Gifts of the Spirit – Are they for everyone, or are they only for special people? We have the Holy Spirit

I know this can be a touchy subject, just like many that I bring up, but I also know that lies related to this subject very much kept me and others I know limited and therefore in bondage and not walking in the fullness of Christ almost all of my Christian walk. So I think it’s important to address it.

1 Corinthians chapter 12 is where the most time is spent discussing the gifts of the spirit. Let’s throw out old ideas, and have an open mind. But remember that you all have the Holy Spirit in you that will teach you all things, it is truth and not lie (1 John 2:27), and it will lead you into all truth (John 16:13), so please, read for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit yourself

We know that we all have the same Holy Spirit. We may not be walking led by the Spirit, we may not be transformed by the renewal of our mind to the word, and we may be walking more conformed to the world (Romans 12:1-2), but we all have the same Holy Spirit within us. That’s what is available to us. Just like the fruits of the spirit, are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control, we know that those are all available to us any time. We have the Holy Spirit in us, and the fruits are really the result of walking with him, the fruit of walking with Him. But nobody has access to one fruit and not another. We are all the same. God shows no partiality, and is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34).

Why would the gifts of the Spirit, or anything of the Holy Spirit be any different? Often we look at our experiences to explain the word of God. But we should look toward the word of God to explain our experiences instead. But we know how looking to our experiences instead could easily confuse this. We may look to someone who is regularly walking in the gifts of prophetic word or word of knowledge, etc., and just assume that they are special, and we could never do that. But that isn’t how God sees us. We all have different callings, and personalities, and roles, but we all have the same power, Holy Spirit and anointing. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, and choose to turn to Him, we are anointed (put into position) as children of God, and as such, we receive the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:27 NASB: “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but a His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” It is the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Roman 8:11).

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NASB. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit, and there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effect, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” So we know it’s all through the same Holy Spirit, the same God. I’d like to focus on the last sentence, which is verse 7. In the Kenneth S. Wuest translation it reads: “But to each one there is constantly being given the clearly seen operations of the Spirit with a view to the profit (of all).” So the manifestation of the Spirit is really just an outward expression of the Holy Spirit in us. So we have this amazing, unlimited Holy Spirit in us, and it can manifest or operate through us, to make thing happen in the supernatural and to affect the natural. And the purpose of these manifestations or outward expressions (the working of the gifts of the Spirit), would be to profit all, or for the common good as it says in the different translations. In other words, the manifestation or expression of the Holy Spirit, in these specific ways, is for the benefit of others. So not everyone in each moment would need each manifestation, but the Lord knows what someone needs, and maybe it’s a word of knowledge to help them with believing God is real, or in making a decision, or in feeling seen by God, etc. If the gift is there, an expression of the Holy Spirit within you to bless or help another person, then it would just need to be available for that moment. It would express itself from you, if you are open to it, walking according to the spirit, with a renewed mind in that specific area of God. So let’s let the Holy Spirit work. And not put some person up on a pedestal that they have been given more gifts than you. They may be walking in more fullness of the Spirit and more gifts of the Spirit than you, but we all have the same God and gifts available. We can learn from each other, observe in others how to walk closer to God, how to be obedient children of God, etc., but we shouldn’t think of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3). All that means is, we shouldn’t think ourselves more highly than another person, and that we shouldn’t think of one believer as higher than another believer, yourself included. We should think of ourselves as the righteousness of Christ Jesus, filled with the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, children of God, co-heir with Christ Jesus. We can’t really think any higher than that. But we shouldn’t think ourselves above another Believer. That’s more highly than we ought to think.

Let continue on in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, where we get a list of the gifts, that are all “according to the same Spirit” (1 Cor 12:8 NASB). And then in verse 11 it says “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11 NASB). We know that that “He wills” is bouletai 1014 in strongs, and its usage is I will, intend, desire, and wish. And we know that God’s will is for us to be healed, because Jesus did the will of the Father, and Jesus always healed all that asked Him, and many who didn’t ask. And Jesus was moved with compassion so many times, to heal, minister to and deliver all. And we are to walk as children of light, and be the light of the world as Jesus was when he walked the earth, so the Holy Spirit in us would give us what we need that aligns with His will. He wouldn’t only give it to “special people”, because God loves us all. We may need to operate in a gift for a certain calling or role, and we all have different callings and roles, and we make up the whole body of Christ when we do our different roles, all just as equally important and beloved and capable as one another, in the Spirit! Because we all have the same Holy Spirit!

So we could look at ourselves or others around us and say, but I’m not walking in those gifts, so it must not be available for me. But is that where we go for answers, the natural, our circumstances? No! We must put the truth above the facts. Start believing for and desiring the gifts, that’s what God’s word says to do. Understand who you are, keep speaking your identity over yourself and others. Get those old lies out that you are not capable, etc. These are lies from the enemy, because God says you are His child, you have the mind of Christ, you have been given everything you need for life and godliness, and your spirit is one with His Spirit. So let’s speak Gods truth and word over us! And set ourselves and others free from this hierarchy of the body of Christ. But also know that every role is important. So if you are going out to minister to people on the street, and someone with you lays hands on and heals someone through Gods power, and then another speaks words of knowledge and that all leads them to accept Christ, and you are standing their carrying everyone’s stuff and praying in the background, or you were the one who cooked the food, and is home cleaning up, know that that is absolutely every bit as essential and awesome, but that also, you are not precluded from walking in the gifts of the spirit!

So let’s all be transformed by the renewing of our mind, and not conformed to the world Romans 12:2. In the Kenneth S. Wuest translation Romans 12:2 reads “And stop assuming an outward expression that does not come from within you and is not representative of what you are in your inner being but is patterned after this age; but change your outward expression to one that comes from within and is representative of your inner being, by the renewing of your mind, resulting in your putting to the test what is the will of God, the good and well-pleasing and complete will, and having found that it meets specifications, place your approval upon it.” So we know that the Holy Spirit is within us, abundant life that Jesus came to give us, and the power of the Holy Spirit too, so let’s live that out, and express outwards what is in us, rather than what the world says.

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And here's a video version of this topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIMQYy1G1Eo

References

Scriptures taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest. Copyright Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1961. All rights reserved.