“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” - Luke 11:13
A month and a half ago we began our current sermon series which I’ve titled “The Works of the Holy Spirit”. We are naming and discussing several of the major works that are accomplished by the Holy Spirit. We’ve learned that the Holy Spirit is the “executor of all divine works”, both in God’s creation and in its creatures. That said, the Bible places most of its emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s work within believers.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, so that the lost might be saved and the saved might walk more closely with the LORD. The Holy Spirit restrains the rise of the Antichrist. The Holy Spirit effects all facets of salvation, including regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The Holy Spirit unites all believers by adopting them into the family of God. He also baptizes them into the likeness of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and adds them to the Body of Christ, which is the New Testament Church.
In this morning’s message, we’ll consider what the Holy Spirit does for Christians after baptizing them into the Body of Christ. I am calling this sermon “The Holy Spirit Distributes Gifts”. We will conduct a brief overview of the various spiritual gifts that are listed in the Bible.
I. THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Scripture teaches that after the Holy Spirit baptizes new believers into the Church, He gives each of them 1 or more gifts. Christians commonly refer to these as “spiritual gifts”. There are a variety of different spiritual gifts, which are to be used in a variety of different ministries to do a variety of different works in the Church. However, all of these gifts come from the same Holy Spirit who distributes them as He wills. These gifts, or manifestations of the Spirit, are to be used by members of the Body for the profit or good of the entire Body (1 Cor. 12:4-7, 11, 27).
A single body has many members, each serving its own distinct function or functions. So also the Church is made up of many members who each possess their own spiritual gift(s). These gifts are to be used harmoniously with one another to accomplish the work of the Church. Therefore, it is imperative for each member to utilize their spiritual gift(s) in order for the Body to operate in a balanced and healthy way (Romans 12:4-6a). Christians are to employ their gifts as “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” so that He might be glorified through Christ in all things (1 Peter 4:10, 11b).
II. A PARTIAL LIST OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
There is no complete listing of the spiritual gifts anywhere in the Bible. However, there are a few passages that provide partial lists. These are often combined and considered together. Scripture implies that there are even more spiritual gifts and names several other traits and/or abilities that might qualify, though not explicitly included in any of these lists. This ambiguity has led to the creation of a variety of different spiritual gift lists and inventories over the years.
These are the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28b and Romans 12:6-8:
Word of wisdom - to skillfully apply God’s truth to life situations; counsel.
Word of knowledge - to understand with insight the revelatory truths of God.
Faith - to possess a strong, unshakable confidence in God, His Word, and His promises.
Healings - to effect immediate physical healing for a person.
Miracles - to effect other supernatural works besides healings.
Prophecy - to declare the will, purposes, or intentions of God.
Discernment - to determine if a message or spirit is of God or of Satan.
Tongues - to speak in languages unknown to the speaker.
Interpretation - to understand languages unknown to the hearer.
Teaching - to explain the meaning of God’s Word and how it is applied; instruct.
Exhortation - to call others to obey God’s Word, through encouragement or correction.
Giving - to joyfully share what one has with others.
Leadership - to rule or preside over others within the church.
Administration - to organize, plan, and execute tasks within the church.
Mercy - to show compassion, sympathy, and sensitivity to those who are suffering.
Helps - to aid or render assistance to others within the church.
In his first letter, Peter divides some gifts into 2 broad categories - speaking gifts and serving gifts (1 Peter 4:11a). Some of the speaking gifts are teaching, exhortation, word of wisdom, and word of knowledge. Some of the serving gifts are leadership, administration, mercy, and helps. Other categories have been suggested by various people or groups for the remaining gifts, such as enabling gifts and sign gifts.
Some Christians include apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, shepherding (pastoring), and teaching in the list of spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:28a). Others, myself included, view these as offices within the first-century church, not necessarily spiritual gifts. This perspective holds that the New Testament apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers possessed the 1 or more of the aforementioned gifts.
