The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

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< > Chapter Three The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit The challenge of Satan's counterfeit signs. The many challenging counterfeit signs of Satan that are being manifested in the world today, make it essential for the Church to manifest the mighty signs, wonders and miracles offered to it through the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These precious gifts have been bought for us through the precious blood of Christ. 1Pet.1v18-20. Many false cults have the zeal and power of Satan and they deceive many; and even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, and Elymas withstood Paul, these evil workers challenge and withstand the experience of the Church of Christ. The Scripture warns us that we can expect further great manifestations of evil power in the near future. Mt.24v11,24. 2Thes.2v8-12. God's answer to this evil will be the greatest manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit that the world has ever seen. The anointed preaching of the Scriptures and the powerful manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, has always been God's answer to the manifestation of evil power; for intellectual argument alone has never been a sufficient answer to the powers of darkness. True Christianity has never been mere intellectual gymnastics, it has always been God's truth confirmed by spiritual dynamics. The challenge of militant antichristian governments. We have the challenge of preaching the Gospel in countries under the control of militant antichristian governments, where even open intellectual argument and evangelism are forbidden under threat of death. The need for the spiritual gifts that Christ and His apostles possessed is greater than ever, we need spiritual gifts that miraculously protect us, as well as the mercy healing gifts that confirm the Gospel message. Antichrist and his followers will ruthlessly exterminate believers in the countries under their control; the only answer in such circumstances, is the manifestation of the protective and judgement gifts of the Holy Spirit that prophets, like Moses and Elijah, manifested in their ministries. God has promised that the gifts that these great prophets manifested will be part of the equipment of the Church at the end of this age. Rev.11v5,6. Jewish history reveals that whenever God's people lacked the manifestations of God's power and knowledge through spiritual gifts, there was invariably backsliding and apostasy, and the people of God were dominated by the heathen. God has always manifested Himself in signs, wonders and miracles, when His people have followed Him with all their hearts. Holy Ghost miracles are God's best answer to both militant godless governments, and Satan's “lying signs and wonders.” 2Thes.2v9. The ignorance of Christian leaders about spiritual gifts. Some Christian leaders are genuinely ignorant about spiritual gifts, but others, like the theologians of Christ's time, have deliberately and wilfully opposed the truth, and hidden the key of knowledge about spiritual gifts, by unbelieving opposition, wilful omission, false tradition, and sceptical and untrue exposition of the Scriptures. Jesus solemnly warned Israel’s religious leaders, that their wilful opposition to His ministry, and their determination to stop and hinder people from entering the doorway into an experience of God, was a great sin and debt which will be “required,” “ekzeteo;” that is, exhaustively searched out, demanded back, and answered for on judgement day. Lk.11v50-52. Some modern theologians have followed the example of Christ's enemies, by saying that genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and undeniable signs from God, are a manifestation of Satan's power. This is the final shameful defence of the Holy Ghost resisting sceptic, and it brings about their spiritual ruin. Mt.12v22-32. Mk.3v28-30. Acts.7v51-53. Those who hide behind a false spirituality and say, “All I need is the Scripture,” should remember that the Scripture expressly commands Christians to earnestly seek for spiritual gifts, and that much of Scripture is a record of the manifestation of these gifts. Jesus told us to expect greater works than He did while He was on earth, not a total absence of miracles. Jn.14v12. Christ never intended His Church to be a tower of Babylonian humanistic endeavour, He desired it to be a body united by love and energised with the power of God. If you do away with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures; you do away with the interventions of God in human history, for spiritual gifts are God's acts in the world. Those who say that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for today, are impudently affirming that God is, “The great I was,” instead of, “The Great I Am.” Lack of spirituality is the reason for the lack of spiritual gifts after 400 A.D. It is a fact of Church History that innumerable signs, wonders and miracles were performed by servants of Christ throughout the Roman empire in the first two or three centuries after Christ's birth. After this, miracles became less common, though they did occur right through Church history in periods of revival. John Wesley gives us, on page 204 of volume 2 of his works, the reason why spiritual gifts were not common in Church history after about 400 A.D. “The grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost, but that dry, formal, orthodox men, began to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves and decry them all as madness or imposture.” Wesley also writes in his sermon “The More Excellent Way.” “It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after the fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian; and, from a vain imagination of promoting the Christian cause thereby, heaped riches and power