If someone gave you a lawnmower for a gift, what would you assume they had in mind? It would be pretty obvious that a mowing job needed to be done and they wanted you to do it! God has given the believers in His church “lawnmowers” and other pieces of equipment—they are called spiritual gifts and they have a purpose—to do a job that He wants done! 1 Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12:1-13; Ephesians 4:1-16; and 1 Peter 4:10-11 together give us basically all the information we need in order to build a foundation of truth on the subject of Spiritual Gifts.
So many Christians I meet are confused about what spiritual gifts are—in fact they usually don’t even know what gift they have been given. Now, what if someone expected me to mow a lawn and had given me a lawnmower to do it with, but I didn’t do it because I was confused? Perhaps I might try to do it by hand, an inefficient and clumsy process, or maybe I’d try to get someone else to do it for me, possibly taking the person away from some important task he was responsible for. Either way, the original plan is thwarted. That’s why God clearly tells us we are not to be unaware about spiritual gifts. We are commanded to study what the Bible says about spiritual gifts for ourselves in order to be faithful stewards of those gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1
The gifts are given for the good of all the brethren for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ. In other words, God doesn’t give us a lawnmower to polish and show off; He gives us a lawnmower to mow the lawn and keep the weeds down, which provides an area for someone to easily walk to his destination. The body is supposed to grow—the bigger it becomes the more work it can do. The gifts are given to serve one another in the body, whereas the body’s job is to reach the world and Glorify God through Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:11-12, 14-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11
The Bible tells us that it is the Holy Spirit Who, according to His will, gives each believer at least one gift at the time of his conversion. 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11; 1 Peter 4:10-11 The Lord Jesus Christ then gives a ministry to that person and God the Father produces effects from that ministry. Although there are a variety of gifts, ministries and effects given, sometimes more than one, each believer can be assured of at least one gift to use in one ministry that will produce at least one effect for the kingdom of God. Guaranteed! 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Although every believer receives at least one gift there is no one gift that every single member of the body has. 1 Corinthians 12:29-30
The analogy of a body is used to refer to the church of Jesus Christ when the Bible teaches about spiritual gifts. When we are saved we are placed or positioned, according to God’s choice, in the body as a working body part—some as eyes, some as fingers, some as feet, etc. The fingers are expected to do finger things, the eyes are to do jobs that require sight and the feet are responsible to do the walking. Each part is necessary, useful and responsible for its own specific tasks. There is no room for jealousy, division, competition or self-sufficiency. All the gifts are important and are to be used to care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:15-16
Although each gift is important and necessary, God has appointed an order to the gifts: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations and tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28 Why this order? Well, what do you notice about the first three gifts? They are all three speaking gifts. 1 Peter 4:11 We are to earnestly desire that God place believers with speaking gifts in our own church because ultimately the preaching of the Gospel is the most important job of the body! 1 Corinthians 12:31
We are also told clearly to use the gifts we are given and to stay in the sphere of our gifting. In other words, if you are a foot, then do foot jobs and not hand jobs. If you are a teacher, then teach! If you are a giver, then give! Don’t try to be a mouth if you are an ear! You’ll be doing someone else’s job, and you’ll probably be doing it in the flesh, rather than in the Spirit. Romans 12:6-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11
Spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities given by God to serve the body of Christ. They are not skills you have obtained or natural gifts you were born with. God gave you natural abilities when He formed your physical body. God gave you a new spiritual ability when He created you as a new creature. A listing of the spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians and 1 Peter are:
1. Word of Wisdom
2. Word of Knowledge
3. Faith
4. Gifts of Healings
5. Effecting of Miracles
6. Prophecy
7. Distinguishings of spirits
8. Various kinds of tongues
9. Interpretation of tongues
10. Apostles
11. Teachers
12. Helps
13. Administrations
14. Service
15. Exhortation
16. Giving
17. Leading
18. Mercy
19. Evangelist
20. Pastor/teacher
If you are a believer, you have at least one of these gifts, maybe more. How long will you have it or them? As long as you are here on earth. How long will the gifts last? Are they for today? The gifts are given until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man—to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. And that won’t be achieved until Christ comes again to take the church from this earth to be with Him forever. The gifts will be around in one form or another until then...as He wills... Ephesians 4:8-11; 1 Peter 4:10-11
What has He given you and what does He want you to do with it? If I were you, I’d sure find out because there is a body to serve and a God to Glorify!
Adapted from "HIStory—From Event To Event The Bible Is One Story"
