some time right now to sit with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal to you what gifts He desires for you to receive in order to profit all those you come in contact with.