SPIRITUAL GIFTS ~ God's Purpose for Giving Gifts to His Children ~ Part One

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? What are GIFTS of the Spirit and is it important that God's people learn about this subject and come to a thorough understanding of how the gifts should operate within the Ekklesia? And what about us as individuals, how vital is it that we discover what God has gifted us to do and what He would have us work at in order to edify and build up the body of Christ, helping the members of the Ekklesia to grow to spiritual maturity?

Paul puts it very bluntly when he addressed this subject in his epistle to the Corinthians; that he did not want the members of the Ekklesia to remain ignorant in regard to spiritual gifts. "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." (1st Corinthians 12:1)

WHY does God give spiritual gifts to His children? The Bible tells us that God gives spiritual gifts for the edification of the Ekklesia, which means to build it up and to help nourish it so that it can grow and flourish. "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." (1st Corinthians 14:12) 

The instruction to God's people is that they are to EDIFY and spur each other to good works. This commandment comes up time and again throughout the epistles.
 

1st Corinthians 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

What does it mean to edify? The Greek word for edify or edification is oikodomé (Strong's #3619) and means: (the act of) building, a building (Strong's Concordance)....."the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, happiness."(Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

God likens His church to a building or a house; it is specifically His spiritual temple and He is in the process of calling individuals to become a part of that temple. When talking to Peter about the church, Jesus said that He would build His church upon the rock, the rock being an allegory for Himself, and that the church [Ekklesia] could never be destroyed.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Scripture portrays Jesus as the Master Builder; creating and building things is an innate part of who Jesus is. He is the Creator of heaven and earth and all living things; without Him nothing would exist (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16). 

When Jesus came to earth as a man He was born into the household of a carpenter. His foster father's trade was one of working with wood and stone; building and creating things. As a child and young man Jesus most likely learned the trade and helped Joseph to build everything from furniture, farm equipment (wooden yokes), to houses and other buildings. Jesus is still actively in the process of building, only now it is a spiritual building, His temple that is made up of the people that the Father is calling. The called-out are being BUILT up into a spiritual Priesthood. The following scriptures show this aspect of Christ's Work of building up a spiritual house fit for an habitation for God and one that would bring honor to the Father.

1st Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1st Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

We are being made into God's image and therefore we, too, are to become builders even as Jesus Christ is a builder of His church. He has called us to become skilled in building and edifying, to join in His efforts as team players to build in the church at this present time and also to be builders as skilled leaders in the coming Kingdom of God.

"Gifts" of the Spirit Compared to the "Fruits" of the Spirit

God calls us to be regenerated through sincere repentance, applying the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, baptism and receiving God's Holy Spirit. Part of our molding and fashioning is to develop the same spiritual attributes of God which includes internalizing His divine nature. When we receive God's Spirit we are to grow and demonstrate the FRUITS of His Spirit  (Galatians 5:22-23).

These FRUITS are not the same as the GIFTS of the Spirit. 

The GIFTS  of the spirit are gifts from God to help every member to edify the whole body of the called out.

The FRUITS of the Spirit are aspects of Christ's character, His divine nature which every Christian is to seek, develop and cultivate through his lifetime.

On the other hand, the GIFTS of the Spirit are sovereign manifestations of the Spirit's power (See 1st Corinthians 12). When a spiritual gift is displayed, it is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and is usually a visible activity or supernatural work that has an effect. Gifts are special abilities beyond a person's normal natural talents or abilities.

Rather than being the FRUITS 0f the spirit which are moral spiritual qualities of excellence such as kindness, meekness or patience, etc., spiritual GIFTS enable one to carry out the work of God. 

Spiritual GIFTS are a supernatural empowerment with special abilities to perform certain functions within the Body according to God's purposes. The spiritual gifts are for the common good, for the benefit of an entire congregation or community; or sometimes are directed toward humanity as far as preaching, teaching and warning; but the manifestations are to bring glory to God and not to ourselves.

