The body of Christ is designed to operate with diverse spiritual gifts, empowering believers to serve and edify one another. Recently, I shared a message about “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” delving into how these gifts function within the Christian community. These nine gifts, as outlined in scripture, are: a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, discerning of spirits, faith, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy. Understanding and developing these Nine Gifts Of The Holy Spirit is crucial for a vibrant and effective church.
Exploring Each of the Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Each of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit plays a unique and vital role in the church. Let’s examine each one to gain a clearer understanding of their purpose and operation:
Word of Wisdom
A word of wisdom is more than just intelligence; it’s a supernatural understanding of truth and the right course of action, especially in complex situations. It’s divinely imparted wisdom applied to specific circumstances. The Holy Spirit provides this gift to navigate challenges and make sound decisions that align with God’s will. A biblical example of the gift of wisdom is found in Acts 27:9-19. The Apostle Paul, through the Holy Spirit, warned the Roman centurion against sailing, demonstrating a word of wisdom that could have prevented disaster.
Word of Knowledge
The gift of a word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation of information that one would not naturally know. It’s an awareness or understanding received beyond human learning or sensory perception. This might involve knowing something about a person’s past, present, or even future, which is then used for ministry or guidance. In Acts 5:1-10, we see Peter operating in the word of knowledge when the Holy Spirit revealed Ananias’ deception. Peter supernaturally knew Ananias was lying about the offering, showcasing this powerful gift in action.
Discerning of Spirits
Discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability to distinguish between different spiritual influences at work. It’s about perceiving whether an action, behavior, or even a message is influenced by the Holy Spirit, a human spirit, or an evil spirit. This gift is crucial for maintaining spiritual purity and guiding the church away from deception. Acts 16:16-18 provides an example where Paul used the discerning of spirits to identify a girl possessed by an evil spirit. He discerned the true source of her pronouncements and commanded the spirit to leave her.
Gift of Faith
While all believers have a measure of faith for salvation (Romans 12:3), the gift of faith is a supernatural and extraordinary level of faith granted by the Holy Spirit. This isn’t just ordinary belief; it’s an unwavering confidence in God’s power and promises in specific, often challenging, situations. This gift of faith empowers individuals to believe God for the impossible and inspire others to do the same.
Miracles
A miracle, by definition, is an event that defies natural law and is inexplicable by natural or scientific principles. The gift of miracles is the Holy Spirit’s power working through an individual to perform supernatural acts that demonstrate God’s power and intervention. These are not just unusual occurrences; they are divine acts that override the normal course of nature. Acts 20:9-12 recounts Paul performing a miracle by raising Eutychus from the dead after he fell from a window. This exemplifies the gift of miracles in operation, showcasing God’s life-giving power.
Gifts of Healing
The gifts of healing are supernatural abilities to restore health and soundness to the spirit, soul, or body. While believers are generally encouraged to pray for the sick, certain individuals are given specific gifts of healing, enabling them to minister healing in a particularly powerful way. Healing is about restoring wholeness and addressing sickness and infirmity through divine intervention. It’s important to note that healing is broader than just physical restoration; it can encompass emotional and spiritual well-being as well.
Gift of Tongues
The gift of tongues refers to speaking in languages unknown to the speaker, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. It’s important to distinguish between personal prayer languages (speaking in tongues for personal edification) and the gift of tongues intended for the church. While speaking in tongues as a prayer language is available to all believers, the gift of tongues in a church setting is specifically for edifying the congregation when accompanied by interpretation.
Interpretation of Tongues
For the gift of tongues to be beneficial to the entire church, it often requires the gift of interpretation of tongues. This is the supernatural ability to understand and communicate the meaning of a message given in tongues. As Paul explains in I Corinthians 14:27-28, interpretation ensures that the message in tongues edifies everyone present. The gift of interpretation bridges the language gap, allowing the church to understand what God is communicating through the gift of tongues.
Prophecy
Prophecy, in the context of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, is a divine utterance in a language understood by the listeners. It can be categorized into forthtelling and foretelling. Forthtelling is speaking under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, delivering God’s message relevant to the present situation. Acts 2:38-41 illustrates Peter forthtelling on the day of Pentecost, leading to repentance. Foretelling, on the other hand, is revealing future events as spoken by the Holy Spirit. Agabus’ prophecy in Acts 11:27-28, foretelling a famine, is an example of this, allowing people to prepare practically for what was to come. Both forthtelling and foretelling are vital aspects of the gift of prophecy.
Developing Spiritual Gifts
Some may question the emphasis on developing spiritual gifts, but Hebrews 5:14 provides insight: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” This verse highlights that spiritual growth and discernment come through practice and use. Just as our natural senses are sharpened through use, so are our spiritual senses and gifts. This is why actively engaging in and practicing these nine gifts of the Holy Spirit is essential for personal and corporate spiritual development. Through practice, activations, training, and conferences, we can cultivate our spiritual senses, alongside our natural ones, to better serve God and His church.
Chris Reed, President & CEO of MorningStar Ministries, discussing the importance of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.
