Are All Gifts Used Today

I’ve Got A Question

Are All the Gifts of the Spirit Used by God Today?

I Corinthians 12

A young boy was eating an apple, and he turned to his father who was also eating one, and asked, “Dad, why is my apple turning brown where I ate it?”

His dad replied, “Well, son, that portion of the apple left behind after you have taken a bite is exposed to the air and the process of oxidation begins immediately, resulting in a discoloration of the flesh…”

The boy looked up at his father and said, “Dad, are you talking to me?”

Sometimes when we try to answer a question, we can make things more muddy, even when we are trying to make it clearer. Over the course of this summer we have been looking at questions we have about Spiritual matters. Questions that we have about life; about theology; about God and his relationship to us. Sometimes we hear so many different preachers on the television and the radio, or from pulpits that we want to look up to heaven and say, “Father, are you talking to me? I don’t understand! Could you clear this up for me?”

Now, I don’t claim to be some outstanding theologian. I don’t claim to have all the answers. In fact, I encourage you to search out the Bible for yourself and test the things we discuss here from week to week. I’m just simple enough in my belief to take the Bible for what it says, to not read a whole lot into it, and to try to allow the Word of God to speak to me, to share with you what I believe, and to encourage you to study the Word yourself.

Today we are going to look at a particular subject that could really use a little plain, simple teaching straight from the Word of God. Because it is a topic that is very often confused, misunderstood and as a result often avoided. We are going to discuss the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The specific question as it was presented to me was this”

Is the gift of Prophecy different in these days than it was in the Old Testament days? Give me an example of proper use of prophecy in these days of the church, and how this gift can help the church body.

To complete our study, we are going to turn to I Corinthians, chapter 12 Paul begins this chapter with words that I think are very apropos to us today. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.” The church at Corinth was really struggling with the Gifts of the Spirit. All through this chapter we will see that some were caught up in a sense of pride over the gift they had, and looked down on others who didn’t have quite as “flashy” a gift. Others felt overlooked or neglected by God because they had “behind the scenes” gifts that didn’t get a lot of attention. Both of these issues still exist in the church today, and Paul gives us what I believe is the best teaching on the topic in all of scripture. Like Paul, I don’t want us to be ignorant of spiritual gifts - prophecy, teaching, healing, and all the rest - so we are going to take our instruction straight from the Word of God.

So let’s take this chapter, paragraph by paragraph, with a few other passages to make sure we’re consistent with the whole of the Bible, and see what truth is here for us.

The first thing Paul clears up is that just because someone has some special ability, that is seemingly beyond their natural ability, they are not necessarily a believer. You may see people on television who have amazing abilities to discern things about other people – psychics who can tell things about a person they have never met. You may know or have been referred to people who seemingly have a special ability to heal. Or people who in a moment of ecstasy begin to speak in some strange language, even people who are able to make apparently lame people walk. But that alone should not convince you that they are some spiritual giant. If the magicians of Pharaoh were able to mimic Moses when God turned his staff into a snake, then believe me, Satan can and will mimic these gifts to try to deceive people. The true test, according to Paul, is not their supernatural gift; it is who is the Lord of their life. When you meet these people, don’t be overwhelmed by their gift – test who is their Lord. Don’t just ask them if they believe in Jesus, spend time with them. Do they believe Jesus is the only way to the Father? Do they trust in Him alone for salvation? Is he the Lord and Master of their heart? According to this text, only then is that gift of the Spirit.

Now, follow along with me as I read verses 4-11.

These words are so clear that I hardly need to add anything – but I’m a pastor, so let me just point out a couple of things for you to consider – maybe to underline in your Bible or make a note of.

Paul first makes it clear that there are many gifts-and we will get to his list later-but the point here is that while there is a diversity of gifts, they are given by the same Spirit. He wants to make the point so strongly that he restates it three times, each time assigning the differing gifts, ministries and activities to the Spirit, Son and Father (v. 4,5&6). This point is so important for us to correctly understand the gifts of the Spirit. Whatever gift you have been given, it is given to you by God. It is repeated in verse 11,

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you have been given at least one spiritual gift. Paul says in verses 12 and 13 that by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – and each of us is a part of that body, with a role to play in the function of the body. We will talk about that more in a couple of minutes.

