Spiritual Gifts
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Do you think that God has given you talents?
The truth is that every one of us has been blessed by God to do things. Many of these gifts are natural talents that you have that help you in your job, in your personal life, or in your education. In fact, they can help you in several areas of your life.
In addition, God gives gifts to each member of His Church. These are gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit, and the purpose is for these gifts to be used in the church.
Some Gifts of the Spirit are listed in a few places in the Bible, including in Romans 12:4-8: 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 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.
In these verses, we see several Gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity (giving), leadership, and mercy. In addition, there are gifts such as administration, apostleship, evangelism, hospitality, faith, discernment, knowledge, wisdom, and pastor or shepherding.
You will also find an additional set of gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. These gifts are considered “transitional” by many denominations. This passage reads: 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.
The support that these gifts are transitional comes from 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, which reads: 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away, as for tongues, they will cease, as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
Prophecies will pass away and tongues will cease. New knowledge or revelation about God will also pass away. The last verse tells us that when the “perfect comes” that the partial will pass away. So, what is the perfect that has come?
Right after Jesus died, there was not a full collection of the Scriptures, but we now have a complete Bible, the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, it was necessary to have these gifts to further the progress of the church, so these gifts are not bestowed on anyone any longer.
Does this mean that these gifts do not exist anymore? No, it does not mean that at all. What it means is that there is not a person who is gifted with the gift of tongues or who can heal. Instead, they are given by God on a limited basis for a specific time or purpose. That is the belief. You will come across some denominations who disagree with this, but the Bible does seem to support that these transitional gifts are no longer bestowed on individuals.
What Are Your Gifts?
To understand your gifts, we will ask you to go to this link https://spiritualgiftsassessment.org/quiz and take this test to determine your spiritual gifts.
Write Down Your Three Gifts:
- ___________________________________
- ___________________________________
- ___________________________________
What Are the Gifts?
Now that you have learned your gifts, it is time to learn what those gifts mean. It is important to know your spiritual gifts and understand how they should be used so that you can help serve others, especially your church.
Before examining each of the gifts, we want you to keep one thing in mind. While the gifts are beneficial for the Church overall, it is also important to use your gift (gifts) in your local church and even at Hope CDA. God has you at Hope CDA and at your local church at this time so that you can use your gifts to better that church and ministry. Therefore, it is important for you to take an active role in assisting your church to grow and mature.
Here is a list of the Gifts of the Spirit (the transitional gifts are not included):
Administration (1 Corinthians 12:28, Titus 1:4-5) – If you are a person who is well organized, able to direct others, and to implement plans that will lead and manage the church, then you have the gift of administration.
Apostleship (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Acts 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 9:1) – The word apostle means “set forth,” so this is a person who is specially commissioned to go out and lead others to Christ. The goal of the apostle is to plant churches, lead people to Christ, and set a direction for the local church.
Discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6, 16:16-18, 1 John 4:1) – The gift of discernment or “distinguishing between spirits” means that one can accurately judge situations and determine if something is from God or not. There are many different influences on the believer and the church, and a person with the gift of discernment is able to help distinguish what is from God, Satan, the world, and the flesh.
Evangelism (Ephesians 4:11-12) – A person who has the gift of evangelism is one who is called to reach the lost. This is a person with a special gift to be able to communicate and reach people, who also has an extra measure of faith. Evangelist comes from the Greek word euaggelistes, which means “one who brings good news.”
Exhortation (Romans 12:8, Acts 11:23-24, 14:21-22, 15:32) – One who exhorts is a person who encourages. It is the role of the person who is exhorting others to encourage them and to remind them of how amazing their God is. This gift is necessary when people are discouraged or wavering in their faith. This is a person who uplifts others.
Faith (1 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11:1-40) – This may be a little confusing to some, as all of us are supposed to have faith in God. However, this is a little different. A person with this gift has trust and confidence in God that He will do things well beyond what seems possible. Great works usually occur around a person who has faith.
Giving (Romans 12:8, 13, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 9:6-15, Acts 4:32-37, Galatians 4:15, Philippians 4:10-18) – All of us should be givers. We should all want to do things that benefit the church and the work of God. However, this is a person with a special mission to give generously and sincerely, without pretense or hypocrisy. This person is usually someone who has the gift of hospitality, and is not only good in giving, but acts responsibly with what God has given him or her.
Helps/Service (Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 28, Acts 20:35, 2 Timothy 4:11, Revelation 2:19) – A person with the gift of helps or service is one who loves to help those in need, doing so in practical ways. This person has great benefit in the church, as he or she not only helps church members, but also helps with the needs of the church itself.