and honour upon the Christians in general, but in particular upon the Christian Clergy. From this time they almost totally ceased; very few instances of the kind were found. The cause of this was not, as has been vulgarly supposed, “Because there was no more occasion for them, because all the world had become Christians.” This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of it was then nominally Christian. The real cause was 'the love of many,' almost of all Christians, so called, was 'waxed cold.' The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other Heathens; The Son of Man when He came to examine His Church, could hardly 'find faith upon the earth.' This was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church; because the Christians were turned Heathens again, and had only a dead form left.” John Chrysostom, A.D. 346 to 407? Gave a similar answer to the question, “Why are not miracles performed still? Why are there no persons who raise the dead and cure diseases?” with the words, “That it was owing to the want of faith, and virtue, and piety in those times.” Jerome said, “The Church had lost as much of its virtue, as it had gained of wealth and power.” Spiritual gifts will be needed until the perfect day of Christ's coming. Spiritual ministries and their accompanying spiritual gifts are still needed in the Church today, and God still sets them in His Church when He can find people who love Him and mankind enough to desire to be channels of His power and love. 1Cor.12v28. Many Scriptures prove that it is untrue to say that spiritual gifts finished after the apostolic age. Peter confirmed Joel's prophecy, that spiritual gifts will continue right up to the great and terrible day of the Lord, and states that the Pentecostal experience is for all Christians. Acts.2v16-21,38,39. Paul informs us that the age of grace is more glorious and more full of the Spirit's workings than the age of Law. 2Cor.3v6-18. Heb.8v10-13. All thirsty believers in Christ are promised rivers of the Holy Spirit's power and fullness. Jn.7v37-39. The critics of a Pentecostal experience, have been unable to find any Scriptures that state that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, so they have been driven to make the quite unwarranted assumption from 1Cor.13v8-13., that, “that which is perfect,” at which the gifts of the Spirit are to pass away, was the completion of the Scripture canon. Honest theologians state that there is no support in the Biblical usage of “perfect,” or its cognate forms, for the suggestion that “the perfect” refers to the completion of the canon of Scripture. Ellicott's commentary says of, “that which is perfect,” “This verse shows by its emphatic 'then,' that the time when the gifts shall cease is at the end of this dispensation. The imperfect shall not cease until the perfect is brought in.” In 1Cor.13., Paul is considering love in relation to the whole of Christian experience; giving, martyrdom, and knowledge, as well as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is no mention of the Scripture canon as such, Paul mentions sacred truth, but it is love and God's kingdom of love that is “perfect.” It is certainly not honest to say that 1Cor.13v8. teaches that spiritual gifts have passed away, and yet admit that our present partial knowledge has not been replaced by the full knowledge of God's kingdom. The time when the gifts “pass away,” is when the Church on earth, exchanges its present partial knowledge and power, for the complete and perfect “face to face” experience of God. When 1Cor.13v8. is really fulfilled, the Church will be experiencing the greatest measure of spiritual power it has ever known, it will be glorified in heaven and enjoying God's glory, power, truth and love to the full. Paul illustrates the enormous difference between even his own mature Christian experience and the glorious experience of life in heaven, by comparing the very limited experience of a baby that cannot talk with the experience and mental powers of a full-grown man. Paul did not say that the gifts were soon to finish, so we need not bother with them, He gave practical teaching on the gifts and told us to seek them for our spiritual welfare. 1Cor.14v1-3,12,18,39. How can critics say these gifts have ceased and yet pray for their manifestation? Those who insist that spiritual gifts have ceased and are not for today, must, if they are to be consistent, insist that God has removed them all, and not just some of them. If they really believe that spiritual gifts are not for today, how is it that they pray for Divine healing? For this is a gift of healing. How is it that they pray for illumination upon a problem, or guidance from God? For this is a word of wisdom. How is it that they pray for ministers of the Gospel to receive the Holy Spirit's anointing? and for Satan's power to be lifted off people? and for people to be blessed? For these are the operations of the gift of faith. How is it that they pray for material needs to be met? For this is the province of the working of miracles. How is it that they pray for a revelation of God to the soul? For this is a discerning of spirits. How is it that they pray for an inspired utterance from God to help others? For this is the realm of prophecy. How is it that they pray for the Holy Spirit to inspire them in prayer? and then reject the gift of tongues, which is the Divine answer to this request. It is a fact that Christians who say that spiritual gifts have ceased to operate in the Church, actually pray for their manifestation. Those who reject spiritual gifts completely, have in reality tried to remove God's influence from His Church, and put it in the hands of men. We must accept that God has decreed that we need these gifts, and not frustrate the wise and loving reasons for their manifestation. The tragic fact that movements founded by the Spirit, have become bulwarks against the Spirit. It is a sad fact that movements and denominations, which were brought into being by Holy Ghost revivals, and have been bulwarks for the Gospel, have become bulwarks against the wonderful gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. It is difficult to see how churches can claim to be founded on the New Testament, and yet oppose and forbid the miraculous things that happened in the New Testament from taking place in their churches. The truth is, the traditions of men have replaced the Word of God in our day, and men still oppose the miraculous works of the Holy Spirit, just as surely as they did in our Lord's ministry. Mt.15v2,3,6. Mk.7v9,13. Col.2v8. 