What Are Spiritual Gifts?

Every believer has at least one, if not more, spiritual gift. Do you know what your primary gift is and are you using it? Have you ever even opened it?

May’s Awakening, Day 3

[I have found few quotations on spiritual gifts, but since it is such an integral part of a believer’s spiritual growth, we will delve into the topic for a few days excluding our traditional quotation section.]

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4–7, 11 NIV

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10–11 NIV

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Hebrews 2:4 NIV

Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 1 Corinthians 1:7 NIV   

           

I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 1 Corinthians 7:7 NIV

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:1, 12 NIV

            A spiritual gift is a distinctive ability or special attribute given by the Holy Spirit, according solely by His determination, to every believer at conversion, by God’s grace and design for the purpose of building up the body of believers in Christ. Every believer receives at least one or more spiritual gift that remains with them throughout their life, and as that gift is used, it will accordingly mature and blossom. A spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent or ability that you have received genetically or developed on your own in the natural. It is truly God’s chosen spiritual talent given to you as a believer. However, very often as we will see later in our discussions, God can utilize a natural talent and ability as a spiritual gift, but they will operate differently. Your natural talent is used primarily for the benefit of you, whereas the spiritual gift is always used to strengthen and mature others and glorify God. Only believers have spiritual gifts, as well as their natural talents, whereas nonbelievers only possess their natural talents.

            The spiritual gifts are based solidly on Scripture and are very specific. There are approximately twenty-three spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament as we will discuss, and there are certainly a few in the Old Testament that are mentioned as well, which would bring the total number of spiritual gifts to around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, depending upon how you count them. The main goal in our discussions will be for you to ultimately discover your gifts and use them to build up others and bring glory to God.