Spiritual Gifts Are Still Relevant Today!

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

(1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

The Bible indicates there are many gifts which come from one source. The source of spiritual gifts is the Holy Spirit. He gives and operates these gifts in the lives of believers:

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (1 Corinthians 12:11) 

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth on teaching; Or he that exhorteth on exhortation: he that giveth let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6-8)

There is one source of spiritual gifts but there are many different gifts. No gift is more important than another. 

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) 

Your position in the Body of Christ is compared to parts of a human body. 

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many.  (1 Corinthians 12:12-14) 

Just as in the human body, the smaller parts such as the eye have important functions, the seemingly "small" gift is just as important in the functioning of the church. Some gifts involve greater responsibilities, but, again, no gift is more important than another.  Some parts of the human body have greater responsibilities than others. For example, the eye lets you see what is around you. It guides you when walking. It permits you to read and see and enjoy God's creations. The eye has greater responsibility, but it is no more important than the big toe which provides balance for walking. The guidance of the eye for walking is useless if you have no feet with which to walk. The eye's function to permit reading is useless if you have no brain to understand what you read.

Each believer should use his spiritual gift (s) to work together with other believers who have different gifts. When this happens, the Church functions effectively as the Body of Christ.

You are only a steward of spiritual gifts. A steward is someone who does not own that with which he works. He uses something given to him by another person. He uses it on behalf of the person who gave it to him. You are a steward for Jesus Christ:

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Corinthians 4:1)

Part of the "mysteries" of which you are a steward are spiritual gifts. They are given to you by the Holy Spirit to minister effectively for Jesus:

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)

As a steward, you will be judged on the basis of your faithfulness to use the gifts you have been given:

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2)

The main passages identifying spiritual gifts are listed below. These verses introduce the various gifts:

-          Romans 12:1-8                      -   1 Corinthians 12:1-31

-          Ephesians 4:1-16                   -   1 Peter 4:7-11

These gifts are special abilities from God to minister in different ways. While there may be some evidences of these in all our lives it does not necessarily mean we have a certain gift. For example, all believers have a measure of faith according to the Word of God. 

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.  Romans 12:3

But the gift of faith is a special ability to believe beyond that of the ordinary Christian.

Some people claim that all of the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible are not for the Church today. They believe some gifts, like prophecy, tongues, miracles, etc., were only for the early Church. These people say that after the Church was established and the New Testament written, some spiritual gifts were no longer needed. They often use I Corinthians 13:10 to explain their belief:

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.   (1 Corinthians 13:10)

Disbelievers say that when the perfect revelation of God's Word was written, there was no longer a need for tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. They say that once the Church was established there was no longer a need for confirming signs and miracles.

What they fail to note is that knowledge is also mentioned in the same passage as being "vanished" or done away with:

. . . whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.   (1 Corinthians 13:8)

If we use this verse to say tongues, interpretation, and prophecy are no longer needed, then we must also say knowledge is no longer needed.

This passage actually refers to a future time when the "perfect" Kingdom of God is established on earth. Since what is perfect has come, we will have no need of any of the spiritual gifts then, because...

. . . He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)

We will then have no need of messages through prophecy, tongues, or interpretation, for we will be dwelling with the God who inspires such messages. We will have no need of the word of wisdom or knowledge, for we will be living with the source of knowledge. We will not need discerning of spirits, for...

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.(Revelation 21:27)

There will be no need for gifts of healing for...

. . . In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life...for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2)

Also remember the purposes and objectives of spiritual gifts given in Ephesians 4:12-15. The purposes are for:

>          Perfecting of the saints.

>          Promoting the work of the ministry.

>         Edifying Christ and the Church.

The purposes for which the gifts were given still remain. The saints still need to be perfected, the ministry still needs to be promoted to the ends of the earth, and the body of Christ needs to be edified.

The objectives are that we will:

           >     Be united in the faith.                                                      
           >     Develop our knowledge of Christ.

           >     Develop in perfection, with Christ as our model.     
           >     Mature spiritually in Christ.
           >     Become stable, not deceived by false doctrines.

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. (1 Corinthians 12:28)

God would not give spiritual gifts for these purposes and objectives and then remove them without these things being accomplished.

v   Are all believers united in the faith?

v   Has everyone developed fully in the knowledge of Christ?

v   Are we all perfected in following the example given us by Jesus?

v   Are all our church members spiritually mature?

v   Are our church members stable and not being deceived by false doctrines?

The answer to all these questions is "no". These objectives have not been accomplished. For this reason we know all of the spiritual gifts are still for today. God gave spiritual gifts to accomplish certain purposes in the Church. He will not withdraw any of these gifts without these purposes being accomplished. The Bible also says that the 

"gifts and callings of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29). 

This means God will not change His mind and take back a spiritual gift or calling He has given.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Apostle Paul gives the key for using gifts of the Holy Spirit. He introduced the subject in I Corinthians 12:31. He listed some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and then said...

. . . and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31)

I Corinthians 13 explains that "more excellent way."  This chapter gives the key to using spiritual gifts. That key is love. You can prophesy, have the gifts of healing, faith, etc., but without love in using these gifts, they will not be effective.

Gifts are unprofitable when used without love. Speaking in tongues becomes like a noisy clanging. Every gift is worthless, "it profits nothing", unless it is used in love. Love is the "more excellent way" in which the gifts are used. The gifts become a channel through which God's love can flow to those around us. Love is the key to using spiritual gifts effectively.

  

Satan counterfeits the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A counterfeit is something that imitates something real, but it is not genuine. Satan is a deceiver. The Bible says he sometimes even appears as an angel 

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  (2 Corinthians 11:14)

In the final days of time, there will even be a Satanic counterfeit of Christ called the antichrist.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.  (1 John 2:18, 22)

Much counterfeiting of the gifts is accomplished through the occult. For example, the word of knowledge is counterfeited by witches pretending to foretell the future and the unknown. A witch is a person who seeks to know things and perform acts through supernatural sources other than God. Their source is Satan. Counterfeiting of the gift of discerning of spirits is done by mind reading.

Even miracles are counterfeited by Satan (Exodus 7) and will be performed by the antichrist (Revelation 13:14). The Bible also speaks of false prophets (Acts 13:6-12). The question is, how do you distinguish the counterfeit from the real?  The counterfeit does not fulfill the Scriptural purposes of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Any true gift of the Holy Spirit will accomplish these spiritual purposes and objectives.

Counterfeit gifts do not agree with what the Bible teaches about Jesus. When anyone ministers a gift, what do they say about Jesus? Does it agree with the written Word of God?

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.  (2 Corinthians 11:4-5)

You can also recognize counterfeiters by their personal characteristics. These are listed in 2 Peter 2 and the book of Jude. Know what the bible says to help you distinguish the real in God from the counterfeit of Satan.

(Biblical Studies)

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