1Pet.1v18. It was not the fervency of the praise and worship of the early Church that convinced people that Christ was risen, it was the acts of God's power that bore witness to the truth of the Gospel. Rom.15v18-21. Heb.2v4. It is not the fervency of our singing, but our love and the acts of God's power that flow through our love, which shows to the world that God is with us. We cannot earn God's “charismata,” they are gifts of grace, but we can receive them as we earnestly seek God for them. Gideon saw the truth that God's people should expect miracles from their God, when he said, in Judges.6v13., “Oh my Lord, If the Lord be with us? why then is all this befallen us? and WHERE BE ALL HIS MIRACLES which our fathers told us of, saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” After the glorious wonders of Christ and His early Church, we can confidently say, “Because the Lord is with us, we can surely expect all His miracles.” The fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit complement each other. In considering these “Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” 1Cor.12v7-10., we in no way forget or neglect the vital, “Nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit.” Gal.5v22-24. We recognise the correct place given to both fruit and gifts in the Scripture. Love and the other fruit of the Spirit have need of God's power to fulfil the beautiful desires and plans of God; and our manifestation of God's power and knowledge gifts need the Holy Spirit's fruit of character to correctly use those gifts. The Holy Spirit comes to give us both fruits and gifts, they are part of His full ministry to us and through us; each perfectly complements the other. The life and ministry of Jesus show the perfect manifestation of both the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit. Those who love our Lord and desire to follow Him, should desire both the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Jn.10v27. We should accept the spiritual gifts that God gives to His Church. 1Cor.12v7. The nine spiritual gifts are the combined and co-ordinated abilities and acts of God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit given to the Church; their manifestations can be divided up in the following three ways. THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE NINE SPIRITUAL GIFTS. Gifts of Revelation and Information. Manifesting God's omniscient love. The Trinity give us their wisdom and knowledge through the gifts of revelation. The gift of a word of wisdom. The gift of a word of knowledge. The gift of discernings of spirits. Gifts of Power and Demonstration. Manifesting God's omnipotent love. The Trinity give us their miracle working power through the power gifts. The gift of faith. The gift of workings of miracles. The gift of gifts of healings. Gifts of Inspiration and Encouragement. Manifesting God's omnipresent love. The Trinity encourage us through devotional gifts that inspire, edify and comfort. The gift of prophecy. The gift of various kinds of tongues. The gift of interpretation of tongues. The headings of these three groups of gifts can apply in some measure to each other; however, they do help to show the major characteristics and uses of the gifts. We could call these three groups by the titles of, “God Informing,” “God Empowering,” and “God Inspiring and Comforting.” The important thing, of course, is not just to define the gifts, but rather to manifest them. THE CO-ORDINATION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS. Paul divides the gifts of the Holy Spirit into nine gifts that can operate quite separately from each other. As we have seen these nine gifts are really the various aspects of the love, power, wisdom and knowledge of God imparted to us by the Holy Spirit as we need them. They are the interventions of God in our lives. Sometimes we may need only one gift, but at other times, we may need several gifts to meet our needs, and we can receive them in one outpouring of the love and power, and wisdom and knowledge of God. e.g. Acts.9v10-19. 12v5-11. Through His gifts God builds up the Church in love, defends it from Satan's attacks, and arms the Church, so that we, like our Lord, can bring blessing and healing to those who are oppressed of the Devil. Acts.10v38. Jn.14v12. The gifts of the Spirit reveal the great and loving heart of God to the Church and the world, and bring the beauty, love and healing power of God's kingdom to needy mankind. Lk.10v9. Paul's statement in 1Cor.12v4-31., makes it clear that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are intended to operate in the Church, through its leading ministries and various members; as the various parts of the human body operate together in perfect co-operation and co-ordination. When Christians work together in love, and the Holy Spirit's gifts operate in perfect co-operation and co-ordination through the various ministries and members of the body of Christ; as they did in the first Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem; then God can perform all the beautiful and wonderful things that He desires to do; and His kingdom will be greatly extended. < >
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Chapter Three

