“For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 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 it cheerfully” (Romans 12:3-8).
People are very interested in spiritual gifts. Much has been published on the topic. You can take all kinds of tests to determine your gift. And yet in spite of all the information available, there is still confusion, even controversy, over the subject. I believe much of the confusion stems from an attempt to understand the gifts apart from the Spirit-filled life and apart from our roles in the body of Christ. Let’s take a look at three truths about spiritual gifts:
WE HAVE SPIRITUAL GIFTS THAT DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US
Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit as He wills. Both the gifts we have and the faith to exercise them are given to us by God. God’s gifts differ in nature, power, and effectiveness according to His wisdom and graciousness. Any distinction that set us apart from others in ability is a result of God’s grace—it is not earned or deserved, so we cannot boast about our gifts. God has determined the measure of each gift we have. Understanding this truth will help us to think soberly about ourselves and not too highly.
Upon conversion every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and is given at least one spiritual gift, which he or she is to then use within the body of Christ for the building up or edification of the church. As each believer serves the church, Christ uses our caring for one another to build each other up and to strengthen us spiritually. Every believer has received at least one gift from God and is to use their gift for the edification of the body. Gifts are not for a few but for all. Every believer has abilities which the Holy Spirit has given. It is one of the supreme joys of the Christian life to discover what our spiritual gift is and then pour ourselves out to others as we use our gifts to strengthen the body of Christ.
EACH MEMBER FUNCTIONS TO SERVE THE BODY, NOT THE BODY TO SERVE THE MEMBERS
Paul uses the concept of the human body to teach how Christians should live and work together. What is true for your physical body is true for the body of Christ. Your nose is worthless apart from the body, and the same is true of your spiritual gift. Its worth is determined by its usefulness and availability to the body of Christ – or the church. A correlation exists between a believer’s physical body which has many parts with different functions and the community of believers in Christ as a spiritual body.
The primary purpose of spiritual gifts is building up the body, not the personal gratification of the individual member. The diversity of the many gifts accompanies the unity of the body. We are to live interdependently with other believers. Just as the members of a physical body work together to accomplish the will of the brain, so too the members of Christ’s body are to work together to accomplish God’s will.
If any member of your physical body began functioning independently of the others, or stopped functioning at all, you would take immediate action to correct the problem. You wouldn’t say, “Well, it’s just my lung. After all, I have two.” Or “I’ve got nine other good fingers; I’ll just work around this broken one.” The members of your physical body are so interdependent that they make it a priority to care for one another. In the same way, the body of Christ needs to make it a priority to care for one another because when one member suffers, we all suffer – just like a physical body.
Everyone in the church is part of the body of Christ. To experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to the fullest extent, we must put ourselves in a position where the Spirit is free to express Himself through us for the common good of other believers. Men and women who are led by the Spirit will exercise their gifts within the body.
When we speak of building up the body, we are talking about developing a healthy body. Spiritual gifts are God’s way of administering His grace to others. When we exercise our gifts, we function as the hands and feet of Christ. When a man or woman with the gift of giving, for example, pays another believer’s electric bill, it is God’s grace. When a pastor gifted as an exhorter stands to deliver a message, it is God’s grace to the people. When a believer with the gift of service gives time to meet a need, it is God’s grace in action. In these instances, Christ is at work through His body. It is more than a matter of people being nice. It is Christ manifest on earth. When these things happen, it is as if Christ Himself reaches down to take care of us.
Many of us miss what God is doing. What we see as purely human can be a divine act. When we serve others through the use of our gifts, we are channels through which the grace and power of God are manifested. Gifts are special ways of serving others. They are not to make us feel important or superior over others. They are not for attracting attention to ourselves or a way of manipulating others because we claim to have certain gifts or insights. It is a way of helping others become what God wants them to be.