1st Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

BOTH spiritual GIFTS and FRUIT are vitally important in the lives of believers. God's children must grow and mature in the Fruits of the Spirit as well as mature in their understanding and in the utilization of the Gifts of the Spirit.

Both are essential if the whole Body of Christ is to grow, thrive and bear much good fruit, thus glorifying God.

Spiritual maturity comes through growing in the Fruits of the Spirit while using the Gifts of the Spirit.  We are to be using the spiritual gifts to grow in the spiritual fruits.

When we think of the fruits of the spirit, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control, we can see that these things are all aspects of godly love incorporated into our character as we exercise the GIFTS of the spirit given to us for our development and for the edifying of the other parts of the Body of Christ.

When we manifest a gift of the spirit that has been freely given to us by God, God intends that we use our gift to benefit others and to edify the members of the Body of Christ.  When do so we are expressing godly love to others as God intends through His giving of that gift.

Exercising the gifts, brings spiritual growth to the one that practices them and also benefits those that are on the receiving end as we use those gifts to edify others.

We are in training to be priests and kings in the future Kingdom of God and we need to be using the Gifts of the Spirit to serve others,  exercising the gifts that God has given to us as we walk in the Spirit.

If we are faithful to do what God has given us to do now in this lifetime, God can use us mightily when we are spirit beings forever. Those who are faithful now in small things (or things that may seem small to us) while we are still physical, show God that we will be diligent in ruling over His creation with agape love when placed in positions of authority in His Kingdom.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Supernatural Abilities Compared to Natural Abilities

A person's natural talents and abilities do not constitute spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are not natural abilities; rather they are supernatural abilities given by God to perform works that glorify Him and further His Plan and Purpose for mankind.

For example, if a man has a natural talent in public speaking and seems to be very charismatic, we need to be careful that we do not attribute that natural talent as a spiritual gift. The same with a person who may seem to have a dynamic personality. Outward appearances can be very deceptive. Our cultures have programmed us to assess people by how they look, dress, their human strengths, education, experience, their wealth, etc., etc. God looks upon the heart and He most often uses weak and otherwise ordinary people to do mighty things for Him. The Bible is full of just ordinary people (who had human weaknesses like we all do) that God used in mighty ways after they submitted their hearts and lives to obeying and following Him.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  (Also, see 1st Corinthians 1:26-29, 2nd Corinthians 11:6, Hebrews 11) 

Whenever a believer is using a spiritual gift as God leads, it is evidence of God's grace at work. The praise and glory will always belong to God for it is He who gives the gift which  brings about results by His power.  God is working through the believer for the benefit of the Ekklesia, and for others outside the Ekklesia that He may be calling. The different spiritual gifts are bestowed upon His children as needed and at the sole discretion of our heavenly Father to effect a miracle; either small and undetectable by most, or very dramatic and made very public. For example, it could be a healing, or to know something that we could not know through natural means, or perhaps to discern an evil spirit at work in our midst.

The closer we are to God and the more we are living according to His WORD, the more we will become sensitive and obedient to the Spirit's leading or promptings. We need to understand about the supernatural things, including the workings of the Gifts of the Spirit, for knowledge and understanding will help us to have the faith we need to look to God for His help and not to do things by our own power as most of us have been taught from our youth; and have even been taught in the corporate CoG groups.

The more faith we have, the more we will be attune to the supernatural things of God, to be able discern and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must not doubt but rather have faith in God, boldly asking for and seeking God's gifts to help us to carry out God's purposes; just like the first century Christians that prayed and asked that God would do mighty signs and wonders by the name and in the authority of Jesus to further the work of preaching the Gospel.

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

1st John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Gifts are to Bring Glory to God and Not To Men

The gifts are given as needed and are not given to bring glory to ourselves when the powerful works of God are being demonstrated [seemingly] by our hand. God is able to speak and manifest His power and presence at His discretion and in any way He wants; it is to bring glory to Him and not to the one who is acting as His agent.

In Acts 3, when the people looked to Peter and John after the healing of the lame man, Peter directed the peoples' attention to the fact that it was not by their power that the healing took place; but rather the dramatic healing was by the power of Almighty God.

