“And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38-39.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit were intended by God to bring forth the brotherhood of Christians, and yet, when you put Godly things in the hands of mankind, division arose.
One of the most difficult aspects of these gifts is understanding that God has already given them to believers. I have witnessed services in which people were told to beg God for the gifts. It is unnecessary to beg for something that you already possess. The biggest hurdle for believers is to just accept the gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 gives us the 9 gifts:
- A word of wisdom: Supernatural insight for decision-making and understanding God’s will.
- A word of knowledge: Supernatural information or understanding of truth given by the Spirit.
- Faith: A supernatural ability to believe in and expect what is needed beyond ordinary faith.
- Gifts of healings: The ability to be an instrument of God’s healing power.
- Working of miracles: The supernatural power to perform acts that are beyond ordinary human ability.
- Prophecy: The gift of speaking forth God’s message to people.
- Discerning of spirits: The ability to distinguish the spiritual realm and identify true or false spiritual influences.
- Kinds of tongues: A supernatural ability to speak in a language one has not learned.
- Interpretation of tongues: The ability to understand and communicate a message spoken in tongues.
Today, a Christian must arm up against the powers of darkness. In the day of fake news, having the gift of discernment is handy. It is hard to decide which of the gifts are most important. It is easier to decide which ones are least important. I was a deacon in a charismatic church that believed that if you didn’t speak in tongues, you probably weren’t saved. As my faith grew, I came to learn that it was the least important gift, unless you have someone with the interpretation of tongues. And even then, it is no good unless you have the gift of discernment. It can be amazing as to see something Godly coming out of the hole in our face that spews such wickedness. Okay, sorry for that tangent.
The Holy Spirit pours Himself out to us in full measure; but our limitations restrict the manifestations of how the Spirit works within us. It is this Spirit that holds the Church of Christ together, no matter how frayed. It is easy to spot the differences between denominations, but we are all held together: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
I know, it sounds too simple. Yet, that just shows how much He loves us. If you believe in Him, you belong with the rest of us. Heaven is the place where we stop arguing over doctine.