The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit

The challenge of Satan's counterfeit signs.
The many challenging counterfeit signs of Satan that are being manifested in the world today, make it essential for the Church to manifest the mighty signs, wonders and miracles offered to it through the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These precious gifts have been bought for us through the precious blood of Christ. 1Pet.1v18-20. Many false cults have the zeal and power of Satan and they deceive many; and even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, and Elymas withstood Paul, these evil workers challenge and withstand the experience of the Church of Christ. The Scripture warns us that we can expect further great manifestations of evil power in the near future. Mt.24v11,24. 2Thes.2v8-12. God's answer to this evil will be the greatest manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit that the world has ever seen. The anointed preaching of the Scriptures and the powerful manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, has always been God's answer to the manifestation of evil power; for intellectual argument alone has never been a sufficient answer to the powers of darkness. True Christianity has never been mere intellectual gymnastics, it has always been God's truth confirmed by spiritual dynamics.

The challenge of militant antichristian governments.
We have the challenge of preaching the Gospel in countries under the control of militant antichristian governments, where even open intellectual argument and evangelism are forbidden under threat of death. The need for the spiritual gifts that Christ and His apostles possessed is greater than ever, we need spiritual gifts that miraculously protect us, as well as the mercy healing gifts that confirm the Gospel message. Antichrist and his followers will ruthlessly exterminate believers in the countries under their control; the only answer in such circumstances, is the manifestation of the protective and judgement gifts of the Holy Spirit that prophets, like Moses and Elijah, manifested in their ministries. God has promised that the gifts that these great prophets manifested will be part of the equipment of the Church at the end of this age. Rev.11v5,6. Jewish history reveals that whenever God's people lacked the manifestations of God's power and knowledge through spiritual gifts, there was invariably backsliding and apostasy, and the people of God were dominated by the heathen. God has always manifested Himself in signs, wonders and miracles, when His people have followed Him with all their hearts. Holy Ghost miracles are God's best answer to both militant godless governments, and Satan's “lying signs and wonders.” 2Thes.2v9.

