The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.(Charismatic Gifts)

                        Chapter Four.

 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.         (Charismatic Gifts)

I have shown you that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift, an  endowment from heaven. 

A gift is something that we receive without deserving.   

It is a sign of the grace of God for us.

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen”. (Romans 11.36)

The apostle Paul was a servant of God with his spiritual gifts, however, he affirmed.

“But by the grace of God, I am what I am”. (1 Co.15.9-10)

* In his teachings, Jesus Christ declared:

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit”.     (John 3.34)

God’s limit for us is always pressed down, shaken and overflowing such as a popcorn bag. 

The popcorn maker fills the bag with popcorn, press it down and fills it one more time until it overflows. 

That’s how the Holy Spirit is in our lives! The gifts of the Holy Spirit are known as charismatic gifts. 

They were given to us for the common good and not for competition.

 They accompany the baptism in the Holy Spirit and are part of our “celestial package”.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good...                                                        To one, there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit."   

"To another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues."         

"All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines Unity and Diversity in the Body. - Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 

- For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink”. 

(1 Co. 12.1, 7-13)

* The gifts of the Holy Spirit are extremely important for the church of our savior Jesus Christ. 

They will equip our master’s church for the work that was entrusted to him.

The Greek word kharisma means gift of grace. It is a gift, a grace received, a divine reward, or a supernatural ability given to man.

* In the Bible, there are three types of gifts:

a) Natural gifts (singing, writing, painting, drawing, etc.)

b) Ministerial gifts. (Eph. 4.11-14) Leadership gifts.

c) Gifts of the Spirit or gifts of grace. (1 Co. 12.1, 7-13).

* The purpose of the gifts.

“ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, - to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up - until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

- Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 

- Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. - From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph. 4.11-16)

* The Bible passage above, teaches us that the purpose of giving the gifts of the Spirit is threefold.

• The edification of the body of Christ.

• The maturation of believers.

• The improvement of leaders.

* The gifts of the Spirit Equip the Church.

* The gifts of the Spirit are helpful to teach us the spiritual truths, to improve the evangelism in the city, and to promote the growth of the church as a whole.Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. (Rom. 8.8)

* In this chapter, we will study the gifts of the Spirit.

Nine gifts were given to the church of Christ. (1 Co. 12.1-13)

* The gifts were not given for our own jubilation but to glorify Jesus, because the Holy Spirit works to glorify Jesus. 

“ He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16.14)

* Placing of the gifts of the Spirit The gifts of the Spirit have three categories:

A) Gifts of revelation. (The power to know)

* There are three inspirational gifts:

• Word of wisdom.

• Word of knowledge. (Science)

• Discernment of spirits

B) Gifts of power. (The power to act)

* Three are the gifts of power:

• The gift of faith

• The gift of healing

• The gift of miraculous power.

C) Gifts of eloquence. (The power to speak)

The gifts of eloquence or public oratory are: 

• Prophecy

• Different languages

• Language + Interpretation.

These gifts give us the ability to speak and preach supernaturally.

* Other gifts of the Spirit.

In the book of Romans, Paul shows other gifts, including the gift of giving.

“ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; - if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach: if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do itcheerfully.”    (Romans 12.6-8)

I believe that the gifts of the Spirit are related to the situations we encounter. For each situation, God gives us a gift, as we will see in the examples below.

* The Gift of Discernment of Spirits.

This gift is the special ability to judge if prophecies come or not from the Holy Spirit. 

It is a supernatural power to detect the bad spirits’ actions. 

It is a supernatural revelation given by the Holy Spirit, which enables us to know the plans and goals of an enemy toward us.

“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. 

She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. 

- She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 

- She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit:

 “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!”  At that moment the spirit left her.” (Acts 16.16-18)

* The Gift of Faith.

The gift of faith is the believer’s supernatural ability to believe in God to perform a miracle.

• The centurion of Capernaum.(Matthew 8.5-13)

• Two blind men. (Matthew 9.27-29)

• The Canaanite woman. (Matthew 15.21-28)

* The Gift of Prophecy.

The word prophet comes from the Greek word profétés that means advocate. 

A prophet is a person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration. 

He predicts how God is going to act amongst His people.

The purpose of prophecies are to exhort, to comfort and to edify the church. Prophecies aim to edify the church! 

* In the next chapter, we will study the ministerial gift of the prophet.

* The prophet Agabus.

Agabus,the prophet, predicted a severe famine. (Acts 11.28-30)

• In Antioch, there were prophets and teachers who sent Paul off to preach. (Acts 13.1-3)

• Paul prophesied (Acts 20.20-32)

May God help us keep the Holy Spirit flame burning within us so we can pray and seek his gifts and better serve the Lord. 

* The Bible teaches us that we must seek diligently the gifts of the Spirit.

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy”. (1 Co. 14.1)

Seek the gifts of the Spirit until you receive them!

"Do not quench the Spirit. - Do not treat prophecies with contempt”.      (1 The 5.19-20)

Pastor Venilton de Jesus.

End.(Chapter Four).

* Read too Chapters: Five, Three, Two and One.

* Read Chapter Three.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

http://prvenilton.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-baptism-in-holy-spirit.html

*  Pastor Venilton de Jesus.

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