Gifts of the Spirit

God has fulfilled the promise of the Son of God: “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18) and has sent the Holy Spirit as God’s administrator (John 14:16). Through the Holy Spirit, people are born again and become children of God. This makes them part of God’s family and gives them the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). 

The Word of God shows us that the Holy Spirit gives gifts of the Spirit to the children of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). These God-given gifts are not something special for exceptionally spiritual people. Rather, they are an extremely necessary gift from God to the church. Where these gifts are visible, the Holy Spirit works through them—not in human power, but through divine working. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes a series of gifts that give us an idea of their diversity: Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues and their interpretation. Every single gift is a work of the Spirit of God. 

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things,” writes Paul, “distributing to each one individually as He wills” (verse 11). This makes it very clear that these gifts are not the work of human beings. They cannot be learned, acquired, or produced. At the same time, this word shows us that it is not us but the Holy Spirit who has authority over the gifts. They are not to be used for our benefit, but for a much greater purpose: to bless and build up the church.

 These gifts are nevertheless something very exclusive. Only children of God who are born again spiritually can receive these gifts of God. Jesus says: “Only a person born of water and the Spirit can enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Only this life from God creates the prerequisite. It is not religious activity, confession, or training that enables us, but the reality worked by the Spirit of God in the lives of the redeemed. 

The disciples, called into ministry by Jesus, had experienced the rebirth that Jesus spoke about with Nicodemus (John 3). They had known the Holy Spirit since that time (14:17), for He worked in them, with them, and through them. In various places in the Gospels we read about the effects of the gifts in them. It had become normal for them to preach, heal the sick and cast out demons, so much so that they were surprised when they did not see the expected results in one particular case (Matthew 17:19). But with their complete surrender to God and the work of God at Pentecost, they also experienced a significant change in the use of the gifts. God was able to use them for greater works and work more powerfully through them. For this reason too, it is essential that every child of God experiences entire sanctification and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, just as the disciples did at Pentecost in Jerusalem.

They thrive in a healthy spiritual life

God does not give us gifts so that we can present ourselves as something special. Rather, they should enable us to serve God and each other better. A child of God, filled with the Spirit of God, grows to divine maturity. God has destined our lives to be rich in fruit. 

Our regular, consistent life with God, our prayer and Bible study, our quiet time with God, and our fellowship with God’s children doesn’t simply promote our spiritual growth. This healthy spiritual state also allows us to recognize our gifts and develop them. These fruits do not grow from our human abilities, but from a life hidden with Christ in God. 

Paul shows the Galatians the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (5:22-23). This is what the Holy Spirit works in our lives. And this fruit is also the framework in which spiritual gifts can develop in a healthy way. Without this fruit of the Spirit, even great gifts could not bring blessing. 

In John 15:4-5, Jesus shows us an important secret in the kingdom of God: “Abide in me, and I in you … for without me you can do nothing”. Separated from him, we can be active – but we will not be able to bear spiritual fruit. Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 13 that all, even the greatest, most extraordinary gifts are completely worthless without love. It is the principle of the kingdom of God: only in Christ can we bear fruit. And the gifts become a blessing for others in a healthy way. 

Spiritual gifts are needed in the church

The needs of the church are extremely diverse. Every time, every place, every society has its own needs. The Spirit of God sees the needs and gives the gifts as required “for the common good”. It is healthy and spiritually normal for the church to have an abundance of gifts. Paul rejoiced for the Corinthians that they “have no lack of any gift”. Does it not encourage us that Paul was able to observe this, even though there were considerable challenges and needs there at the same time? The gifts also show that our Lord and God is “merciful and gracious and patient and of great mercy and faithfulness”. He is a God of love who builds and protects His church.

In 1 Corinthians 12, from verse 12 onwards, Paul shows how the members of the church, with their different tasks, are very different like members of one body. No one can consider themselves more important, no one can say to another: “I don’t need you.” Everyone has their place, everyone is needed. God has created us to be dependent on Him and on our brothers and sisters. The gifts do not work independently of each other, but together, so that we are all built up, encouraged and strengthened. 

In the letter to the Ephesians (4:11-13), Paul delves deeper into this topic and shows the offices and ministries of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. They all have their place “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”. The task and goal of the gifts is not for any one person to stand out, but for them to grow together in a healthy way to maturity, “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. There is no hierarchy here, but complementarity. The Spirit of God uses the diversity of gifts for development in unity. 

Growth and development

The gifts of the Spirit should serve all of us, including the bearer of the respective gift, for spiritual growth. In our closeness to our Master, we recognize the profound truth: everything we are, everything we are allowed to do, is ultimately God’s grace. It is not our merit or anything excellent about our person (1 Corinthians 4:7). Everything lasting, done with authority and blessing, is done by the Spirit of God alone. Does this truth not make us worship God in deep humility and gratitude? 

Paul exhorts the church in Philippi to humility: “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:2-4). This humble attitude protects us, especially when success is on the horizon. It helps us to serve, and to do so out of heartfelt love. God gives us gifts by grace, but in humility He keeps us in the mind of Christ. 

Among the disciples, questions of rank were often a critical issue. But Jesus made it clear that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). Spiritual authority is not shown in loudness or dominance, but in the depth of the relationship with God. True spirituality is quiet, serving, sincere – and full of power because it is worked by the Holy Spirit. 

God has also given His church gifts today. We need them. We cannot exist today as the church of God if the Holy Spirit does not have the space and freedom to give the gifts as needed and to whom He wills. And we can gratefully acknowledge this and then give space and ministry to allow these gifts to become effective.

Hermann Vogt

Gifhorn, Germany