Spiritual Gifts - Part#3
1 Corinthians 12
Today is the final part in this series on Spiritual Gifts. If you recall, "Fruits of the Spirit" are not the same thing as "Spiritual Gifts". We all should strive to produce "good fruit" in our Christian walk (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)(click HERE to read a 9 part series on the Fruits of the Spirit). Spiritual gifts on the other hand, are talents given to us by God.
Today we will be focusing on 1 Corinthians 12 - the gifts listed in this chapter are more detailed than in parts 1 and 2.
The Scripture passages in all three parts of this series talk about the Body of Christ and how each one of us have different jobs individually but together we make up one body. In verses 25 & 26 we learn how important it is for us to look after each other. If one part of our physical body is injured then the entire body is affected. It's the same with the body of Christ:
"......its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
Let's look more closely at the nine gifts listed in this chapter.
Let's define:
Wisdom - the ability to discern right from wrong
- to discern inner qualities and relationships
A few years ago I did a series on "The Wisdom from Heaven"
(click HERE to read part#10 - all other 9 parts are listed at the bottom of that post)
I used to think that being knowledgeable was the same as being wise but there is a difference. Let's define:
Knowledge - information, understanding or skill that you get from experience or education.
People who are wise are just able to "read" people or situations, where as other people who have the gift of knowledge are able to research/study facts and then gain understanding that can be put into action.
Recently, I started a new series called "By Your Faith" and in the first post we looked at the many times that Jesus said "Your faith has healed you" (click HERE to read that post). I believe that this spiritual gift of faith can even raise someone from the dead - please don't freak out and click away. There is a true story of a Nigerian woman whose husband had died (he was even partially embalmed and was in the coffin) but she never gave up and brought her husband's body to a well known healing preacher named "Reinhard Bonnke." Here is a link to the book that details that true story: "Raised from the Dead" https://www.christianbook.com/raised-from-the-dead/reinhard-bonnke/9781603749527/pd/749527
The gift of healing is real. I know that there have been scam healers throughout history but that only proves that the devil is trying to deceive us into believing that God no longer heals. God still heals today and has given this spiritual gift to many even now.
As you can see by the Bible verses below - we should be doing even greater miracles than Jesus did:
Some believe that prophecy is no longer valid - they believe that the purpose for prophecy was only to tell about Jesus. I do not agree. I believe that prophecy could even be something like this:
The gift of prophecy can manifest in this way:
(click title)
We know that Jesus cast out demons on many occasions - He is our example of how to live. Deliverance ministers have this spiritual gift.
This spiritual gift seems to be a controversial one. My opinion of speaking in tongues has drastically changed over the years. Since our struggle is not against flesh & blood but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12) - it only makes sense to me that there would be a spiritual language. It also makes sense to me that this is a spiritual gift - some people can speak it and others can interpret.
See description above (under "Speaking in Different Tongues")
"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
Romans 11:29
These spiritual gifts can NEVER be taken away - we can't lose them. However, it is possible for someone to never open their spiritual gift - never use it and unfortunately never accomplish the purpose God designed them to do.
Let's be sure that we are not wasting our gift/s.
All 3 Parts in this series:
Supporting posts:
"Biblical Anatomy" Posts:
Linked to:
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