SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Church Truths Series

1. THE FOUR MAIN PASSAGES ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS: Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, I Peter 4:8-11

2. SPIRITUAL GIFTS

a. Definition: “Spiritual gifts are abilities and enablements given to believers to perform the work of the ministry within the Church”

b. List of Gifts:

(1) Romans 12:6-8 - Prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, showing mercy

(2) I Corinthians 12 - Prophecy, helps, teachers, governments, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, apostles

(3) Ephesians 4 - Apostles, prophets, pastors/teachers, evangelists

(4) I Peter 4:8-11 - Describes how the gifts are to be used

3. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND TALENTS

a. Spiritual gifts are enablements given when one is born again – through spiritual birth

b. Talents are natural abilities received through physical/natural birth (think: music, art, oratory, etc)

c. Spiritual gifts and talents both come from God but they are not the same.

d. Many times the Lord uses our natural talents for His glory in ways that are similar to the ways he uses our gifts

4. GIFTED MEN – Ephesians 4:11

a. Pastors – those who lead, feed, counsel, reprove, correct, instruct, encourage and protect the sheep, using the Word of God

b. Teachers – those who are taught by the Holy Spirit themselves and have the gift to explain, interpret, and point out the practical applications of the Scriptures

c. Evangelists – those who have a special ability to present the gospel effectively to the unsaved

5. WHO GIVES SPIRITUAL GIFTS:

a. Enablements (abilities): I Corinthians 12:7,11 indicates that the Holy Spirit gives these gifts to believers

b. Gifted Men: Ephesians 4:11,12 says these gifted men are given to the Church by Christ Himself

6. WHO RECEIVES SPIRITUAL GIFTS? – Every Christian has a spiritual gift or gifts (I Cor 12:7 “every man”)

7. WHY ARE GIFTS GIVEN? - I Corinthians12:7 (NKJV) “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”

8. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT OUR GIFTS:

a. Gifts are given to be used for the help, encouragement, and edification of others (I Corinthians 12:7)

b. The Spirit is sovereign in giving the gifts ( I Corinthians 12:11 He gives each one“as He wills”)

c. Our gifts must be used in love (Romans 12:9-16; I Corinthians13)

9. GIFTS AND THE PRIESTHOOD COMPARED AND CONTRASTED

a. Every believer is a priest and has at least one gift

b. Believers are made priests and receive gifts at the time of the new birth

c. The priesthood has to do with our relationship to God as worshippers and servants -

- Gifts have to do with the performance of the ministry within the Church

d. No gift is needed to function as a priest

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10. GIFTS THAT ARE MOST COMMON AND RELEVANT TODAY:

a. Helps – ability to see the needs of others and provide help; ability to restore weak Christians

b. Giving – the ability to see the needs of others and give spiritual and temporal help willingly and gladly

c. Ruling (leading) – work of those who lead the assembly; means “to stand in front of” (elders)

d. Ministry – any service to others, motivated by hearts that care

e. Mercy – the ability to show concern for suffering which is the result of spiritual carelessness

f. Teaching – the ability to explain and make practical application of the Word of God

g. Exhorting – related to teaching; the ability to appeal to, and lead Christians into doing the things that God would have them to do for Himself

11. USING OUR GIFTS WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY

a. We were given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit and we are exhorted to use our gifts for the mutual benefit of one another within the assembly (Romans 12:3-8)

b. Therefore, we should strive to determine which gifts we have, and to use them as often as the Lord provides opportunities to do so.

c. We receive gifts when we get saved, but it seems apparent that they are not fully developed at first and can be improved through prayerful use for the Lord.

d. Some guidelines for recognizing and developing our gifts:

(1) We begin by asking the Lord to help us to recognize our gift or gifts

(2) Study the Scriptures which list the various gifts and learn what each involves in service to others

(3) Everyone in the Body can serve in one way or another, so look for ways to “help”, “give”, “minister”, and “show mercy”. These are “gifts” that most, if not all of us, can exercise

(4) Seek counsel and advice from mature believers who know you and ask for their impressions regarding your service to the assembly. Others often can “see” us in more objective ways than we can see ourselves. Proverbs 11:14 (NASB) “Where there is no guidance, the people fall. But in abundance of counselors there is victory.”

(5) All of us ought to always be studying the Scriptures for our own spiritual growth, and in order to “draw near to the Lord”. Increased knowledge of the Word might bring a desire to be used within the assembly to teach the Word. The leaders of the assembly have the responsibility to provide opportunities for those who show an interest and ability to share the Word. This could be by teaching Sunday school classes, giving one’s testimony before the assembly, giving a short (at first) message from the Scriptures at mid-week meetings or other meetings where it seems appropriate.

(6) Regardless of which specific gifts we have, all of us should seek to “minister” to others regularly , helping to meet their needs, both spiritually and materially

e. The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to “stir up the gift of God which is in you” and “neglect not the gift that is in you” (II Tim 1:6 & I Tim 4:14)

(1) “stir up the gift of God” is a metaphor, meaning “don’t let the fire die out from neglect”, so both exhortations have the same meaning

(2) (“Snaddon):“So then, having come to the conclusion that every believer has a gift from God”, Paul’s exhortations to Timothy apply to us today:“Do not under, any circumstances, neglect your gift.”