Discussion 3 Spiritual Gifts

One of the important ministries of the Holy Spirit to believers today is His bestowal of
spiritual gifts on Christians at the time of their conversion. While Christians may have
natural abilities even before they are saved, spiritual gifts seem to be related to the
special purpose of God in calling them and saving them; and, in the language of Ephesians
2:10, they are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.
Spiritual Gifts is translated as Charismata which literally means grace-gifts--they are
sovereignly and undeservedly given by the Holy Spirit.

Are the gifts available for me today?

The Bible says that in the last days God will pour out his Spirit (Acts 2:17-21). The word "In
the Last Days" appears in the verse and so the question "Are we in the last days" may arise
and is answered in Hebrews 1:1-2. So the answer to this question is "YES!" the gifts of the
Holy Spirit are and has always been available to us! The question can we do what Jesus did
before has long been answered by Jesus (John 14:12; 1 John 4:17).

Dig Deeper
Read 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12:1-8 to see what gifts are available for every
believer.

Why do we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

1. Read Luke 4:18-19; Matthew 15:30; John 5:19. How did Jesus use His gifts? What can
we learn from what Jesus did and about his heart?
2. Read Mark 16:15-20; Heb. 2:4; 1 Cor. 2:4-5; 1 Cor. 4:20. What sign should we possess
as followers of Christ?
3. What are the benefits of the Spiritual gifts have on the church? 1 Cor. 14:12; 26
4. How does the demonstration of Spiritual gifts affect the people who do not know God?
Matthew 9:6-8; Matthew 5:16; Luke 13:12-13; Luke 17:12-15

Life Application
What gift/s are you desiring? Talk to God and tell Him what you desire from Him for the
Bible says ask and you will receive!
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Gifts Description
Gift Of Wisdom Allows one to exercise sound judgment. To have the
gift of wisdom then is to be able to apply Biblical,
spiritual knowledge to living a Godly life. It is also
being able to make scriptural truths relevant and
practical in everyday living and decision-making.
This gift allows a person to hear life situations and
apply truth to the situation
Gifts Of Knowledge The Biblical meaning is to know something
experientially, intuitively and in the present. It is
subjective spiritual knowledge coming from God,
revealed to you through the Holy Spirit where you are
impressed by God. In this case God impresses upon you
a relevant insight or message that applies to the
situation at hand.
Gift Of Faith The gift of faith involves a prompting from God to trust
Him for the supernatural, to continue even when there
are difficult circumstances. A person with the gift of
faith is fully persuaded that God has ability to answer
prayer and work everything according to His will.
Gift of Healing In the Biblical language healing means to effect a cure
through Gods supernatural power. This gift is similar to
faith. When a person with this gift hears of certain
situations that need healing whether physical,
emotional or spiritual, God seems to lead them to step
out and affirm God through believing Him for healing.
Miracles A person with this gift has a deep sensitivity to Gods
will in a situation and a deep belief in Gods ability to
fulfill His will. They know where mans ability ends,
Gods supernatural ability takes over.
Benefit for the Church Verses Reference
Wisdom can be applied to many different 1 Corinthians 12:8; 1
ministries. Wherever people need to increase Corinthians 2:16;
their understanding, there is a need for wisdom. Acts 6:8-10
Counseling, problem solving, teaching, leadership
are just a few of the areas of ministry.
This gift would have a relationship with God that 1 Corinthians 12:8
would allow God to impart to him knowledge ,
word or insight that would be used for the
edification of the church.
The gift of faith encourages the congregation, 1 Corinthians 12:9;
gives hope to believers and is a witness to Acts 20:22
unbelievers. This gift instills confidence in Gods
ability to help both themselves as individuals and
the church as a whole reach the vision that God
has for them.
This gift used in the local church can encourage 1 Corinthians
faith and hope. Healing can often spark revival 12:9,28,30
and repentance. God often used this as a sign
gift to the Jews both in the Old and New
Testament. The gift encourages those new in the
faith. Healing ultimately leads to Gods glory.
We need to believe God for the supernatural. 1 Corinthians
The gift of miracles gives support to pastors, by 12:10,28
praying for Gods intervention and power to be
manifested in the special needs of the church
and congregation. The results will be Gods
mighty work in and through the lives of those
that fellowship there.
Gifts Description
Gift Of Prophecy Strong interprets prophecy as a prediction (scriptural
or other), an inspired speaker; or to speak under
inspiration. prophecy was to edify, encourage and
comfort the believers.
Discernment Discernment means to be able to distinguish between
right and wrong, good and evil. It is the ability to
discern whether a saying, teaching, doctrine, written
word, or event is good or evil; true or false; and if the
source, meaning or intentions are of God, the person or
Satanic deception.
Gift of Tongues The ability to speak in a foreign language that you do
not have knowledge of, in order to communicate with
someone who speaks that language.
Gift of Interpreting The ability to translate the tongues speaking and
Tongues communicate it back to others in your own language.
Gifts Of Service Service can include almost any work that benefits
others. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and said
that the greatest will be servant to the rest.
Gift Of Teaching To communicate the truths of the scriptures so that
those that heard put it into practice. In a person with
this gift there is a real excitement in sharing Biblical
truth with other people. They enjoy seeing people
come alive when they get understanding. There is a
burden to share the word of God and help people apply
it to their own situation.
Gift Of Giving As a spiritual gift, giving is more than just casually
giving something to someone. It implies the giving of
yourself with the gift. When you spend yourself on
behalf of others, it can include giving of your time,
abilities, knowledge, love and resources to the cause of
Christ. When a person with this gift sees certain needs,
Gods Spirit nudges them in a way that they feel
compelled to give what is needed in the situation as an
agent of Gods grace and mercy.
Benefit for the Church Verses Reference
This gift helps the church live holy in the culture Romans 12:6; 1
and time that they are appointed. It rebukes, Corinthians 14
strengthens and encourages believers.
Spiritual battle, whether in a small group or the 1 Corinthians 12:10
church, is a serious concern and discernment is a
valuable asset to have. This gift can help guide
the church both in more ordinary decisions or
deeper spiritual issues.
Praying in Tongues Gives You Supernatural 1 Corinthians 12:10;
Understanding of Gods Mysteries. When Praying 1 Corinthians 14:2
in Tongues, You Are Speaking Directly to God. 1 Corinthians 2:10;
Tongues Reveals the Wisdom of God Eph. 6:18; Acts 2:4;
10:44-47; 19:6
Gives understanding to the church. 1 Corinthians 12:14;
1 Corinthians 14
Today as we serve in the church, it frees up the Romans 12:7; Acts
pastors and teachers to minister the word. It also 6:1-7
is an important part of need-based evangelism.
The gift of teaching helps Christians grow in their Romans 12:7; 2
faith and reach out to others in the community. Timothy 3:16
When a person with this gift sees certain needs, Romans 12:8
Gods Spirit nudges them in a way that they feel
compelled to give what is needed in the situation
as an agent of Gods grace and mercy. This gift
helps teach grace and encourages faith in God.
Obedience to this gift allows God to bring about
the resources to accomplish His will for the
church.