Next Paul gives us a list of spiritual gifts, all the while reinforcing his point that the same Spirit gives them all. Paul does not give this list here to state all the gifts – but he is using this list to make the main point – that God give a diversity of gifts to the church. If this were meant to be an exhaustive, complete list, then there would be no other gift showing up elsewhere in Scripture but there are some in Romans that are not found here, as well as Ephesians, and I Peter. The point is this – Paul is using this partial list to show the diversity of gifts and to point out that all the gifts are given by God as He alone chooses.

Now we could spend a Sunday on each of these gifts, and maybe sometime in the future we will, but for today, let me just give you a quick definition of each:

Knowledge refers to the spiritual ability bring truth to the body through biblical insight.

Wisdom The ability to see life and truth from God's perspective and then Biblical wisdom to specific situations.

Faith here is not talking about saving faith, because every person who has any spiritual gift has already possessed saving faith – rather this is talking about a special gift of being able to believe God in spite of horrific circumstances. Like Dietrich Bohnhoeffer during the Nazi rule of terror in Germany – a normal man who was able to remain faithful at risk, and loss of his own life.

Healing – yes, there are those who have the gift of healing. People whom God has gifted to be able to pray specifically for physical, emotional or spiritual healing with amazing results.

Miracles – These would be supernatural events other than healing. Things that natural sciences cannot explain – but happen when these gifted people pray.

Prophecy – Some people mistakenly tie this to telling the future. But that is not the real Biblical meaning of prophecy. A prophet was, and is, a person who is able to sense the heart of God, and communicate it.

Discernment – This is the supernatural ability to sense the spiritual source of something. It’s not common sense – it is an uncommon sense – the sure knowledge that something about this is just not right. It is the ability to determine if a ministry or direction is from the Holy Spirit or from a false spirit that would mislead. Obviously a very important gift to have in any church.

Tongues – The supernatural ability to speak in a language that has never been learned by the speaker. Throughout the New Testament, this gift is always used to glorify God. It, like all other gifts, is given by the Holy Spirit as He wills, for His purposes.

Interpretation of Tongues – The supernatural ability to understand a language that has never been learned or studied by the interpreter. This is an important gift because Paul states in chapter 14, that tongues are not to be used in a worship service unless someone can interpret.

There are other gifts listed in other passages, but these 9 are sufficient for Paul to make his point. It is the same Holy Spirit of God that distributes these gifts individual to each person in the church as He wills.

Just a couple quick notes here –

There are some people who believe that some gifts were only intended for specific periods of times, and that those gifts have ceased to be used in the church today. They list prophecy, healing, miracles, tongues, and interpretation among those that they feel are no longer used in the church today. I cannot agree with that belief. The text tells me here that it is the Holy Spirit alone who determines which gifts to give, who to give them to, and when to give them. Now that does not mean that those gifts may not have changed in their use and frequency. Gifts are given for specific purposes. Jesus told His disciples that He did his miracles to provide evidence of His identity as the Son of God. Now, it may be that He has chosen to give the gift of miracles to the church less often today that when Peter walked the streets of Jerusalem just after Pentecost, but then again, I have heard stories of miraculous events from missionaries in remote corners of the world that are done for the same purpose as when Peter and Jesus used them – to lend credibility to their message in a supernatural way.

The use of the gift of prophecy has changed, too. In Old Testament times, for example, the revelation of God to His people was, to a great degree, limited to the prophets. The Word of God was not available in complete, written form at that time. In fact, much of what those prophets shared with their contemporary audience is included for us today as Scripture because of what it tells us about the heart of God. The prophets of the Old Testament were not sent to tell the future, but were sent to tell the people the things that were on God’s heart – that their sin had displeased Him, that they needed to repent, that judgment was coming. Sometimes this included warnings of future events – but that was not the main thrust of their ministry – it was to convey God’s message.

Prophecy today does the same thing – it is intended to convey to us God’s heart. To bring the truth of God to people in a way that moves them to action – repentance, understanding, obedience, confession, or other action. Some preaching that I have heard I would classify as prophetic – not because it tells the future –but because it conveys God’s message to people in a powerful and meaningful way. It is very important to the church to have this, and every gift, in place in the church as GOD alone establishes it.