God’s plan to meet the needs of His people is His people. We meet those needs. That is why He has gifted us. After all, isn’t it a bit strange to pray for a friend who has a financial need when you have the resources to meet it? Do we think God is going to create money and drop it out of the sky? Of course not. When one hand gets a splinter, what does the other hand do? It goes to work to remedy the problem. And when you use your gift to remedy the problem of another believer, you become the hands of Christ. The body cannot function as well without you than with you.
The church is a body in which each member has a significant role to play in the functioning of that body. As a member of the church, what we do or refuse to do as an individual affects the whole body. Our participation counts. God’s will for our lives includes discovering our gift in the body and fulfilling our corresponding responsibility.
A believer who pulls away from the body to do his or her own thing is not walking in the Spirit. We can’t walk in the Spirit apart from functioning in the body of Christ. Spirit controlled Christians don’t function as lone rangers. Instead, they actively pursue relationships with one another. They look for ways to be involved in the body. They don’t sit back and let others do the work. Spirit-filled men and women jump at the opportunity to carry their fare share of the load.
It is like when a house is being built. Each worker is dependent on the others. The framers could not do their work until the masons did their work. The masons could not lay down the concrete until the plumber had put in the piping, and so on. Each worker depends on the others to do their job for the construction to be effective. And so it is with us. We need each other to be using our gifts to build up and strengthen the body of Christ.
Snowflakes are frail, but if enough of them stick together, they can stop traffic. In the same way, by God’s design, the lone ranger Christian has little impact on the world. Rather, it is when the diverse gifts of the individual members of a local church operate together that effective ministry takes place.
Do you tend to be a spiritual lone ranger? If so, I encourage you to begin praying today that God will give you a desire to be interdependent with the body.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND NATURAL ABILITIES
Many unbelievers have great abilities, but their abilities are not called “spiritual gifts” because they are not building up the body of Christ. No matter what abilities you and I have, if we are not strengthening others in the faith, then our ability is not a spiritual gift. It is only “spiritual” if the Holy Spirit is flowing through it.
When a believer exercises his or her gift, it is a glorious display of the Spirit’s power through him. It is not simply a matter of doing something he is good at. Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will reveal Himself in a very special way through the exercise of our gifts. To refuse to use our gifts is to say no to the Holy Spirit.
This should have tremendous implications for how we choose church leaders. It means that we must never simply ask, “Does he have sufficient skill?” We must always go beyond that and ask, “Is he using his gift in such a way that he is strengthening others in the faith?” A church where the Holy Spirit is alive and powerful will be a church very sensitive to the difference between natural abilities and spiritual gifts.
Notice the last four gifts Paul mentions in verse 8: encouraging; giving; leading; showing mercy. The remarkable thing about these gifts (with the possible exception of “leading”) is that all believers are called to do them: encourage, give, show mercy. So the “gift” must be that some of us are enabled by the Spirit to do them more effectively and frequently than others. Any virtue in our life which we are enabled to do with passion and with benefit to others can be called our gift. A spiritual gift is any ability the Spirit gives us in order to strengthen the faith of another person and build up the body of Christ.
Probably the most common question I hear in connection with spiritual gifts is, “How do I find out which one I have?” When people ask me that question, I always respond with, “What do you enjoy most about serving the Lord?” Notice, I don’t ask, “How are you serving the Lord?” I am interested in what they enjoy doing.
You will enjoy exercising your gift. You will look forward to the responsibilities you are given that call on you to use your gift. On the other hand, you will not be as motivated for tasks that are outside your giftedness.
If your gift involves speaking, do not rely on your own insight, but look to God for wisdom to give His words through you. We impart grace to our listeners only if we give them a word from God. It may not be an exact word of Scripture, but a word prompted and guided by God, so that attention is directed to Him, not us. Our aim is to strengthen the faith of one another through the use of our spiritual gifts.
If your gift involves practical deeds of service, do not try to do them in your own strength, for then your gift would cease to be a spiritual gift. Our deeds of service must come from faith and reliance on God’s grace.