The ignorance of Christian leaders about spiritual gifts.
Some Christian leaders are genuinely ignorant about spiritual gifts, but others, like the theologians of Christ's time, have deliberately and wilfully opposed the truth, and hidden the key of knowledge about spiritual gifts, by unbelieving opposition, wilful omission, false tradition, and sceptical and untrue exposition of the Scriptures. Jesus solemnly warned Israel’s religious leaders, that their wilful opposition to His ministry, and their determination to stop and hinder people from entering the doorway into an experience of God, was a great sin and debt which will be “required,” “ekzeteo;” that is, exhaustively searched out, demanded back, and answered for on judgement day. Lk.11v50-52.

Some modern theologians have followed the example of Christ's enemies, by saying that genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and undeniable signs from God, are a manifestation of Satan's power. This is the final shameful defence of the Holy Ghost resisting sceptic, and it brings about their spiritual ruin. Mt.12v22-32. Mk.3v28-30. Acts.7v51-53. Those who hide behind a false spirituality and say, “All I need is the Scripture,” should remember that the Scripture expressly commands Christians to earnestly seek for spiritual gifts, and that much of Scripture is a record of the manifestation of these gifts. Jesus told us to expect greater works than He did while He was on earth, not a total absence of miracles. Jn.14v12. Christ never intended His Church to be a tower of Babylonian humanistic endeavour, He desired it to be a body united by love and energised with the power of God. If you do away with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures; you do away with the interventions of God in human history, for spiritual gifts are God's acts in the world. Those who say that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for today, are impudently affirming that God is, “The great I was,” instead of, “The Great I Am.”

Lack of spirituality is the reason for the lack of spiritual gifts after 400 A.D.
It is a fact of Church History that innumerable signs, wonders and miracles were performed by servants of Christ throughout the Roman empire in the first two or three centuries after Christ's birth. After this, miracles became less common, though they did occur right through Church history in periods of revival. John Wesley gives us, on page 204 of volume 2 of his works, the reason why spiritual gifts were not common in Church history after about 400 A.D. “The grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost, but that dry, formal, orthodox men, began to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves and decry them all as madness or imposture.”

Wesley also writes in his sermon “The More Excellent Way.”
“It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after the fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian; and, from a vain imagination of promoting the Christian cause thereby, heaped riches and power and honour upon the Christians in general, but in particular upon the Christian Clergy. From this time they almost totally ceased; very few instances of the kind were found. The cause of this was not, as has been vulgarly supposed, “Because there was no more occasion for them, because all the world had become Christians.” This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of it was then nominally Christian. The real cause was 'the love of many,' almost of all Christians, so called, was 'waxed cold.' The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other Heathens; The Son of Man when He came to examine His Church, could hardly 'find faith upon the earth.' This was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church; because the Christians were turned Heathens again, and had only a dead form left.”

John Chrysostom, A.D. 346 to 407? Gave a similar answer to the question, “Why are not miracles performed still? Why are there no persons who raise the dead and cure diseases?” with the words, “That it was owing to the want of faith, and virtue, and piety in those times.” Jerome said, “The Church had lost as much of its virtue, as it had gained of wealth and power.”

Spiritual gifts will be needed until the perfect day of Christ's coming.
Spiritual ministries and their accompanying spiritual gifts are still needed in the Church today, and God still sets them in His Church when He can find people who love Him and mankind enough to desire to be channels of His power and love. 1Cor.12v28. Many Scriptures prove that it is untrue to say that spiritual gifts finished after the apostolic age. Peter confirmed Joel's prophecy, that spiritual gifts will continue right up to the great and terrible day of the Lord, and states that the Pentecostal experience is for all Christians. Acts.2v16-21,38,39. Paul informs us that the age of grace is more glorious and more full of the Spirit's workings than the age of Law. 2Cor.3v6-18. Heb.8v10-13. All thirsty believers in Christ are promised rivers of the Holy Spirit's power and fullness. Jn.7v37-39.