The point is this – the Holy Spirit knows the needs of the time and place – and gives the gifts that are needed in order to accomplish the building up of the church at that time and place. I think it is dangerous to tie His hands and limit His ministry just to fit my theology. I don’t determine what the Holy Spirit can and can’t do just so that it makes me comfortable. Rather, my theology must be pliable to allow Him to work as He chooses.

In the same way, there are some who teach that there are some gifts that every person must have or will have, if they are truly filled with the Holy Spirit. In particular, the gift of tongues. They will point out that in the book of Acts, after the Spirit filled the disciples and new believers, they spoke in tongues. But I am afraid they make the same mistake as my sincere brothers who believe some gifts have ceased. They are telling the Holy Spirit what He must do, requiring Him to bestow on every Spirit-filled believer the same gift. Again, the Spirit gives gifts as He wills – not as my theology or beliefs force Him. Paul makes it very, very clear in this chapter, in verses 27-30 that no gift is given to every believer. Did you hear that? “No gift is given to every believer.” In verse 29, Paul asks, “Are all apostles?” The obvious answer is “no.” “Are all prophets?” No. “Are all teachers?” Ask my wife – NO! “Are all workers of miracles?” Of course not! On and on he goes – “Do all have the gift of healing, speak in tongues, interpret?” No, we all do not. And it is when we loose sight of that truth that we enter into one of the problems that Paul addresses in this chapter – that of the division that can come when some gifts are considered greater than others.

Look back to verses 12-30. Let me read it to you.

Do you see the plain and simple truth of the Gifts of the Spirit? Each believer has been given some gift. Some supernatural ability within the body of Christ, and as we use that ability, the body of Christ is able to perform effectively in it’s task. In I Peter 4:10, we read, “Each on should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Just as a body would be ineffective if it were only an ear, so the body of Christ is ineffective if all it does is sit in pews every Sunday, and listen, but never go out and act! One of the greatest victories that Satan has had in the church is that he has so clouded this issue of gifts of the Spirit that he has made the church ineffective. And it is nothing new! I Corinthians is considered by many to be the first book of the New Testament to be written. Before the gospels were put to paper, before Paul wrote any other letter, many feel this was written to the church at Corinth, and already the gifts had become a controversy. I don’t think that is a coincidence. I believe that Satan has from the earliest days of the church desired that we would either become misguided in our use of the gifts that we become discouraged that we don’t have this one or that, or become so proud of the gift that we have that it really doesn’t glorify God at all any more, or become so afraid of the controversy that we never want to talk about it or learn about it. And when that happens, we end up with a church that is like the body Paul describes here, with parts missing. Suddenly the hands that serve feel discouraged because they can’t teach, and the church stops serving. Suddenly the teachers feel inadequate because they don’t speak in tongues so the feel they have no gift at all, and the church stops teaching. Those who have the gift of discernment in the church are afraid to speak because they know nothing about this gift God has given them, and the people and sometimes whole churches get lead astray because no one warned them.

You see how clever Satan is? He can make the church impotent by making the gifts of the Holy Spirit seem like a controversy rather than a supernatural blessing – and as a result, the church begins to lose ground in our world. Now that doesn’t mean that we need to become a church that talks about nothing else – or gets obsessed with the gifts of the Spirit, but we do need to be a church that recognizes the place and importance of every gift, that helps each of us recognize what our gift or gifts are, and how they can be best used to honor Christ, and build up His church.

Each of you, look at me - If you are a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you have been gifted by the Holy Spirit to fill a role in the body of Christ. Each one of us. You, and you, and you, and me. Each of us has been given at least one gift. Do you know what it is? If not, then let’s find out. Our Spiritual Gift workshop will be held on the 23^rd of this month – it’s a class that will help you identify your gift, and determine where you can use it within the body of Christ.

If you already know your gift, are you using that gift? God has given you some supernatural ability – to serve with a gracious heart, to minister through your voice in a way that touches the lives of people, to teach, to give help to those in need. Whatever you gift is, you know that you should be using it. The church, the body of Christ cannot be totally effective without each part fulfilling its role. Don’t allow Satan to have the victory. Don’t allow him to keep you on the sidelines. Get up, and put that gift to use! Let’s be a church where every gift is recognized, every gift is valued, and every believer is faithful in using that gift for the glory of God. Amen?

Amen!