Hospitality (1 Peter 4:9-10, 1 Timothy 5:8) – A person with gift of hospitality is one who loves to welcome others into their home. They see this as a great opportunity to lead the lost to Christ, provide for the needs of others, and assist church members, especially those who are struggling.
Knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8, Romans 15:14, 2 Corinthians 2:14) – The gift of knowledge is one where a person can use the knowledge of the Bible to be able to help others see how to resolve their situations. This is especially helpful when the church may have an issue and may need counsel, so the person of knowledge is able to direct toward a resolution that is biblically based.
Leadership (Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12, 5:17) – There seems to be a special quality that makes someone a leader. They know how to direct people to get things done. That special quality, when used for the purpose of the church, is given by the Holy Spirit. The role of the leader is to care for God’s people and to also lead them toward a deeper understanding and relationship with Jesus Christ.
Mercy (Romans 12:8, Matthew 5:7, Luke 10:30-37, James 3:17, Jude 22-23) – All Christians should be merciful. We are called to be so. However, this is a person who has an unbelievably compassionate and patient heart, so much so that they are focused on the suffering and afflicted. They can care for those who are both spiritually and physically suffering, supporting that person until God lifts the burden.
Pastor/Shepherd (1 Corinthians 14:4, 26, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9) – The word for pastor means shepherd. It is a person who watches over and cares for those God has entrusted with him or her. The pastor is responsible for educating and teaching his “flock,” while also protecting them from those who would attempt to corrupt their understanding of God.
Prophecy (Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:1-5, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Peter 4:10-11) – Prophecy is often related to prophets. These were men and women who were messengers of God, bringing forth new revelations. However, prophecy can also have another meaning, and this is the role of the prophet in the church today. Instead of being a foreteller, a prophet is a forthteller, providing insights into revelations already provided by God. The person with the gift of prophecy may still tell of upcoming events, but their primary role is to edify the church by providing comfort, correction, exposure of sin, and direction as God has provided.
Service (Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 28, Acts 20:35, 2 Timothy 4:11, Revelation 2:19) – The gift of service is given to those who love to provide for others. They are the ones who are always active in serving, whether it is at church, in their community, or in other similar settings. The ultimate goal for them in serving is to help spread the Gospel. These people just love to help.
Teaching (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:7, James 3:1) – This gift seems obvious. A person who is able to easily teach the Word of God to others has the gift of teaching. However, it is more than an ability to teach. They can instruct, provide sound doctrine, and explain and expound on the Bible.
Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17-31, 2:1-16, 12:8; Colossians 1:9-10, 2:1-3; James 3:13-18) – While wisdom and knowledge seem like synonyms, there is a significant difference between them. A person who has a gift of knowledge knows how to take the Word of God and apply it to practical situations. A person with the gift of wisdom has an intimate understanding of the Bible and God’s commandments, and is able to use that understanding to lead people to greater holiness. Thus, this person is looking to provide truth and understanding to fellow Christians, but to do it in such a way as to prod the believer to a higher degree of holiness.
Do So in Love
You have studied 1 Corinthians 13, commonly referred to as the “Love Chapter.” This section of verses teaches how one should love others.
What is interesting about this text is that it is middle of two chapters where Paul is talking about spiritual gifts. Here he prods believers to use their gifts in love, not only helping the church, but demonstrating love for fellow believers.
Consider this for a moment. A person with the gift of prophecy is a truth teller. A situation may arise where God has revealed a secret sin about another, and the one with the gift of prophecy is going to confront that person. Could you see how this confrontation could easily become unloving? Thus, the person with the gift of prophecy not only needs to confront the sin, but do so in a way that presents the type of love shown in 1 Corinthians 13.
The truth is that it is easy to use your gifts in an unloving, selfish way. A person with the gift of service or helps could turn that into a way to pat him or herself on the back. That person could always be pointing out how amazing he or she is for what is being done.
A person who has the gift of teaching can become arrogant and prideful, believing that he or she is always right. That is true for a person with the gift of wisdom or knowledge as well. It is easy to use these gifts in an unloving way, so Paul encourages us to always keep love as the focus of why you are using your gifts.
So, How Do I Use My Gifts?
Now that you have taken the survey, you have an idea of what gifts God has given you. Now that we have gone through this explanation of each of the gifts, you have an understanding of what each of these gifts are. So, the next question to ask yourself is, “How can I use my gifts to serve God and my church?”
Choose one of your gifts. Where do you think that could best be used at your church?
Where do you see a need in your church where that gift would be beneficial?
Now, using that same gift, how would it be helpful at Hope CDA?
What is a need at Hope CDA where your gift would be beneficial?
Your Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13 – 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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