III. THE DEBATE OVER THE SIGN GIFTS
The sign gifts, or miraculous gifts, include healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation, and prophecy (when defined as receiving extra-biblical revelation). There is a debate within Christianity regarding these particular spiritual gifts. Continuationists argue that the Holy Spirit still distributes these spiritual gifts just as He did in the early days of the church. Cessassionists hold that the sign gifts have ceased and are no longer distributed to individual believers as they were when the church first began (1 Cor. 13:8). Based upon years of study, the historically held position of Southern Baptists is cessationism.
The majority of Southern Baptists contend that the miraculous gifts were given to the apostles and a handful of their closest associates during the infancy of the Church in order to establish their credibility and the authority of their message. However, once the Church was firmly established and entrenched, the sign gifts ceased. As these individuals died, so also did the office of apostleship. I often compare the sign gifts to booster rockets on a space shuttle. They were needed to get the Christian Church off the ground, but then became unnecessary for and a deterrent to the furtherance of its mission and fell off.
Cessationists are often accused of denying the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit today. Such accusations are blatantly false. Cessationists believe that the Holy Spirit can and regularly pray that He will miraculously heal people and perform other supernatural works, in accordance with God’s will, and at His discretion. These miraculous works may even be carried out on occasion through an individual person, but often they are not. What cessationists dispute is that particular Christians today are gifted with the ability to perform these spectacular signs at their own discretion.
CONCLUSION
I know we have chased a few rabbits this morning and I apologize, but spiritual gifts - especially the ongoing distribution and use of the sign gifts - are a hotly contested topic in modern Christianity. Many of the popular Charismatic and Pentecostal churches and movements have become fascinated with these gifts. This has led to rampant abuse and outright deception on the part of some, resulting in the disillusionment and dismay of many of their congregants. It has also drawn attention away from the much more significant, eternal works of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s get back to the main point. After baptizing a born again believer into the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit distributes 1 or more spiritual gifts to them. Although the exact number of spiritual gifts is uncertain and the viability of some is disputed, those that are given are to be used to edify the Church and advance its mission.
In closing, if you are a Christian, you have been given at least 1 spiritual gift. How are you using it to serve the church? If you're not using it, the body is suffering. I’m not trying to guilt anyone, but if the shoe fits… We are not called to be spectators, friends, but rather participants in the LORD’s kingdom work.
A month and a half ago we began our current sermon series which I’ve titled “The Works of the Holy Spirit”. We are naming and discussing several of the major works that are accomplished by the Holy Spirit. We’ve learned that the Holy Spirit is the “executor of all divine works”, both in God’s creation and in its creatures. That said, the Bible places most of its emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s work within believers.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, so that the lost might be saved and the saved might walk more closely with the LORD. The Holy Spirit restrains the rise of the Antichrist. The Holy Spirit effects all facets of salvation, including regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The Holy Spirit unites all believers by adopting them into the family of God. He also baptizes them into the likeness of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and adds them to the Body of Christ, which is the New Testament Church.
In this morning’s message, we’ll consider what the Holy Spirit does for Christians after baptizing them into the Body of Christ. I am calling this sermon “The Holy Spirit Distributes Gifts”. We will conduct a brief overview of the various spiritual gifts that are listed in the Bible.
I. THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Scripture teaches that after the Holy Spirit baptizes new believers into the Church, He gives each of them 1 or more gifts. Christians commonly refer to these as “spiritual gifts”. There are a variety of different spiritual gifts, which are to be used in a variety of different ministries to do a variety of different works in the Church. However, all of these gifts come from the same Holy Spirit who distributes them as He wills. These gifts, or manifestations of the Spirit, are to be used by members of the Body for the profit or good of the entire Body (1 Cor. 12:4-7, 11, 27).
A single body has many members, each serving its own distinct function or functions. So also the Church is made up of many members who each possess their own spiritual gift(s). These gifts are to be used harmoniously with one another to accomplish the work of the Church. Therefore, it is imperative for each member to utilize their spiritual gift(s) in order for the Body to operate in a balanced and healthy way (Romans 12:4-6a). Christians are to employ their gifts as “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” so that He might be glorified through Christ in all things (1 Peter 4:10, 11b).
II. A PARTIAL LIST OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
There is no complete listing of the spiritual gifts anywhere in the Bible. However, there are a few passages that provide partial lists. These are often combined and considered together. Scripture implies that there are even more spiritual gifts and names several other traits and/or abilities that might qualify, though not explicitly included in any of these lists. This ambiguity has led to the creation of a variety of different spiritual gift lists and inventories over the years.