Think about it this way: if spiritual gifts are God’s primary means of administering grace to His people, what does that say about believers who refuse to exercise their gifts for the good of the body? Four things come to mind: (1) they are robbing the body of Christ; (2) they are forcing other members of the body to carry their load (3) they are dead weight in the body, dysfunctional limbs; (4) they are out of step with the Spirit of God. That’s not a very encouraging report. No one is a spiritual island. Our spiritual progress, as well as the progress of the entire church, hinges on our willingness to work together.
What about you? Are you plugged in? Are you using your gift for the common good of the body? Are you encouraging other members of the body to use their gifts? Or do they get in the way?
You have an important role in the body of Christ, and it is a role that only you can fill. It is God’s will for you and the church to be exercising your gifts for the common good of His people. You are a unique blend of talents, skills, and gifts, which make you an indispensable member of the body of Christ. So don’t cheat the rest of us. Get out there and get busy. Whatever you do, exercise your gift.
No one ever had a greater attitude about service than Jesus did. He didn’t come to be served, but to serve. Nothing was beneath His dignity. He fed the hungry, tended the sick, washed feet, and went to the cross. When Jesus was here on earth, He ministered in a physical body, but since He has returned to heaven, He is now ministering through us as His spiritual body.
The strength of churches depends strongly upon the willingness of people to serve. God cannot use us in the body until we make a complete surrender of ourselves to Him. Surrender and service always go together. The two cannot be separated. It is impossible to be surrendered to God and not be busy serving Him. We cannot be a living sacrifice, and be apathetic or indifferent toward the ministry of the church. God has gifted us to serve one another.
God’s ultimate aim in giving us spiritual gifts, and in giving us the faith to exercise them, is that His glory would be displayed through them. He wants us and the world to marvel at Him. There is nothing more thrilling, more joyful, more meaningful, and more satisfying than to use our gifts in the unfolding of God’s grace.
God gives us gifts, so we can build up His church. To use them effectively, we must (1) realize that all gifts and abilities come from God; (2) understand that not everyone has the same gifts; (3) know who we are and what we do best; (4) dedicate our gifts to God’s service and not to our personal successes; (5) be willing to utilize our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding anything back from God’s service.
As members of His body, we are to commit ourselves to God and to one another to be Christ-like in our lives and use our spiritual gifts for the purpose of strengthening and building up the body. We are to love one another as Christ loved us, honor one another above ourselves, be kind and compassionate to one another, encourage one another, comfort one another, and offer hospitality to one another. We are to let God’s light shine in and through us as we use our spiritual gifts for the strengthening of the church.
God gives gifts to His church as He wills. Our role is to be faithful and seek ways to serve others with the gifts He has given us.
Here are some spiritual gifts. See if you can determine which one(s) you have!
Leadership (Rom. 12:8)
Administration (1 Cor. 12:28)
Teaching (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11)
Knowledge (1 Cor. 12:28)
Wisdom (1 Cor. 12:28)
Discernment (1 Cor. 12:10)
Exhortation (Rom. 12:8)
Shepherding (Eph. 4:11)
Faith (1 Cor. 12:9)
Evangelism (Eph. 4:11)
Service/Helps (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7)
Mercy (Rom. 12:8)
Giving (Rom. 12:8)
Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9)
Joe Quatrone, Jr. 
Hello Joe,
I noticed this post in my WordPress Reader this morning, but did not have time to read it before time for my bus. At work, I looked forward to reading it all day. I must say, “Great Job!” Your thoughts are very well defined and developed. Most individuals who know they are part of the Church will gain insight from your (and the Holy Spirit’s) thoughts. I have only one negative comment. Some individuals who are perhaps not as mature in the Spirit as you ,might find some anxiety because they do not yet recognize the Holy Spirit at work in themselves or others. Some people will need a gentle nudge in the right direction rather than a more concrete directive, as you give in your post. Again, a great Spirit-filled post! Thank you for sharing. It has the potential to help countless people and strengthen the body of Christ!
