Spiritual gifts
Every ability a person has to build the church is considered a spiritual gift that God has given them. These gifts should be used to give blessings and together the church can be formed and built to honor God. Every person who is a Christian should have at least one gift. Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit, but the Bible also says that if you want other gifts you can be encouraged and ask for them. For a deeper understanding, you can consult more about the meaning and importance of spiritual gifts.
What gifts does the Bible mention?
In the Bible there are three lists of the various gifts that the Holy Spirit grants, they are mentioned in:
- 1 Corinthians 12:4-11: Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation of tongues.
- Romans 12: 6-8: here it defines them as prophecy to be used according to faith, service, teaching, exhortation, sharing, presiding, requesting, joy.
- Ephesians 4:7-13: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.
What are spiritual gifts for?
The gifts are intended to empower God's children and enable them to work together with others so that the church may grow. They should be used as God intended, for the common good, and above all, so that the name of Jesus may always be glorified. They are not a reward for our spirituality, but rather a gift to serve our brothers and sisters in need, and to encourage everyone to follow Jesus. If they are used in the best or correct way, it is because God is in our lives and He is the One who directs our actions.
A church functions well when all its members exercise their gifts correctly. If they are not used properly, it would not function well or efficiently. Therefore, when the gifts are not used properly, the church suffers, since the gifts are not being used appropriately as God has commanded. For a better understanding, you can read about: Service to God and how it relates to spiritual gifts. You can also expand your knowledge about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
How should they be used?
The three chapters that we mentioned where the spiritual gifts are listed in them you can find that what unites everything is the love and unity of all who believe. That is why they must be used through love, that is, with the desire that things be done well so that they serve their functions, since if not, the purpose that God gave them would have no meaning.
In other words, a person who can speak with humans but who can also speak tongues with angels, but has no love in what he does, is like music without a director. If they give you the gift of prophecy, it is to understand the mystery and knowledge, but if you do not have love to use it, you have nothing.
That is why the gifts must be valued not only individually but collectively, since they are all needed for the church to function and none of them is less than another. Thank God for the gift he has given and use it to be a good servant, use it with love and joy so that your life moves on the right path.
Definition of each of the gifts
Of course, each gift granted by the Holy Spirit has a meaning, and we'll explain what it is and how it is developed. Once you believe you have a grasp of the gift you possess, use it appropriately. For more information, you can consult .
Wisdom
It is the ability to know, say or do the right thing according to the will of God at any given time, this wisdom goes beyond the wisdom of the human being. In other words, an average person cannot understand this type of wisdom, since the person who has this gift can know a lot about people and situations that others do not know.
This gift allows the person who has it to know what to do and how to do it, since they not only see what happens but also apply the word of God to all the problems of life, they are people who can have the ability to make a synthesis of the truth that is in the Bible and take this word to other people so that they make good decisions and avoid making mistakes, they are people who can act as coaches, advisers and consultants.
Knowledge
It is knowing how you can receive a revelation about something or a person without knowing any information about it through natural means. It is having the ability to conduct research and remember and use information on various topics at the appropriate time. This gift is found in people who have a love for study and learning, particularly those who seek a spiritual guide.
Fe
It means having confidence in all the promises God has made to us, and that they are never obstructed by any circumstance. A person with this gift has faith greater than that of any other Christian. This gift allows us to have imagination about what to do and how to trust God to achieve what we desire, which for others would be impossible.
People with this gift fully trust in God at any time, even if they are going through adversity or very difficult problems, but they have big dreams, they pray to God for better things, they are people full of optimism, hope, they are persevering and they are aimed at changing the future. They know the truth of the scriptures since they are fully convinced that the truth and power of God is in his word.
Holiness Gifts
It is a gift used to pray for people who are experiencing physical or emotional illness and to bring God's healing into their lives. They have the gift of healing that God has given them so they can heal the sick through supernatural means that can only be revealed by God, through prayer, and as a sign from God for people to believe in Jesus.
miraculous powers
It is the way of performing signs or wonders that a normal human mind could not understand and that cannot be explained through the laws of nature, and where the presence and power of God can be shown at a specific time.
This gift allows God to be called upon to be a part of the supernatural acts within their power. These people often appear in extraordinary moments and in everyday situations, but they do not appear in public displays. People with this gift do not look for signs or events, but rather wait for them to arrive and then perform wonders so that people can follow Jesus. For additional information, you can read about the laying on of hands and its relationship to spiritual gifts.
Prophecy
That is, the word that God wants you to communicate, either in a verse or passage from the Bible that applies to a certain situation, so that the person is exhorted or encouraged to comply with the word of God.
discern spirits
It is an ability that a person has to perceive what spirit is acting at a given moment and also to determine whether it is from God or not. It is also known as the gift of discernment, and those who possess it can easily perceive certain people, events, or beliefs as being from God or Satan, since Satan sometimes disguises himself as a sheep to deceive people, creating false prophets and false apostles who spread false teachings.
speak tongues
It is the ability or gift given to a person to speak a different language without having studied it and to use it to deliver a gospel message. This includes the gift of angelic tongues, which is made up of words that only God understands. This gift is also used for personal edification and to have a very special communication with God. You can learn more about the gift of speaking in tongues for a better understanding.
interpret tongues
It is a gift that some people have to be able to understand and communicate messages that are in tongues and that only very few people can understand.
Teaching
It is a gift or special ability that serves to tell the truth of the gospel in a clear way and also that it goes to other people for their instruction in the word of God. They are people who are equipped to be able to move from one place to another and to be able to build new churches. These people not only teach the gospel, but are also leaders, have faith and are motivated and motivate others for the most difficult tasks in teaching the word of God.
They understand God and communicate the truths of the Bible clearly so that everyone can understand and apply them. They are passionate about learning, researching, communicating, and sharing the truth of God's word. To learn more, you can visit the gift of prophecy and its meaning.
Evangelizar
It is the way in which an evangelistic message is shared in a way that is attractive to other Christians and also relevant since they have not obtained God's forgiveness.
Help others or gift of service
It is a sensitivity that some people have to attend to the needs of other people and that in doing so they do it with desire in order to help them in the heavy burdens they carry.
Manage
It is having the ability to organize all things or activities, through good planning, direction and organization, as required in the offering process for the mass.
Cheer up
It is the gift of being able to give a word of encouragement, uplift, or motivation at an opportune or appropriate time. It requires a positive attitude based on the promises of God's Word.
Give generously or help the needy
It is the gift of being able to enjoy through the way you share your resources, time, talent and even money, with other people, especially with those who are suffering and with those who can take the message of the gospel to other places.
leadership and direction
It is a willingness to want to guide other Christian people and help them so that they can grow along the path next to Jesus. The person who has this gift enjoys every moment of caring for and nurturing the spirit of those whom God has arranged to put in his path.
It is also called the gift of the pastor that is in those people who have certain biblical knowledge and who can be counselors of God in churches, they are people who have a gift of protection, of being guides and at the same time disciples for other people.
Compassion
It is having a special love, being merciful for those who are in need, and having the ability to identify with them in some way.
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