Transcription
Spiritual giftings is a topic that I believe all Christians should know and understand. Pay close attention to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:1: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant."
In this passage, Paul explains to Christians that he does not want them to be ignorant about spiritual giftings, so let me explain to you what they are. When someone has saving faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit enters that person, and that person becomes the new temple of God, as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16. As the Holy Spirit dwells within a person, he manifests himself by giving supernatural giftings or talents to them, also known as spiritual gifts. These gifts are kind of like proof that God is living inside of them.
The reason why he gives these gifts is found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, which reads: "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other."
So, Paul explains that there are different kinds of gifts, but they all originate with the Holy Spirit, and these gifts were given so that Christians can help each other. And 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that spiritual giftings should be used in love because without love for one another, these special talents become empty and worthless. So, I would also caution you on being prideful about your gifts because gifts are given to serve others, not to boast over our own talents.
If you're a believer and have faith in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, and that means you have at least one spiritual gift, and you can be given more than one. Please note that you don't get to choose your gift; it's one that God gives you. So, it's your job to identify which ones you have. The way that you find them is by praying and asking God what gifts you have, and by serving God's people and feeling which spiritual gift your heart feels most inclined to do.
Before we go over every spiritual gift, please know that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the church, or God's people, is likened to a human body, each with its different parts. In the same way that body parts have different functions and jobs to perform for the body, each person in the church has different giftings that were given for the purpose of uplifting and building up their brothers and sisters in Christ.
And I do need to say this: the topic of spiritual giftings is one that is debated in church, but in no way is it a reason to fight or divide over. We can agree to disagree on spiritual giftings, but I would argue that every Christian should know their giftings so that they can not only serve God's people but also so that they can have a sense of belonging because they'll know what they were made to do for God's kingdom.
That said, here is a complete list of all the spiritual giftings.
The gift of prophecy is to speak forth the mind and heart of God. These words may be to encourage, comfort, challenge, or strengthen God's people. Because God is outside of time, possessing this gift may lead to one having the ability to predict future events through visions or dreams. Possessors of this gift are able to proclaim divine revelation and can prophetically reveal what is hidden.
The gift of miracles is exactly how it sounds. It is the ability to perform supernatural miracles. Miracles can include changing the weather or other acts that defy natural laws.
The gift of evangelism is the ability to proclaim the good news of salvation effectively so that people respond to the claims of Christ in conversion. Having this gift involves having a burden for the lost, an understanding of scripture, and an ability to provide a clear presentation of the Gospel.
The gift of tongues is the ability to speak in another language that you don't know. One who possesses this gift sounds fluent and may speak in an older dialect. The words that are spoken are spoken for personal edification and enlightenment, and this is the only gift that is not always for the edification of the church. For more information, read 1 Corinthians chapter 14.
The gift of interpretation of tongues should be paired with tongues. If a church member speaks in a tongue, there should be a calling for an interpretation. Those who possess this gift are not people who have studied that language; they are people who are given the translation of that tongue directly from the Holy Spirit.
The gift of healing is the ability to heal physical ailments to the body. I would also argue though that this could possibly include the healing of the soul, why? Because Jesus didn't just come to heal the physical ailments of man but to provide emotional and spiritual comfort for the weary and downtrodden.
The gift of pastoring is to be gifted with the heart to care for, guide, guard, and provide for God's flock. It involves having the ability to teach, and those with this gift are concerned with lifting up the church.
The gift of teaching can overlap with the gift of pastoring. Every pastor must be a teacher, but not every teacher is a pastor. Those who have the gift of teaching commit themselves to God's word and can communicate the word of God in a way that's easy for people to understand.
The gift of leading is to have the ability to inspire others to the point of them following the leader willingly. Those who question if they have this gift need only to look behind them to see if others are following their example, and the direction they give must be planned through much prayer.
The gift of service means to have the inclination or passion to meet the physical needs of the church. It involves having a heart to meet the practical needs of people.
The gift of helps is very similar to the gift of service. The word "helps" implies undertaking a task on behalf of another or to take hold of someone in order to help. To have this gift focuses on doing a particular task to help someone else.
The gift of faith. Faith is different from having saving faith. The gift of faith is supernatural faith that is willing to take incredible steps of faith. It characterizes itself in performing unusual deeds of trust. This person has the capacity to see something that needs to be done and to believe God will do it through them, even though it looks impossible.
The gift of discerning spirits is to have the ability to sense demonic presences or if a teaching or something is of God.
The gift of showing mercy is different from having mercy. People who possess this gift involve them having an extreme expression of mercy. They feel moved to comfort, help, or alleviate the distress of certain people that most people may not care for or overlook. It would involve them showing compassion and willingness to help the poor, sick, troubled, and suffering people, and this compassion is shown with cheerfulness and their service done with gladness.
The gift of exhortation is to have the ability to appeal to someone and to have the right words to say to an individual that is hurting. These people can encourage, console, and comfort in times of distress. The word "exhort" means to come alongside to help.
The gift of giving is the unusual ability and willingness to share one's material goods with others. The one who has the gift of giving shares his goods eagerly and liberally.
The gift of administration is the ability to steer and guide with great powers of organization and vision. They are able to lead and rule well, and they also possess the ability to identify the strengths in others and are able to assign the right people to the right job.
The word of knowledge is to have the ability to possess knowledge that wouldn't be known unless it was given by God specifically. It is information about another person or situation that is given directly by God that would not have been known otherwise.
The word of wisdom is to possess supernatural wisdom that is able to defuse conflict and provide clarity. It can also involve teaching wisdom that you yourself did not know prior to God's revelation.
When it comes to the gift of apostleship, some may argue that this gift is no longer in use today because it was only needed when the church began. The word "apostle" means messenger or one who is sent. For those who believe that the gift of apostleship is still active, they believe that those with this gift possess all the necessary skills needed in order to establish a church or start new ministries. These individuals have a passion to plant churches in unreached places and can lay a proper foundation for new believers and future church leaders.
Okay, so here's a list of all the gifts that were mentioned in the video. My prayer is that God leads you to know which ones that you have so that you and the people around you can be blessed. Once you find your gifts, exercise them and use them regularly for God's kingdom, his glory, and his people. As you use them, may you always remember Jesus loves you. [Music]