These are the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28b and Romans 12:6-8:
Word of wisdom - to skillfully apply God’s truth to life situations; counsel.
Word of knowledge - to understand with insight the revelatory truths of God.
Faith - to possess a strong, unshakable confidence in God, His Word, and His promises.
Healings - to effect immediate physical healing for a person.
Miracles - to effect other supernatural works besides healings.
Prophecy - to declare the will, purposes, or intentions of God.
Discernment - to determine if a message or spirit is of God or of Satan.
Tongues - to speak in languages unknown to the speaker.
Interpretation - to understand languages unknown to the hearer.
Teaching - to explain the meaning of God’s Word and how it is applied; instruct.
Exhortation - to call others to obey God’s Word, through encouragement or correction.
Giving - to joyfully share what one has with others.
Leadership - to rule or preside over others within the church.
Administration - to organize, plan, and execute tasks within the church.
Mercy - to show compassion, sympathy, and sensitivity to those who are suffering.
Helps - to aid or render assistance to others within the church.
In his first letter, Peter divides some gifts into 2 broad categories - speaking gifts and serving gifts (1 Peter 4:11a). Some of the speaking gifts are teaching, exhortation, word of wisdom, and word of knowledge. Some of the serving gifts are leadership, administration, mercy, and helps. Other categories have been suggested by various people or groups for the remaining gifts, such as enabling gifts and sign gifts.
Some Christians include apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, shepherding (pastoring), and teaching in the list of spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:28a). Others, myself included, view these as offices within the first-century church, not necessarily spiritual gifts. This perspective holds that the New Testament apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers possessed the 1 or more of the aforementioned gifts.
III. THE DEBATE OVER THE SIGN GIFTS
The sign gifts, or miraculous gifts, include healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation, and prophecy (when defined as receiving extra-biblical revelation). There is a debate within Christianity regarding these particular spiritual gifts. Continuationists argue that the Holy Spirit still distributes these spiritual gifts just as He did in the early days of the church. Cessassionists hold that the sign gifts have ceased and are no longer distributed to individual believers as they were when the church first began (1 Cor. 13:8). Based upon years of study, the historically held position of Southern Baptists is cessationism.
The majority of Southern Baptists contend that the miraculous gifts were given to the apostles and a handful of their closest associates during the infancy of the Church in order to establish their credibility and the authority of their message. However, once the Church was firmly established and entrenched, the sign gifts ceased. As these individuals died, so also did the office of apostleship. I often compare the sign gifts to booster rockets on a space shuttle. They were needed to get the Christian Church off the ground, but then became unnecessary for and a deterrent to the furtherance of its mission and fell off.
Cessationists are often accused of denying the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit today. Such accusations are blatantly false. Cessationists believe that the Holy Spirit can and regularly pray that He will miraculously heal people and perform other supernatural works, in accordance with God’s will, and at His discretion. These miraculous works may even be carried out on occasion through an individual person, but often they are not. What cessationists dispute is that particular Christians today are gifted with the ability to perform these spectacular signs at their own discretion.
CONCLUSION
I know we have chased a few rabbits this morning and I apologize, but spiritual gifts - especially the ongoing distribution and use of the sign gifts - are a hotly contested topic in modern Christianity. Many of the popular Charismatic and Pentecostal churches and movements have become fascinated with these gifts. This has led to rampant abuse and outright deception on the part of some, resulting in the disillusionment and dismay of many of their congregants. It has also drawn attention away from the much more significant, eternal works of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s get back to the main point. After baptizing a born again believer into the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit distributes 1 or more spiritual gifts to them. Although the exact number of spiritual gifts is uncertain and the viability of some is disputed, those that are given are to be used to edify the Church and advance its mission.
In closing, if you are a Christian, you have been given at least 1 spiritual gift. How are you using it to serve the church? If you're not using it, the body is suffering. I’m not trying to guilt anyone, but if the shoe fits… We are not called to be spectators, friends, but rather participants in the LORD’s kingdom work.