Concerning Spiritual Gifts

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.
[1 Corinthians 12:1-3 NKJV]

1 Corinthians 12 (shown in our ‘Statement of Belief’), is the apostle Paul’s handbook on the working of the Holy Spirit in us; of the gifts bestowed upon us by His grace. Paul makes clear that these gifts are not a checklist of achievement (like scout badges), but are uniquely given in response to our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

We must remember that the Holy Spirit is a person, part of the Holy Trinity and not an ‘it’, if I can put it that way. This is a relationship, awakened by the Baptism in the Holy Spirit’, which must be cultivated like any other if it is to grow and mature.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
[Hebrews 5:13-14 NKJV]

Hebrews mentions one of these Holy Spirit gifts, ‘discernment between good and evil’. You may say, “but that is easy, I was brought up to see what is good, and what is bad.” That is not discernment, that is conscience, common to all to a greater or lesser degree. Discernment is a supernatural understanding of a person or situation that cannot easily or properly be found by rational thought.

So, what are the Spiritual gifts that Paul identifies? They are revealed as

• Word of wisdom
• Word of knowledge
• Faith
• Gifts of healings
• Working of miracles
• Prophecy
• Distinguishing between spirits
• Different kinds of tongues
• Interpretation of tongues

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
[1 Corinthians 12:11 NKJV]

Gifts of the Spirit are mentioned in other books of The Bible; but what sets this grouping apart from those that Paul mentions elsewhere is to be found, I believe, in 1 Corinthians 12:7: But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: [NKJV]. These gifts are outward working in that they are conferred on an individual for the benefit of another, or others.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to grow in Your Spirit that the spiritual gift or gifts you have for me may grow and be realised for the building of Your church. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Come Holy Spirit Fall Afresh On Me Mark Kwan

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“Won’t you yield to Jesus? He has done so much for you”—to talk in that way is an insult to God and a crime against human nature. It is the presentation of an overplus of human sentiment smeared over with religious jargon.

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