LESSON ONE:  The Biblical Foundation for Spiritual Gifts

Becoming the Person God Wants You to Be

     Because he had stood before the vast army of Israel and told them he was not afraid of the foreboding, menacing Philistine Giant, who stood posed for battle against any Israelite that would dare to fight him, the young man was called to appear before the king.  It was most likely the king himself, a tall, strong man, who was the best match for the giant.  In contrast, the young man, who was really little more than a boy, was small in stature, and inexperienced in battle.  However, he was quite a scrapper, with abilities hidden to the eye, which became apparent when he told the king how God had enabled him to kill a bear and a lion with his bare hands.

     The king, when convinced that he should allow the young man to fight the giant, pulled out his imposing armor of metal link, a brass helmet and sword.  He placed his massive, heavy armor on the young man who could barely walk or move while in the ill-fitting armor.  The young man quickly freed himself from it, and then outfitted himself with a shepherd’s staff, five smooth stones and a sling.  With nothing else, he went out to meet the giant.  

      Days ago, a young man sat at his computer, manipulating data which would be used to write a financial report for one of the largest corporations in town.  As he worked, his mind wandered for a moment.  He imagined himself in a vacant field standing on a ladder, building the framework for a house.  He felt the hammer in his hands; he heard the sound of nails being hammered into the wood and the buzz of a saw in the background. He felt the comfort of a well-worn tee shirt and the cool autumn breeze against his skin.

     Abruptly, he brought himself back to reality.  He looked at the numbers on the computer screen.  A feeling of sadness overcame him.  He looked at his hands, turning them over and over.  His nails were manicured; the skin on his hands was smooth, without calluses. The young man noticed his shoes.  They were neat, polished designer dress shoes.  The shoes felt uncomfortable and stiff, as did his button down collar shirt.  Nothing he had on seemed to feel good.  To a degree, he guessed he was even uncomfortable in his own skin. He’d like to change but didn’t know how.  With a heavy heart, he returned to his work.

     An account of the battle between David and the giant, Goliath is a well-known story told in the sixteenth chapter of the first book of Samuel.  David respected God enough to trust him to use his gifts for God’s glory.  The outcome: a marvelous victory.

      As a child, the young accountant loved to play with wooden blocks and tools.  He spent endless hours building things, enjoying the precise way he could fit materials together to form a structure.  Unfortunately, he had turned away from his natural abilities and gave into pressure placed on him by his father to obtain a degree in accounting and work in the family business.  The outcome: a frustrating defeat.  

     Can you visualize David, his feet dragging, as his slight frame struggles to hold up the heavy, over-sized armor?  Are you able to empathize with the young accountant who dreads to get out of bed in the morning and go to work?

      Many individuals are in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing, for the wrong reason. God has a better plan.  He wants each of us to be like David who understood and appreciated his God-given natural abilities, that when consecrated to God became used by God.  We will not fulfill God’s desires for us if we succumb to our own desires, or allow others to make choices for us.    

     When we identify and understand our temperament and spiritual gifts, we can more fully commit ourselves to serving God.  By listening to his calling on our lives and placing our faith in His unfailing love and protection, we will be able to be part of the fulfillment of His great plan.  God desires for us to be satisfied and complete.  It is in this process that we achieve spiritual maturity.  God does not intend for us to live a life of defeat, but one of glorious victory.

Now That I’m a Christian, Where Do I pick up my Spiritual Gifts?

       Centuries ago, a sorcerer by the name of Simon became a believer in Jesus Christ, was saved and baptized. After his conversion, Simon witnessed that when Peter and John laid their hands on the Samaritans who had accepted the word of God, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  Simon, who had been a magician before accepting Christ, was excited about what Peter and John had been able to do.  He too, wanted to be able to lay his hands on others and have them receive the Holy Spirit.  Peter chastised Simon saying, “May your money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money. You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God” (Acts 8:9-24).    

     From this Biblical account, it is obvious that God is not pleased when we try to purchase something which He wants to give us as a gift.  How do we receive spiritual gifts?  The scriptures describe three ways in which a believer receives a spiritual gift.   The New Testament tells of certain situations in which God bestowed spiritual gifts in ways that were miraculous and visible.  The first example can be found in the second chapter of Acts.  God made his presence known to a group of believers in a spectacular way.  The time is after Christ’s ascension.  The occasion was the Day of Pentecost, or the Feast of Harvests, a festival in which Jews came to Jerusalem to offer thanksgiving for the harvested crops. The place is in a home in Jerusalem where the disciples had gathered.  As they met there, they heard a roaring, mighty wind and saw tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them, and filled them with the Holy Spirit.  Through the presence of the Holy Spirit they were able to speak in languages other than their own known tongue. A spiritual gift was received in an instant in a miraculous way. 