Thanks for the feedback!
Amen. I like your body-focused discussion of the gifts. While Paul discusses the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, his real subject is the body of Christ. It’s funny that we so often make it about individuals & their gifts. I also appreciate the distinction between natural abilities & spiritual gifts. That isn’t talked about enough. We often confuse the two in the church & rely on ourselves instead of Jesus.
Thanks. God bless!
Funny about how folks get all puffed up like they are something special. The gifts are for the building up of the Church and the individual is merely the receptical that the LORD uses to do that job. Also funny about how most want to speak in tongues because it edifies them while it does nothing for others. Time to check what our priorities are, whether for Christ and the Church or for our selfish selves. Thanks for the Blog Joe.
🙂
Thank you for the reminder to let our gifts benefit the body and to avoid pride in the gifts we have been given. Your blog was a blessing.
Thanks Mary. God bless!
I just returned from a conference in Philadelphia where I taught on this exact same thing! How awesome is that? I love to see God at work on multiple people on the same thing at the same time! Its so good. While I was studying for this conference, God really brought a point home for me and I think you say the same thing here. When we operate under our spiritual gifts, we are always to do it from a position of love. Its always about demonstrating the love of Christ to the world. Amen and and what an awesome post. Thanks so much!
I agree, Jeff! The presence of fruit, not gifts, demonstrates our dependency on the Holy Spirit. Everybody has a gift. Possessing a gift says nothing about our compliance with the promptings of the Spirit. The focus of our pursuit should be love.
🙂
Hi Pastor Joe, I like your new look and name but more importantly I have been very blessed by the focus in your messages there is a deep maturity in your understanding but not just meaning the Theological principle and History of the Scriptures but also the heart of them which comes from The Holy Spirit. (1Corinthians2 ) I also appreciate your detail when needed because your speaking of God’s Truth and we even see in Scripture that this was not short and sweet, which sadly some who are not really searching but are more focused on their own worldly agenda, claim as most important for whatever reason but as you rightly have said before when it is all about a fleshy agenda and not God’s Truth then there is darkness and no light.
“Jesus wept ” is often claimed to be the shortest sentence in the Bible but it is not really, there was no punctuation, no grammar, no small particles in the early Greek when the Scriptures were first written, these came later, the same as the Chapters and Verses and they were all written in Upper case, they were letters shared among the early Christians and memorised and passed on and God kept His Truth pure and so today we have the Bible. Wow not just reading but memorising a whole book or letter of Paul’s, Hmmmm all that detail 🙄 how Awesome to be gifted and empowered by The Holy Spirit as Paul was.
So what does all this have to do with the Body of Christ, it has much relevance, you are part of it Pastor Joe and I felt the need to affirm you in your gift of Teaching as you speak from the heart of Jesus, our Head, as empowered by The Holy Spirit, giving God’s guidelines and sharing His promises and great Love for us but I will return another time and share on the importance of Christ’s Body for each one of us, in agreement with you.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
Thanks Anne! I always feel encouraged by you! 🙂
Thank you Pastor Joe, I’m pleased your encouraged by what I share, thank you for your patience in listening, I have a passion to share the Hope I have and how do you stop what’s in your heart from flowing, but I know you may find this hard to believe, writing is very hard for me normally, even when I was at School they made allowances for me as I’m Dyslectic so I was able to achieve even though I had this disability but perhaps with me being a cracked vessel as shown in my spelling and punctuation errors etc you have worked that out already, thankfully God is the Super Glue and teaches me as I write and brings to my memory the Scripture I share and so I keep a copy for future use.
We are the Body of Christ, His hands, arms, feet and voice and as you said Pastor Joe we are to especially build up the Body as we reach out to a hurting world in Love, yes it is indeed so True as you also shared, all about God’s Love, which means we willingly put Him and others first.
