The Gift with Gifts
1 Corinthians 12: 4
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is referenced as the gift from God no less than twelve times in the New Testament. He also, however, brings with him gifts. These are called “The Gifts of the Spirit.” What they are is the manifested presence and power of the Holy Spirit. As we already know, the Spirit is the power of God. In this letter from Paul we learn of the application of the Spirit’s power. We are taught about the variety of ways these gifts manifest in the physical realm. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive his gifts too. All these gifts are bestowed on the body of Christ through the Holy Spirit to bring peace, healing and deliverance to the members of the body. Every person who calls Jesus “Lord” is entitled to have the Holy Spirit living in them and all his good gifts operating through them by the might and power of Spirit.
There are nine gifts. “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills,” (1 Corinthians 12: 8 – 11). All these gifts can operate through you because they are manifestations of the Holy Spirit living within you. You may tend to move more freely in a particular gift but they are given by God and dwell in the person of the Holy Spirit for the building up of the body of Christ. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will use the appropriate gift for the situation.
There is peace in knowing that you do not have to become a healer or miracle worker. You need not feel the weight of the world on your shoulders to have words of wisdom or knowledge for those in need. The Spirit of God has all these nine gifts. We are the carriers of his immense power. Where ever we go, we take the Spirit. We can take him into someone’s living room or into the most remote parts of the earth. Then we simply allow him to do through us what he knows is needful.
I will say, though, that our cooperation, our partnership with the Spirit is required. Not only are we the cups, bowls and jars that convey his presence, we are his hands and his mouth. Our challenge is to learn to work with the Spirit to reach and to touch others. We need to become more adept at hearing his voice within guiding and directing us. Then we must have the bold courage to do as he directs. When he shows us a person in need and tells us to pray for them, we must follow his guidance. That is the hard part, just doing what he says. The real heavy lifting is his, but we must come out of our cocoons and be part of the miracle.
We have spent years isolating ourselves, building impenetrable walls of stone. Now God asks us to convey His grace, power, peace, love and glory to a world in desperate need of Him. He has given us this blessed Spirit to be our constant companion, our buddy. All the miracle working power and divine ministry gifts are bubbling within us. Let’s do something with it, shall we?