The critics of a Pentecostal experience, have been unable to find any Scriptures that state that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, so they have been driven to make the quite unwarranted assumption from 1Cor.13v8-13., that, “that which is perfect,” at which the gifts of the Spirit are to pass away, was the completion of the Scripture canon. Honest theologians state that there is no support in the Biblical usage of “perfect,” or its cognate forms, for the suggestion that “the perfect” refers to the completion of the canon of Scripture.
Ellicott's commentary says of, “that which is perfect,” “This verse shows by its emphatic 'then,' that the time when the gifts shall cease is at the end of this dispensation. The imperfect shall not cease until the perfect is brought in.”

In 1Cor.13., Paul is considering love in relation to the whole of Christian experience; giving, martyrdom, and knowledge, as well as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is no mention of the Scripture canon as such, Paul mentions sacred truth, but it is love and God's kingdom of love that is “perfect.” It is certainly not honest to say that 1Cor.13v8. teaches that spiritual gifts have passed away, and yet admit that our present partial knowledge has not been replaced by the full knowledge of God's kingdom. The time when the gifts “pass away,” is when the Church on earth, exchanges its present partial knowledge and power, for the complete and perfect “face to face” experience of God. When 1Cor.13v8. is really fulfilled, the Church will be experiencing the greatest measure of spiritual power it has ever known, it will be glorified in heaven and enjoying God's glory, power, truth and love to the full. Paul illustrates the enormous difference between even his own mature Christian experience and the glorious experience of life in heaven, by comparing the very limited experience of a baby that cannot talk with the experience and mental powers of a full-grown man. Paul did not say that the gifts were soon to finish, so we need not bother with them, He gave practical teaching on the gifts and told us to seek them for our spiritual welfare. 1Cor.14v1-3,12,18,39.

How can critics say these gifts have ceased and yet pray for their manifestation?
Those who insist that spiritual gifts have ceased and are not for today, must, if they are to be consistent, insist that God has removed them all, and not just some of them. If they really believe that spiritual gifts are not for today, how is it that they pray for Divine healing? For this is a gift of healing. How is it that they pray for illumination upon a problem, or guidance from God? For this is a word of wisdom. How is it that they pray for ministers of the Gospel to receive the Holy Spirit's anointing? and for Satan's power to be lifted off people? and for people to be blessed? For these are the operations of the gift of faith. How is it that they pray for material needs to be met? For this is the province of the working of miracles. How is it that they pray for a revelation of God to the soul? For this is a discerning of spirits. How is it that they pray for an inspired utterance from God to help others? For this is the realm of prophecy. How is it that they pray for the Holy Spirit to inspire them in prayer? and then reject the gift of tongues, which is the Divine answer to this request. It is a fact that Christians who say that spiritual gifts have ceased to operate in the Church, actually pray for their manifestation. Those who reject spiritual gifts completely, have in reality tried to remove God's influence from His Church, and put it in the hands of men. We must accept that God has decreed that we need these gifts, and not frustrate the wise and loving reasons for their manifestation.

The tragic fact that movements founded by the Spirit, have become bulwarks against the Spirit.
It is a sad fact that movements and denominations, which were brought into being by Holy Ghost revivals, and have been bulwarks for the Gospel, have become bulwarks against the wonderful gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. It is difficult to see how churches can claim to be founded on the New Testament, and yet oppose and forbid the miraculous things that happened in the New Testament from taking place in their churches. The truth is, the traditions of men have replaced the Word of God in our day, and men still oppose the miraculous works of the Holy Spirit, just as surely as they did in our Lord's ministry. Mt.15v2,3,6. Mk.7v9,13. Col.2v8. 1Pet.1v18. It was not the fervency of the praise and worship of the early Church that convinced people that Christ was risen, it was the acts of God's power that bore witness to the truth of the Gospel. Rom.15v18-21. Heb.2v4. It is not the fervency of our singing, but our love and the acts of God's power that flow through our love, which shows to the world that God is with us. We cannot earn God's “charismata,” they are gifts of grace, but we can receive them as we earnestly seek God for them. Gideon saw the truth that God's people should expect miracles from their God, when he said, in Judges.6v13., “Oh my Lord, If the Lord be with us? why then is all this befallen us? and WHERE BE ALL HIS MIRACLES which our fathers told us of, saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” After the glorious wonders of Christ and His early Church, we can confidently say, “Because the Lord is with us, we can surely expect all His miracles.”

The fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit complement each other.
In considering these “Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” 1Cor.12v7-10., we in no way forget or neglect the vital, “Nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit.” Gal.5v22-24. We recognise the correct place given to both fruit and gifts in the Scripture. Love and the other fruit of the Spirit have need of God's power to fulfil the beautiful desires and plans of God; and our manifestation of God's power and knowledge gifts need the Holy Spirit's fruit of character to correctly use those gifts. The Holy Spirit comes to give us both fruits and gifts, they are part of His full ministry to us and through us; each perfectly complements the other. The life and ministry of Jesus show the perfect manifestation of both the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit. Those who love our Lord and desire to follow Him, should desire both the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Jn.10v27. We should accept the spiritual gifts that God gives to His Church. 1Cor.12v7. The nine spiritual gifts are the combined and co-ordinated abilities and acts of God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit given to the Church; their manifestations can be divided up in the following three ways.

THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE NINE SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
Gifts of Revelation and Information. Manifesting God's omniscient love.
The Trinity give us their wisdom and knowledge through the gifts of revelation.
The gift of a word of wisdom.
The gift of a word of knowledge.
The gift of discernings of spirits.

Gifts of Power and Demonstration. Manifesting God's omnipotent love.
The Trinity give us their miracle working power through the power gifts.
The gift of faith.
The gift of workings of miracles.
The gift of gifts of healings.

Gifts of Inspiration and Encouragement. Manifesting God's omnipresent love.
The Trinity encourage us through devotional gifts that inspire, edify and comfort.
The gift of prophecy.
The gift of various kinds of tongues.
The gift of interpretation of tongues.

The headings of these three groups of gifts can apply in some measure to each other; however, they do help to show the major characteristics and uses of the gifts. We could call these three groups by the titles of, “God Informing,” “God Empowering,” and “God Inspiring and Comforting.” The important thing, of course, is not just to define the gifts, but rather to manifest them.

THE CO-ORDINATION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
Paul divides the gifts of the Holy Spirit into nine gifts that can operate quite separately from each other. As we have seen these nine gifts are really the various aspects of the love, power, wisdom and knowledge of God imparted to us by the Holy Spirit as we need them. They are the interventions of God in our lives. Sometimes we may need only one gift, but at other times, we may need several gifts to meet our needs, and we can receive them in one outpouring of the love and power, and wisdom and knowledge of God. e.g. Acts.9v10-19. 12v5-11. Through His gifts God builds up the Church in love, defends it from Satan's attacks, and arms the Church, so that we, like our Lord, can bring blessing and healing to those who are oppressed of the Devil. Acts.10v38. Jn.14v12. The gifts of the Spirit reveal the great and loving heart of God to the Church and the world, and bring the beauty, love and healing power of God's kingdom to needy mankind. Lk.10v9. Paul's statement in 1Cor.12v4-31., makes it clear that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are intended to operate in the Church, through its leading ministries and various members; as the various parts of the human body operate together in perfect co-operation and co-ordination. When Christians work together in love, and the Holy Spirit's gifts operate in perfect co-operation and co-ordination through the various ministries and members of the body of Christ; as they did in the first Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem; then God can perform all the beautiful and wonderful things that He desires to do; and His kingdom will be greatly extended.

< >