Christian Love from us both – Anne.
🙂
“To experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to the fullest extent, we must put ourselves in a position where the Spirit is free to express Himself through us for the common good of other believers.”
Thanks for that thought, and thank you for stopping to read “Jesus Took the Wheel.”
Absolutely Dave!
Great article, thanks for the read. You are definitely correct when you say there are so many different things on spiritual gifts. Most of them are very confusing. I think you did a great job by conveying the message of what they are. Thanks again for the read!
Thanks Ted!
the part about the nose is pretty funny,….i just pictured removing mine and sitting it on my desk and then just staring at it for hours,….i believe that you may be correct about it’s worthlessness,….but, then again, ebay has sold some pretty unique stuff,…jus sayin,…..hopin all is well with you and yours, joe,……………………………………………………..
Lol. Good to hear from you, Jon. How are things going?
i “was better” before you left the “h” out of my name,…how are you, jo,………..yuk yuk
Aloha, Pastor Joe, Thanks for reading my blog posts and for your encouragement. I put your teaching on spiritual gifts on my Tab Bar ‘End Time Teachings’. As you said repeatedly, the gifts are for the body, to edify one another, to encourage us to good works as unto the Lord. I shared with a pastor friend once that the worship team serves to lead and minister praise and worship to the Lord, not to provide entertainment with gifted musicians, but with musicians gifted to minister unto God. He had a transgender drummer at that time, but no longer. Our sacrifices of praise to God are received by Him only when offered with holiness- with a pure heart and clean hands (Ps 24:3-5). Likewise, the motivations of our heart are important as we exercise our spiritual gifts. \o/
~Liz
Absolutely Liz! God bless!
Your approach is practical and that is important. I did notice that prophecy (Romans 12:6 and 1 Cor 12:10) didn’t make your list. Organized religion has a real problem with this, the clear declaration of God’s authority over any other, the cut to the quick of systems that contradict Scripture, of processes that ignore Scripture and the principle of love, etc. Not much wonder that in the Bible prophets are the only gifted ones who are persecuted, rejected and even murdered. Despite that it is important that people use their gifts for the Realm of Heaven, not self, and you make that really clear. And that’s a tough one to live out…
Peace
Good observation! I did speak about prophecy when I gave this message at church. I like what you said: “the clear declaration of God’s authority over any other, the cut to the quick of systems that contradict Scripture, of processes that ignore Scripture and the principle of love, etc.” How do you believe God has gifted you?
My passionate love for God’s people carried me as a Pastor for decades. I’m a good teacher, a middling preacher, but when the church destroyed my career and took half a million dollars from me I fell before Jesus and discerned that I am prophet, in the line of Jeremiah. It’s been hard since then, though the clarity has brought inner peace. You are the first person to ask this since 1987! At that time I didn’t really know. Believe me, it is not easy to speak this in a public forum, but perhaps the time has come.
Peace
I am always blessed by your words and the articles you write! I encourage you to keep speaking the truth in love!
Thank you Joe, this is well stated and refreshing not to mention a needed reminder for us all.
Counting it All joy,
Jacquie
Thanks Jacquie. God bless!
Amen!!
Good to hear from you, my friend! 🙂
Every believer has at least 9, but they are not gifts, they are manifestations of the one and self-same spirit. Please note when you read the KJV in 1Cor 12:1 that “gifts” is in italics. Spiritual–pneumatikos–every supernatural thing pertaining to spirit. Tongues for example is not a gift, it is a manifestation of the spirit. So are the other 8 listed here.
Joe, my sister wanted me to talk to a friend of theirs from the Catholic Church. I e mailed him. He e mailed me back and asked some questions. Then he said something about the Holy Spirit, and there was no way the Holy Spirit could teach me the scriptures. So here is my reply.
But before I tell you what I told him, (who professed to know the scriptures)
First, I wrote out this whole thing on the indwelling Holy Spirit and salvation.
