The gifts given by God are called the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and various gifts are introduced in the Bible. These gifts are given to build up churches and believing communities, strengthen personal faith, and reveal the glory of God. Apostle Paul explains these gifts in detail in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4.
1. Gifts of the Holy Spirit
According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 , there are many different gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they all come from one Holy Spirit.
- Words of Wisdom : Deep understanding of a situation and the ability to come up with an appropriate solution.
- Word of Knowledge : Special knowledge and insight given by God.
- Faith : The ability to trust God and exercise great faith in all situations.
- Gift of Healing : The ability to heal the sick.
- Doing Power : The ability to perform miracles.
- Prophecy : The ability to convey messages from God.
- Discernment of spirits : The ability to discern and distinguish spiritual entities.
- Tongues : The ability to pray or speak in an unknown language.
- Tongue Interpretation : The ability to interpret and convey the content of a dialect.
2. Purpose of the gift
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for building up the church, perfecting believers, and building up the body of Christ, as mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-13 .
- Apostle : A leader who establishes a church and spreads the gospel.
- Prophet : The role of conveying God's will and leading the church.
- Evangelist : The role of spreading the gospel and leading people to God.
- Shepherd and Teacher : The role of nurturing believers and teaching doctrine.
3. Diversity and unity of gifts
Romans 12:6-8 emphasizes that although the gifts are diverse, they must all be in harmony with each other within the one body of the church.
- Prophecy : Prophesy according to the measure of faith.
- Service : Faithfully serving.
- Teaching : Being faithful to teaching.
- Recommendation : Faithfully doing what is recommended.
- Almsgiving : Giving alms with mercy and generosity.
- Rule : Rule with sincerity.
- Compassion : Show mercy with joy.
4. Attitude in using gifts
Since gifts are gifts from God, they must be used with a humble heart. Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians emphasizes that love is the most important and says that gifts must be used with love.
- Humility : Not boasting about your gifts or being arrogant.
- Love : All gifts must be done with love. Without love it is of no use.
- Obedience : Obeying God’s will and using one’s gifts.
conclusion
The gifts that God gives are diverse and have different purposes and functions. What is important is to build up the church and believers through these gifts and reveal the glory of God. Additionally, all gifts must be used with love and humility, and this must be done in obedience to the will of God. Gifts come with the presence of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to have a deeper relationship with God and participate in His ministry.