The Holy Spirit & the Gifts

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

​

“Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let

anyone who is thirsty come to me and

drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has

said, rivers of living water will flow from within

them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those

who believed in him were later to receive. Up to

that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus

had not yet been glorified.”

John 7:37-39

​

The Holy Spirit is not someone we just get gifts and fruit from. He’s a being. He is God. Just as God is relational - a triune God always in perfect unity and relationship - so are we meant to have that relationship with the Spirit. He’s no genie in a bottle; there is no box to contain Him. He is God.

So do not let this test contain Him . He is not limited by your giftings, so don’t limit Him! Let the Spirit reign free in your hearts and lives. Be in constant communication with Him. Always seeking the glory of Jesus.

​

After all, that is why the Holy Spirit wants to reign in you. Not for your gifts, power, or glory, but for His. In the verse above, John 7:37-39, it states that the Spirit could not be given because Jesus had not been glorified. The quickest way to watch the Holy Spirit move is through glorifying Jesus Christ.

That is the focus of this test: to learn how to bring Jesus glory. And if we want more of the Holy Spirit, there is no test or gift that will bring us there. Just relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ. I hope this test gives you new tools and zeal for running after our King!

​

GIFTS IN SCRIPTURE

​

Before you begin, I just want to make some things very, very clear!

As stated before, this test is not the final say nor is it to put Him in a box.

He loves to destroy man’s religious or doubtful boxes!

​

NO BOXES, YES LOVE

​

Scripture is full of shocked people in comparison to the creativity and power of God. God made the sun stand still (Joshua 10), spoke through a donkey (Numbers 22:21-39), had a whale swallow a man and spit him out (Jonah 1:17), and so much more!

And that’s just the Old Testament!

​

In the New Testament Jesus’s gifts and miracles were not displayed in a “genie in a bottle” way. Sometimes He spit in mud (John 9:6), He commanded (John 5:8), He put a finger in an ear and spit on his hand and touched a tongue (Mark 4:39, 7:33), His garment healed people (Mark 6:56), and he did more than we can imagine (John 21:25).

​

His disciples, filled with the Spirit, did even more out of the box! Peter’s shadow healed people (Acts 5:15), Paul’s handkerchief healed people (Acts 19:12), he also got bit by a snake but didn't die (Acts 28:3), Phillip was transported (Acts 8:26-40), and more!

​

What’s the point of all the creativity? Relationship. God wants us to seek Him and be constant in prayer. Listening for the Spirit and obeying what He says. If it was a ‘one phrase or action fits all’ when it comes to gifts, we would lose connection with the Father. He desires for us to be constantly in communion with Him and His Word.

He also knows the hearts of man, and desires for us to have that same compassion and love through the use of our gifts. It’s not about the gift or fruit, it's about the heart turning in love and repentance to the Saviour. Nearly every healing Jesus did was motivated by compassion and love (Mark 1:41, 3:5-6, 6:34, 8:2). This test is about learning how to love people through the gifts He’s given. The focus is love, the result is fruit.

 

So do not put Him in a box. Focus on love. Seek Him. Obey no matter the creativity. Because this test is to unleash hunger for more of His Spirit, see His love and power in action, and discover what God’s placed within you!

​

WHO’S THIS FOR?

​

“All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one

individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:11

​

One last important thing to remember is this: the Spiritual Gift you operate in is not YOUR gift. You don’t own your spiritual gift, you own sonship. So often we get tempted to identify ourselves and who we are as our gift. What we have been given is far greater than any spiritual gift, we have been given sonship .As His people and children, the gifts He has given to us He gives US to uplift the body of Christ. Not for ourselves, not for pride, but to love and serve others and the body of Christ!

 

So know the gifts He gives you may change! He empowers us as He wills! The people around you may need a prophetic gifting, so you living in unity with the Holy Spirit are given for a season the prophetic gifting. Maybe the people around you need a pastoral heart, so God unleashes the pastoral heart in you! He gives as He wills, and we, living in love with God, receive whatever gift He gives in the season He has us in.

​

So don’t limit yourself to the gift you carry! You are not your gift, you are a child of God!

Seek new situations, new opportunities for God to give and unleash new gifts for you to use!

​

LUKE 1:37

​

“For with God, nothing is impossible”

​

This is a passage that should inspire all believers to seek our God of the impossible. That with

(key word) Him, so in His will (also key words), nothing is impossible. He wants to unleash His Spirit and breathe it on all His people (Joel 2:28-32). Which is why we must take the FIRST Holy Spirit sermon (not given by Jesus) in the New Testament seriously in Acts 2:14-36. Peter references this Joel 2 verse as the very first thing! This is the importance of this message today: That we need a releasing of the Spirit of God to bring the Word and the gifts that He’s given us to action.

 

This is why faith always leads to action (James 2:17), and it’s not about our faith, but about His power (Luke 17:5-10), and because of that we see His glory come. In the Luke reference, Jesus reminds the disciples to stop focusing on the quantity of their faith (by saying all you need is a mustard seed, the smallest known seed), and to start focusing on the power of God and His grace!

 

So with these gifts ask the Lord for impossible ways for you to glorify Him through them. Ask

him for new and creative ways, outside of your own way of thinking, and watch Him move! And if there is one gift this test doesn’t point out, or you feel it didn’t give you the right gift, then no worries! Ask the Lord!

 

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may

prophesy.” Corinthians 14:1

​

So ask the Lord! Seek Him. Pursue love. And see what God unleashes in you! But caution, this is going to require steps of faith. He cannot unleash the gifts your heart seeks if you do not give Him the opportunity to use you in them. Even Phillip, when he was transported to Azotus from Gaza, was not focused on the miracles, but on loving the Ethiopian man and doing God's will. Then God used and transported Him in His grace and power.

​

So ask Him and step out in faith, watch the Spirit move in the freedom and power, and know in His goodness He is doing things we cannot even imagine.

 

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11

​