At the bottom, after all that, and citing where the scripture is found, I said
AND IF YOU DO NOT READ THE SCRIPTURES INCLUDING HERE, DO NOT E MAIL
ME BACK. AND PRESSED ‘ SEND’ MY E MAIL DID NOT GO THROUGH. I HAD TO
COPY MY LETTER AND SEND IT AGAIN, WITHOUT… this cracks me up, without
saying that he should not e mail me again if he doesn’t read these scriptures I have
noted. SO …it sounds to me, that the Holy Spirit was not happy with me, and would
not send that e mail. …
SO, I SENT ANOTHER E MAIL, AND DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIS NOT CONTACTING
ME AGAIN. and it went through!!!!!!!
I have been trying to find out just for my own purpose, what Catholics think about the Bible. The ones I know seem to think of it as a story book, to take out what parts you want for ..what I don’t know. The man whom I spoke about in my comment above,
wanted to know if I thought that the teachings from the Holy Spirit were infallible.
I have no idea what he is talking about. Here is one answer to my question about
what Catholics think about the Bible.
Quote “We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say, this Church, instituted by Christ to teach and guide man through life, has the right to change the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to Sunday. We frankly say, yes, the Church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages and a thousand other laws.”
So, there is my answer. My sister is Catholic and has asked me many questions concerning some scriptures. Now I have a better idea what she does with my
answers. She tucks them away and leaves them there. She told me last week
that she does not like to talk about scripture and that is that. We just have to
believe that if God wants anyone to be saved, he will pluck them out of the
church and guide them to salvation. God be with you Joe.
This is lengthy, but worthwhile. It will take about fifteen minutes.
The Holy Spirit has taught me a lot!!!
The work of the Holy Spirit is to baptize believers into the body of Christ, and He is also building His church – the church being people who are saved by faith in Jesus. The body of Christ, the
children of God.
Read Acts 1:5; 11-15-16. The Spirit is also active in filling
believers for witness, See Acts 1:8; 2:4; 4:31; 5:32; 9:17
and leading these saved believers in ministry.
This is what you asked me. The Holy Spirit leads us into
ministry by teaching us and giving us the wisdom to
read and understand the Bible so we can preach to
others the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9-10.
Without this wisdom and knowledge we would know how
to help others or minister to them.
In Acts 8:26-30; 10:19; 11:19; 6:7: 20:23, 21:4 and 11.
Read these scriptures and then ask your questions.
You must understand.
Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is stressed in Acts 10:43. We receive forgiveness and salvation simply by
believing, Read Acts 11:21; 14:23; 16:31.
The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 resolved that Gentiles did not
need to be circumcised nor observe the law of Moses to be
saved. They were saved by faith alone.
The work of the Holy Spirit baptizes the saved person who believes in Jesus Christ and He introduces believers into
the body of Christ 1 Cor 12:13. Peter rehearsed that the
Spirit FELL ON THE GENTILES just as the Holy Spirit
fell on the apostles at the beginning, anointing them
to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostles
were the foundation of the church – Acts 2:42.
They were Jews, not Catholics.
Okay, this is about Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The ascension of Christ is described in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:9.
It is mentioned in Acts 2:33 where Peter indicates the evidence of Christ’s ascension is the fact that He sent forth the Holy Spirit, who
was a witness by so many on the day of Pentecost. Peter further emphasizes that Christ’s ascension was in fulfillment of Psalm 11:10, where the Lord said “Sit at My right hand.”
Paul emphasizes the same truth in Eph. 4:8 where he indicates Christ’s “ascended on high”…and he gave “GIFTS TO MEN.”
Peter indicates the BELIEVER IS SAVED through an appeal to the
risen, ascended Lord (1 PETER 3:22)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Can the sin against the Holy Spirit be committed today?
To commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would
require the physical presence of Jesus Christ in which He would teach and perform miracles while the hearers and onlookers would reject His ministry saying He is working by the power of Satan. The sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is not the same as unbelief
in Jesus Christ.
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The church was born at Pentecost . This is Jesus Christ’s church. It is filled with believers in Him only. The church is the people who are the children of God, as stated in the Bible.
The baptizing work of the HOLY SPIRIT MAY BE DEFINED
AS THAT WORK WHEREBY THE SPIRIT PLACES THE
BELIEVER UNTO UNION WITH CHRIST AND INTO UNION
WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:13
If you don’t read the scriptures, you will not know what I am
saying. I am quoting information from the scriptures.
In 1 Corinthians 12:13 states “For by one Spirit we were all
baptized into one body, whether Jews, or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
IT DOES NOT SAY ONLY CATHOLICS ARE BAPTIZED
INTO ONE BODY (JESUS CHRIST)
this ministry of the Holy Spirit began at Pentecost in Acts 1:5
Pentecost, was where the Holy Spirit baptized the apostles
and opened their eyes to the truth and were told to go
preach to all nations. The baptisim work DID NOT occur
in the Old Testament; it is unique to the church age which
began at Pentecost.
The emphasis is that WE ARE ALL BAPTIZED by the Holy
Spirit and it is stated in several passages in 1 Cor 12:13. “we
were all baptized.” In Romans 6, says who was baptized,
verse 3, are those who have been united in Christ, hence
all believers. We all become one with Christ, Galatians 3:27-28
THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The key verse that indictes the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit
in this age is John 14:16, where Jesus promised the Spirit
WOULD INDWELL BELIEVERS and that indwelling would be
permanent. This permanent indwelling would not be for a select
few
but FOR ALL BELIEVERS. There are a number of facts.
The Holy Spirit is a gift given to all believers in Jesus without
exception, no CONDITIONS ARE ATTACHES TO THE GIFT
OF THE SPIRIT, except faith in Christ.
READ JOHN 7:37-39 Many scriptures speak of the Holy Spirit as being “given” to believers. or “to bestow a gift” 2 Cor 1:22 and
1 Thess 4:8; 1 John 4:13.
BAPTISM
The Holy Spirit is given in salvation. Ephesians 1:13 indicates
the Holy Spirit is given at the moment of Salvation. The
sealing and indwelling with the Spirit took place at the time of believing, Galatians 3:2
All believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit. They belong to God.
Eph 4:30, and 2 Cor 1:22.
GRACE “grace gift” The Holy Spirit give gifts to the believer. 1 Cor 12:11.
The spiritual gifts are received through the “grace given” to believers, Romans 12:3, 6. The spiritual gift to an individual is God’s enablement for personal service and growth.
1 Cor 12:11
There are many gifts given to the believer by the Holy Spirit.
Apostles and disciples. To those twelve Jesus gave a unique
authority that was limited to those holding the office of apostle
Luke 9:1 and Matt 10:1. Paul emphasized that the signs of a
true apostle were performed by him 2 Cor. 12:12.
Ephesians 4:11. The word apostle comes from apo, meaning
“from”. and “to send” Hence, an apostle is one that is “sent from” . When the foundation of the church was laid, the need for the gift ceased. Jesus as the office of apostle has ceased (because
no one can meet the qualifications pf Acts 1″21-22/
Other gifts the Holy Spirit bestows on believers are healing
then there is evangelism (Eph 4:11)
This is “THE GIFT OF PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS of Salvation!!! It involves a burden for the lost. The one having
this gift has a great desire to see people saved ( I am
one of those people
the evangelist is one who will share a clear presentation of the Gospel. IN A WAY THAT UNBELIEVERS CAN UNDERSTAND
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND
RESURRECTION, AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE LOST.
The Holy Spirit instructs the believer and evangelist the ability
to present the Gospel and having this gift, that person must
know scripture, which is taught to the believer the substitutionary death of Christ, faith , forgiveness, reconciliation in a way that
unbelievers who without a biblical background can understand.
