As we begin please know you are going to have to do your homework if you want to walk in real power! What we know about the real ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church is found in the Bible. Can we agree on the fact that the Bible is the single authoritative rule for faith and conduct? There is no other word of God just this and it tells us what we need to know.
I have posted before on the church’s need to return to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to read some of my posts from the series on vicious victors. Also read Luke Chapter 24 and Acts Chapters 1 and 2.
But what about once we have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. What happens? What power do we receive? How are we to use that power? For that knowledge we have to turn to the book of I Corinthians. I urge you to read chapters 12-14 of this book many times as you are getting acquainted with this subject.
I Corinthians 12:1-11 gives us a list of what theologians call the nine supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit and the context in which they operate. So let us begin.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, [fn] I will write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us, for I must correct your misunderstandings about them You know that when you were still pagans you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. So I want you to know how to discern what is truly from God: No one speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge. The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, [fn] and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” I Corinthians 12:1-11 NLT
As we approach the baptism in the Holy Spirit we need to understand that all of the gifts we are given come from Him and He is always in control of the gifts that operate inside of us. Ultimately He is able to manifest in us in any way He wants. The gifts are not possessions we own, rather they are expressions of an intimate relationship we have with Holy Spirit.
Further the gifts are given for the building up of the body of Christ through witness and encouragement. The gifts should not divide and they should always point to Christ not any other individual.
When we embrace the real, gifts are given to us which advance the church, prove the claims of the gospel and strengthen the faith of believers.
What has been your experience with the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Reinventing the We'll 