In order for the church to be healthy
and growing, it must maintain the unity of the Spirit and make increase
of the body. Members of the body of Christ will bear fruit of the
Spirit and manifest gifts of the Spirit in the assembly. The Holy
Ghost bears fruit in the life of every individual member, imparting Spiritual
gifts to the entire body.
The fruit of the Spirit are
graces in the life of the Christian. The fruit is born by the Spirit, not
by the Christian. The inner radiance and grace manifested comes not
from the Christian but from the Holy Spirit that dwells within. Don't
confuse this with the fruit of the Christian or soul winning that Jesus
spoke of in (John 15:8).
The fruit of the Spirit is manifested
by the Christian, which is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. The Bible says there are no
laws against these attributes! (Galatians 5:22,23)
When the true Christian attains
one of these graces in his life, the same Spirit is there to attain the
other eight attributes. As the body of Christ works in unity of the Spirit,
and is led by the Spirit, the nine gifts of the Spirit will be in operation
in the assembly. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) These gifts are distributed and
given to various members of the church for the benefit of the entire church.
Unlike the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts are diverse. God bestows
upon those members the gifts He deems fit, according to His will.
The gifts of the Spirit are as follows.
1) Word of Wisdom
This is not worldly wisdom but Word of wisdom, which
comes from God.
2) Word of Knowledge
An example of this special gift was Paul's information
concerning the outcome of his shipwreck (Acts 27:22-26)
3) Faith
This is the gift of faith, as differentiated from individual
faith for salvation. Members of the body of Christ with
this gift have a supernatural endowment given by the Spirit
for a special work or other special needs that arise in the
church.
4) Gifts of Healing
Because of the complexity of the human body and the
many causes of human sicknesses, both spiritual and
and physical. Some ailments are caused by
demon activity, through oppression, obsession, or
possession. Through the gifts of healing, these can be cast
out.
Then,
of course, there are ailments that have an organic
cause. Christians should establish good health habits for
themselves and their families. It is common knowledge
that eating late at night and staying up are against good
health rules. You may become sick because of your living
habits. If so, change your habits! Make sure your body
gets enough rest each night. Well regulated lives will
prevent many problems.
The
Bible gives very definite instructions, and if we follow
God's plan, and call for the elders of the church, we will
see the working of gifts in every local assembly.
5) Working of
Miracles
The
definition of a miracle is "a supernatural act on the
natural plane. "It is an act of God which seems impossible
to the natural man, and which has no natural explanation.
Miracles
have their purpose in the work of God, which is
to meet needs and provide protection and preservation for
God's people. (Mark 16:18 and Acts 28:3-6) If God's
people are led by the Spirit and seek spiritual gifts, the
gift of miracles will be in operation in the church today.
Such is really a manifestation of the glory and power of
Jesus Christ.
Who
has all power in heaven and in earth? Who worked
miracles as He walked the shores of Galilee? Jesus Christ,
of course! That same power of Jesus Christ is within us
today. If we are consecrated and dedicated to His cause,
He will "entrust" us with the gift of miracles. Notice the
word "entrust." God must be able to trust those He endows
with special gifts. These must be spiritually strong
individuals, not wishy-washy, spineless half-hearted people
who have no clear concept of their church's vital doctrines.
6) Prophecy
Prophecy is the forth telling of Bible truths under the
anointing. Prophecy is speaking by inspiration in one's
mother tongue. Preaching through the anointed power of
God is prophecy. Anointed testimony also fits into this
category (Revelation 19:10)
Prophecy
edifies the church, comforts, and exhorts.
There is a vital need for anointed exhortations in these
last days before the coming of the Lord.
7) Discerning
of Spirits
Do not believe everything you hear. Try the spirits, to see
if they are of God or not. Remember that for every real,
Satan has a counterfeit. If you are filled with the Holy
Ghost, then that Spirit within you will bear witness with
God's Spirit in another, and you will feel that kindred
Spirit. However, if God's Spirit within you does not feel
comfortable near the manifestation of another spirit, then
leave it alone.
Every
pastor and church member should seek and cultivate
this gift, the discernment of spirits.
8) Divers kinds
of Tongues
There are many ways tongues are used in the Scriptures.
Following are a few explanations:
You
will speak with tongues when you receive the
Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:4) This is the physical evidence,
the initial sign of the baptism of the Spirit.
You
May talk to God in tongues when praying or
worshiping. (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14, 15)
You
may have the gift of tongues, which is often
used in giving messages in tongues to the church, coupled
with interpretation. A message in tongues would be of no
use to the church without an interpreter. However, you
may be sure that if God gives you a message in tongues,
He will also provide the interpreter. That is, if that person
is in the proper spiritual channel, so that God can use his
gift.
Be
sure the gift of tongues is used properly, within the
framework of Bible truths. God is very specific about the
way He likes things to be done. He is a God of order. He
was orderly in His creation. He was orderly in His plan
of redemption. He was orderly in providing gifts according
to needs, for the edification of the church. If you study
Paul's writings, you will learn God's order pertaining to
tongues and interpretation. If there is no interpreter, then
you should speak with tongues only to yourself and to God.
(1 Corinthians 14:28) This means that the use of the gifts
of tongues and prophecy should be governed by the Word
of God and by those "prophets" to whom God has given
authority to do so.
9) Interpretation
of Tongues
The Christian who is blessed with this gift can be mightily
used of God. The word "interpret" does not mean
"translate." It merely means to explain. The one who
interprets the message in tongues does not understand
the language of the tongue he interprets. He receives the
interpretation from the Spirit as he yields himself to God.
Many
times the message comes froth with beautiful
poetical phrases completely foreign and beyond the natural
ability of the one doing the interpreting. These stirring
messages are powerful and come from God for the
edification of the church.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in the
heart of a Christian is there to do a definite work. These works are some
of the benefits a Christian enjoys. When we are harmed by someone the Spirit
bears the fruit of love for that person. When there is sorrow and distress,
the Spirit bears joy and peace. Wherever and whenever there is a definite
need, the Spirit is there to fulfill the need.
