165: Bible Questions: What are "spiritual gifts" anyway?

E165:  Bible Questions:  What are ‘spiritual gifts’ anyway?

In this episode, we're going to look at the subject of spiritual gifts pound for pound. This perhaps no more confusing issue in the church today. Then this issue of how God gives every believer, a unique ability to serve within the body of Christ the church at the one end of the spectrum, you have men and women claiming to work miracles of healing and deliverance on command. At the other end, you have millions of believers who haven't got the foggiest clue that they even have a unique, spiritual ability, much less are using it to glorify Jesus and build up others. So just exactly what our spiritual gifts, the Bible defines them as special abilities graciously given by God, to Christians.

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These are controlled and empowered by the holy spirit and they're to be used to enhance the body of Christ. The church in its worship, it's fellowship and its service. The Bible teaches that all believers receive two gifts, salvation, and the holy spirit, Romans six tells us the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. That is a gift and acts chapter 2 38 says when we repent that, as we change our mind about Jesus being both Messiah and Lord, we received the gift of his holy spirit. Having received these two gifts, every Christian has given an additional package of gifts.

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Why there's so much confusion and abuse of spiritual gifts is kind of confusing. Since the apostle Paul describes very clear principles for how gifts are to be used. Let me give you about a dozen of them. First, Paul says spiritual gifts and their proper exercise are essential to the church. He says in first Corinthians 12, please, people don't be ignorant about gifts. He moves on in chapter 12 to say they may be counterfeited or abused. He gives an example of someone in the church of Corinth who may have been standing up with the gift of prophecy saying Jesus is cursed. Can you imagine a third principle in first Corinthians 12 is they are given and empowered by the holy spirit.

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They're called a manifestation of the spirit work of the spirit. Fourth. Paul says they will always unite and never divide the church. He uses the illustration of a body in its various parts. Each gift is like a body part working together and it unites and supports the whole body. Fifth. Paul says they are not a sign of spirituality. Back in first Corinthians chapter one, he tells this ragtag group of new believers, you are not lacking in spiritual gifts. However, you're messed up. If you don't know how messed up they were, you might want to listen to episode 1 33.

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That first letter to Corinth. Paul goes on in chapter 12 of first Corinthians to add they are not for the benefit of the possessor, but for others, that's important. When I exercise my spiritual gift, it should never be about me, but about those I serve or help. Paul moves on to say spiritual gifts, come in varieties. They're like snowflakes in chapter 12, verses four through eight. He says there are many different gifts, many different services, many different workings. These are very unique. As I'll explain in a moment in those same verses, he gives another principle, spiritual gifts involved.

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The father, the son, and the holy spirit. The whole Trinity is at work in your spiritual gift. Paul also writes that spiritual gifts can be present and a believer and not be used. He urges his apprentice, Timothy in second Timothy, one six to stir up the gift. God has given him. Paul gives two lists of spiritual gifts, Romans 12 and first Corinthians 12. I'd like to read you these. Here's what he says in first Corinthians. 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 another still the interpretation of tongues.

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Then in Romans chapter 12, Paul siting gifts says this. 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 in giving, then give graciously. If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. You'll notice those two lists are almost completely different observation. The gifts listed in the Bible are not exhaustive lists.

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They're examples of gifts given to God's people in Ephesians four. The whole first part of the chapter gives us the principle spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the body. That's their objective to build up the church. In first Corinthians 14, Paul tells us some spiritual gifts are sign gifts for unbelievers in particular tongues. They are signposts to unbelievers. We learn in Paul's letters. Spiritual gifts are not the same as the fruits of the spirit. Those fruits are listed in Galatians 5 22 through 23 gifts. Our actions we do fruits are characteristics and attitudes, which drive or motivate those actions.

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We also learn in Ephesians four, that spiritual gifts are a primary means that Christ uses to continue his work in the world. Now, a few more practical principles as we come down, the stretch spiritual gifts may be a special, unique ability given to you or just a heightened capacity for what is expected of all Christians. An example might be giving all Christians are commanded to be generous, but you may have a spiritual gift of special generosity and spiritual gifts may be on loan to us. This is actually in a parable of Jesus. God may sovereignly take them away or add others.

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This comes from Matthew 25, 14 through 30 Jesus' parables of the talents, by the way, talents in Matthew 25 are not ability, talents. They are talents or measures of money, but the principle applies. Oh, and I don't want to forget first Corinthians 13, read the first seven verses here, right? Smack dab in the middle of talking about spiritual gifts. Paul gives the love chapter in it. He says, all spiritual gifts must operate within the atmosphere of love, or they can be annoying or downright dangerous. In episode 1 33, I gave you a word picture of spiritual gifts.

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God is an artist. He has a pallet in front of him and primary colors of certain gifts. He looks at each believer and the canvas of the local church. They attend that canvas is a paint by number of canvas. He mixes up each believers, unique color to be applied to the canvas of that local church. Perhaps with me, he took a little dab of service and a little dab of mercy and a little dab of teaching and mixed it into my unique color on his palette. Then he said, Tim, go paint your color in your area of your local church to build up those around you, which leads to my final point.

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The most important thing is not to learn what your spiritual gift is, and then go do it. There are dozens of spiritual gift surveys out there hoping to help you with just that. No, the most important thing is first to walk in the spirit to be full of God's spirit. And as you do this and begin working in your local church, your unique spiritual gift or gifts will naturally surface. And I'll close with this to know your gifts, but to use them while walking out of fellowship with the Lord is likely going to do more harm than good. Now there's one area I haven't talked about that naturally comes up as questions of my students.

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What about some of those gifts you read in first Corinthians chapter 12, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues prophesy. What are often called the sign gifts? Many of my students say those don't happen in my church. My church doesn't even allow those. Is that right? I'd like to focus on that question in a future Bible question.