Lesson 8: Who is the Holy Spirit? (part 3)

Read: 1 Corinthians 12-13 - www.bible.com/bible/59/1cor.12.esv

There are many other subjects concerning the Holy Spirit we could study here, but we will look at only one more at this time. That one subject is the Holy Spirit's gifts given to believers. In Ephesians 4:11-13 we are told there is a purpose for the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to believers: “for building up the body of Christ." This means God, through the Holy Spirit, gives believers the ability to do the tasks He has assigned to us. Remember in Ephesians 2 we are told we are saved FOR good works. In other words, one purpose of our salvation is for the performance of good works. Those good works always have a dual purpose – they are always for the growth of the body (the church), and to bring glory to God. That's it. There is no provision for a gift to ever be used to enrich or enhance the individual.

The gift the Holy Spirit gives the individual believer may be either the enhancement of a natural gift which the individual was given at birth or it may be an entirely new gift, one not even dreamt of by the individual. Only one thing is consistent in the gifts: if the individual is completely yielded to the Holy Spirit's will, the individual will desire to do the task for which the gift is given. It is also a certainty that every local church following the leading of the Holy Spirit will have within its membership every gift necessary to carry out the mission of that local church.


Following is a list of the most widely-known spiritual gifts and the Scripture reference for each. Beside each gift you believe God is giving you, write how you think God is asking you to use this gift in your Christian community:
* prophecy: Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12: 10, 28; 14:1-6, 22-25
* service and helps: Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28
* teaching: Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11
* exhortation (encouragement or comfort): Romans 12:8
* giving: Romans 12:8
* leadership or administration: Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28
* showing mercy: Romans 12:8
* word of wisdom: 1 Corinthians 12:8
* word of knowledge: 1 Corinthians 12:8
* faith: 1 Corinthians 12: 9
* healing: 1 Corinthians 12: 9
* working of miracles: 1 Corinthians 12:10
* discernment of spirits: 1 Corinthians 12:10
* tongues: 1 Corinthians 12:10, 30; 13:1; 14:2-40
* interpretation of tongues; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 30; 14:26-28
* apostleship: 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11
* evangelism: Ephesians 4:11
* pastor: Ephesians 4:11