Friday, February 14, 2014

Spiritual Gifts


SPIRITUAL GIFTS
are a result of the Holy Spirit indwelling in us.
In order to fully understand Spiritual Gifts, one must fully understand the Holy Spirit.
Click the Photo below to learn a lot more about
The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts by Dr. Charles Stanley.



The Holy Spirit

Click on The Dove for more detailed information about The Spiritual Gifts
by Dr. Charles Stanley

God wants us to be involved with His work. He is so gracious that by His Holy Spirit He freely distributes spiritual gifts to all who are saved.God gives every believer a spiritual gift the moment he or she accepts Christ.  Many Christians haven't identified their gifts, or they're not sure how to use them for God's Glory.  
He not only wants us to know our spiritual gifts, but He expects us to grow in them each day.

It has been said, "He who buries his talent is making a grave mistake."

A Talent is a natural ability or aptitude given by God to a person at birth.  A Spiritual Gift is a supernatural ability given by God at rebirth.

How true this statement is for so many Christians. God has given each believer a spiritual gift that He wants us to use for His glory, but we often don't use it. We may deny that we actually have a spiritual gift or if we do acknowledge it, we may doubt its usefulness to glorify God, and then just bury it. But we must realize that God wants us to be involved with His work. He is so gracious that by His Holy Spirit He freely distributes gifts to all who are saved. He not only wants us to know our spiritual gifts, but He expects us to grow in them each day.
The Bible says in Ephesians 4:7 "But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift." Also in 1 Corinthians 12:7 it says "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." Then in verse 11 it states "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." So it is clear that each Christian has a spiritual gift. You may ask, So what are they for? How do I use my gift (or gifts)? Does God really want to use me?
  • What is a Spiritual Gift? A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to a person when they are saved. 
  • How many Spiritual Gifts are there?There is no complete list of spiritual gifts found in any single book of the Bible.  Thus, we cannot conclude that what we have is an exhaustive list or that the Spirit of God has not given other gifts to the church.  We do not want to limit God's ability to give more gifts, He most certainly has, but we must be cautious when calling an ability a spiritual gift if it is not found in Scripture. We find lists totaling nineteen spiritual gifts in three different passages: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4.  There are other important passages as well.  Paul seems to speak of singleness or celibacy as being a gift from God in 1 Corinthians 7, and some have also considered marriage as a gift in the context of this passage.  Spiritual gifts are further mentioned in 1 Peter 4 which addresses the speaking and serving gifts in a general sense.
  •  Who Gives the Spiritual Gifts?
    We see in the Scriptures that since the day of Pentecost The Holy Spirit has given each believer one or more spiritual gifts to serve God and His people.  This is obviously why they are called "spiritual" gifts.  However, in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, we also see that the full Trinity is involved with spiritual gifts.  And in Ephesians 4:7 we see that Christ gave gifts when He ascended in celebration of His triumph over sin on the cross and over death in His resurrection.  Therefore, we can conclude that God distributes spiritual gifts by His Holy Spirit, but the Triune God is at work together in giving and empowering them.  See Ephesians 4:7-13, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, Hebrews 2:4
  • What is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts?
    The purpose of spiritual gifts is to glorify Jesus by testifying of Him and building up His church until He returns.  A major part of this is accomplished by using our gifts to serve in love, and by bearing much fruit that lasts.  See Romans 11:36, Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Peter 4:10; John 16:13-14 and John 15:8.
  • How many Spiritual Gifts do I have?
    Each Christian has at least one spiritual gift given to them when they are saved.  Some receive more depending upon God's will and calling in their lives.  See Ephesians 4:7, I Corinthians 12:7, 11, I Corinthians 7:7, I Peter 4:10
  • What Spiritual Gifts do I have?
    Only God knows - just kidding.  There are Spiritual Gifts Tests that have been developed to help you figure this one out.  When you are done with the test, ask other Christians in your church or community that you know and trust to help you in discovering them.  We also suggest serving in different areas and in different capacities in the church to figure out how you can best use those gifts to glorify God.
  • Does anyone have all the Spiritual Gifts?
    No. Each believer is given a gift or gifts according to the will of God, but no one has all of the spiritual gifts and no single gift is given to everyone.  See 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, 1 Corinthians 7:7
  • How do I use my Gifts?
    The Bible tells us to use our gifts in love and in service to others.  Every church needs believers with all kinds of gifts to serve and build up the body of Christ. We suggest you start by contacting someone in your church to find out where you can serve.  Check out 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and 1 Peter 4:10.
  • What is the difference between a Talent and a Spiritual Gift?
    A talent is a natural ability or aptitude given by God to a person at birth.  A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given by God at rebirth.  A talent can be anything from athletic ability to musical aptitude to artistic genius.  God allows a person to use his or her talents for many different purposes and in many different capacities.  When it comes to spiritual gifts, God opens up the ability of a person to be used by The Lord purposely and directly in His work.  A spiritual gift can spring from a natural talent, or it can be a completely new ability that is "out of the ordinary" for that person.  The main point is this: All talents and spiritual gifts come from God.  He can use talents and spiritual gifts to fulfill His purposes and bring Himself glory.  The main difference between the two is that only Christians receive spiritual gifts because only Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.  As a believer in Christ, you are called to use your talents and your spiritual gifts for the glory of God.




This test will help get you started in developing your Spiritual gifts by discerning them.

As you learn to pay attention in the Spirit, the Lord will reveal more and more and if you have a call to ministry, you will feel a strong urge towards it. Life can only be learned by experiencing many things and it is in the doing where discoveries are made.
The gifts are confirmed by a servant spirit in that area of ministry.
You will sense God's anointing (or joy of His Presence) upon it.
All ministry is serving others and it can be developed more and more through understanding and sincerity and the application of God's Word.
My prayer is that you will be blessed and be a blessing - and grow more and more as you become aware of the power of God that is at work within you. The Lord is enabling you to do great things - and you will make a difference! And we all will be blessed by it.



HOW TO GET THE BEST RESULTS.
Romans 12:3 says, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."

For the best results answer each statement below according to who you are, not who you would like to be or think you ought to be.  How true are these statements of you?  What has been your experience? What do others tell you? To what degree do these statements reflect your usual tendencies? Each question is very important, so try not to miss out on any. 


SPIRITUAL GIFTS TEST - ADULT
Take the test, get your results,
Email results or Share. 

SPIRITUAL GIFTS TEST - YOUTH


CLICK ANY OF THESE ICONS BELOW FOR
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH
SPIRITUAL GIFT.


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Most of this material is from www.spiritualgiftstest.com