Acts 3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. 12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

The lame man who begged for alms was a familiar sight for many people in Jerusalem as they entered the temple and they knew that he was crippled and had been from birth. This miraculous event brought the occasion for Peter and John to preach about the Messiah to those standing by and to proclaim the fact that is was by Jesus' name that this man was made whole. Peter then preached:

Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.  16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

This man, himself, became a witness of the wonderful works of God for the religious leaders who could not deny that he had been healed by the hands of the apostles and this gave even more credence to what Peter and John were teaching about Jesus.

Acts 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. (See the whole chapters: Acts 3 and 4)

The gifts are freely given; they can be neither earned nor purchased with money or bribes. When Simon Magus saw what was happening with Philip and the miracles that were being performed, he envied the fact Phillip was doing these miraculous things and he wanted the same power.

Simon did not care about the fact that the miracles were changing peoples lives and directing them to believe the Gospel and then want to live righteously for the Kingdom. But instead, he wanted the notoriety that the miracles (in his mind) were bringing to the apostles. He wanted to be thought of as a great one who had the power of God; he did not have love in his heart for the lost of the world and the fact that the miracles were for bringing people to Christ. The miracles were definitely NOT to make celebrities of those whom God was using as His agents.

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
 

Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

But Covet Earnestly the Best Gifts
 

1st Corinthians 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

By "earnestly desiring the best gifts," Paul exhorts God's people to not be passive and neglectful in regard to these things, but to zealously seek God's spiritual GIFTS and to seek to understand the operation of and appropriate application of spiritual gifts; that to do so is biblically proper an needful. This is a form of being passionate for the things of God and wanting the GIFTS of God to serve God all the better.

But on the other hand, we are never to be puffed up because of what God gives in the way of spiritual gifts.  In this chapter regarding the spiritual gifts (after exhorting us to desire the spiritual gifts) Paul then tells us that these gifts must be used with the agape love of God as their basis.

The next chapter, 1st Corinthians 13, goes into great detail about the Gift of godly love and what it means to have charity [agape love] and that to have this kind of godly love is the most important spiritual Gift of all.

If we have godly love, we will be motivated to use other spiritual gifts based on that love. In 1st Corinthians 13, Paul cautions us that if we have all gifts and are empowered to use them mightily, they are nothing without charity [godly love]. To even begin to seek the spiritual gifts, which is a very worthy thing to do, we must get a grasp of why we are to seek after the gifts and set godly love as the top priority of the gifts of the Spirit that we seek. (Please see the whole chapter of 1st Corinthians 13) The final verse is a summary of Chapter 13 and tells us that:

1st Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Charismata: The Spiritual Gifts of God

In the New Testament the Greek word "charismais" is used to designate the spiritual gifts; charismais is (Strong's #5486) and means: free gift. From charizomai; a (divine) gratuity, i.e. Deliverance (from danger or passion); (specially), a (spiritual) endowment, i.e. (subjectively) religious qualification, or (objectively) miraculous faculty -- (free) gift. (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance)

And from Word Helps: A grace-endowment to edify the Church, divinely empowers a believer to share God's work with others, i.e. Spirit-empowered service to the Church to carry out His plan for His people. [5486 /xárisma (but not limited to) "spiritual gifts." xarismata (the plural form) literally means "grace-endowments."]   (Word Helps)

From these definitions of charismais we see that the Gifts of the Spirit are divine endowments from God, freely given to a believer to empower him to act as God's agent to do those things that will edify the Ekklesia and demonstrate God to others. The word "charisma"  

is "derived from charis, which means "grace". We can therefore say that spiritual gifts are "Grace [Free GIFTS] Endowments" from God our Father.

1st Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

God gifts different individuals to do different functions according to His will and as He has determined and they in turn are gifts to the Ekklesia. Each individual's job is to help, to build up, and to edify the members of God's Spiritual Temple.

To be continued next week in God's Purpose for Giving Gifts to His Children ~ Part 2.

Constance