THE GIFT OF PASTORS AND TEACHERS
(Ephesians 4:11) The word pastor (poimenas) literally means
“shepherd” and is used only here as a gift. It is however used also of Christ who is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14, 16, Heb 13:20;
1 Peter 2:25) and designates the spiritual shepherding work of one who is a pastor-teacher. The pastor-teacher is “caring for his sheep.” He cares for his flock. he guides, guards, protects.
Service (Romans 12:7) The word service is a general word for ministering or serving others.
For instance, Paul served the Jerusalem believers by bringing them a monetary gift (Romans 15:25)
FAITH
The gift of faith is the faith which manifests itself in unusual deeds of trust. This person has the capacity to see something that needs done and to believe God will do it through him even though it looks impossible. Stephen exhibity this gift, as he was “a man full of faith” Acts 6:5.
DISCERNING SPIRITS
1 Cor 12:10 In the early church, before the canon of Scripture was complete, God gave direct revelation to individuals who would communicate that revelation to the church (people). But how did
the early believers know whether or not the revelation was true?
How could they tell if it was from God, from a false spirit, or from the human spirit? To authenticate the validity of the revelation, God gave the GIFT OF ‘DISTINGUISHING OF SPIRITS”
THOSE HAVING THIS GIFT WERE GIVEN SUPERNATURAL
ABILITY TO DETERMINE IF THE revelation was from God or
if it was false. John’s exhortation to “test the spirits” has reference to this (1John 4:1) 1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess5:20-21
GIFT OF SHOWING MERCY (Romans 12:8)
GIFT OF GIVING, (Romans 12:8)\
GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION (Romans 12:8; 1 Cor 12:28)
To have any of these gifts, you must have the Holy Spirit
who indwells in you. As a believer the Holy Spirit lives in
the believers and teaches them the things they need
to know. Why would God save someone and then let
them go back into the world knowing nothing about the
Bible or their gifts? He would not.
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READ EPH 5:18 FILLING OF THE SPIRIT
“Be filled with the Spirit.” The command to be filled with the Spirit means do not turn back to the old man and the old ways.
The indwelling Spirit of God is the One who should continually
control and dominate the life of the believer.
The carnal man is the man who lives by the power of the flesh,
according to the dictates of the flesh, and the spiritual
man is the man who lives by the power of the Spirit. The filling of tthe Spirit is ESSENTIAL for believers maturity (1 Cor 3: 1-3)
Paul admonished the Corinthian believers as being “fleshly”, controlled by the flesh. the solution to carnality and walking according to the old nature was to be controlled or filled by the Holy Spirit.
It is essential for the believer’s service (Acts 4:31’ 9:17)
please read these scriptures)
The relationship between filling and service; it was the filing of the Spirit that enabled the believers to “speak the word of God with boldness” When Paul was filled with the Spirit, he immediately began to proclaim Jesus and the Son of God.
Ephesians 5:18 teaches three factors concerning the concept
of being filled with the Spirit.
It is a command. Nowhere is the believer commanded to be
indwelt or sealed with the Spirit; however, the believer is commanded to be filled with the Spirit “FOR MATURITY AND SERVICE”
There are no conditions related to the indwelling, baptism, sealing and many other ministries of the Spirit.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is conditional as obedience to other
commands of scripture. It is repeated. Ephesians 5:18 is a present imperative commanding to be “continually being filled”. This filling of the Holy Spirit is not a one time experience.
By being filled with the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-24, will produce the “fruit of the spirit, …in contrast to the deeds of the flesh produced by a walk according to the flesh.
THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES “LOVE,
JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL.”
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ADDITIONALLY, BELIEVERS WILL BE RECEPTIVE TO THE
TEACHING MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
and the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, (1 Cor 2:9-13;
John 16:12-15) ..