      As we continue to read this amazing story we learn that there were Jews from many different nations who were staying in Jerusalem.  When the Jews heard the loud, strange sounds, they formed a crowd, trying to find out what was going on.  As they listened, the multitude was unable to believe their ears. Each person was able to hear what was being said in his own language, by Galileans, people who spoke a language unfamiliar to them.  Not knowing what to think, many decided that the disciples were drunk on wine.  Peter, seizing this marvelous opportunity, spoke to the crowd and told them of God’s fulfilled promise in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  On that day, about three thousand people became believers.     

     The second example can be found in the tenth chapter of Acts.  Peter went up on a rooftop to pray.  He fell into a trance and saw the sky open up. A great canvas sheet suspended by its four-corners settled to the ground.  In the sheet were all sorts of animals, snakes and birds, which were forbidden to the Jews for food.  A voice said to Peter, “Go, kill and eat any of them you wish.”     

     Peter declared, “Never, Lord. I have never in all my life eaten such creatures, for they are forbidden by our Jewish laws.”    

     The voice spoke again and said, “Don‘t contradict God! If he says something is kosher, then it is.” The same vision was repeated three times.  Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven.  Peter’s vision meant that he was not to look upon the Gentiles as inferior people that God would not redeem.  Before having the vision, Peter would have believed that it would be impossible for a Gentile Roman officer to accept Christ.  After his vision he understood that he should go to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile, and tell him the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:1-48)

     A second way in which spiritual gifts have been received is through an intermediary. In the New Testament we read of occasions where the apostles or elders laid their hands on certain individuals as a means of imparting special gifts and abilities.  Even when gifts were received through the laying on of hands, we see they were accompanied by direct manifestations of the Holy Spirit that were visible and miraculous.  It is clear that when the gifts were given through a mediator, the recipients were keenly aware that the gift was from God.   Today, an example of how we may see gifts imparted to believers by the laying on of hands is when a church family is asked to lay their hands on a fellow Christian who is leaving

     the church body to fulfill a call to a ministry.  The believers pray for God to impart the gifts that will be needed in order for God’s purpose and plan to be fulfilled.  

     The third way in which spiritual gifts are received is that God chooses to quietly bestow a gift to us as we grow and mature spiritually.   Perhaps it is through our devotions, a sermon, bible study, or other means that our gifts are revealed to us.  In his sovereignty, God may endow a believer with abilities that have never before been apparent.  God may choose to equip a person for effective ministry by refining, purifying, and empowering natural talents and abilities so that they become useful for building up the body of Christ.   

Steps along the Way to Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts

Begin with prayer

     We receive instruction from the words spoken by Christ as written in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”   This is one of the most quoted verses in scripture.  It makes clear that God provides all that is needed for the salvation of man. He is the source of our hope and faith.  If you desire to serve God, he will be faithful to answer your request for guidance and direction. To know and live within the will of God requires that you spend time with Him, opening yourself to the wondrous possibilities that He has for his child.

Study God’s Word

     Spend time in Bible study.  In II Timothy 3: 16-17, we read,  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Be sure to include Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and I Peter 4 in your reading. The references to the spiritual gifts within those passages may help you to identify a personal talent or strength.  

    When studying the scripture, begin to look for spiritual gifts and personality traits of the Bible characters you read about.  Look for the ways in which these individuals were used by God for the fulfillment of His purposes.  Apply what you learn to your own life.

Study God’s word with diligence.

Listen to your self-talk

      Make a conscious effort to listen to your thoughts.  What do they reveal?  Are your thoughts about a feeling of restlessness? Are you constantly thinking about and longing for change?  Does your internal self-talk reveal boredom? When you hear discussions about injustices to a certain group of people, do you feel a stir in your heart?  Is there an area of concern that just doesn’t go away?  Do you find yourself daydreaming about a particular place or a lifestyle change? God may be prompting you.  He may be placing a new or different desire in you for a specific ministry. 

 Take a Spiritual Gifts Inventory

     Identifying your spiritual gifts requires more than the completion of a spiritual gift assessment.  While taking a spiritual gifts test is not the only step that needs to be taken, it can be a valuable process for two reasons. First, it brings the names and definitions of the gifts into your awareness.  Secondly, answering the questions on the test requires self-introspection.  You are forced to look more closely at the abilities, skills, talents, and behaviors that are present in your life at the time that you complete the test and how they enable you to serve well in certain areas of ministry.

 It’s important to take a spiritual gifts inventory at different points in time. Our personal inventory of our gifts may change over time.  Because spiritual gifts are given for the purpose of building up the church as the body of Christ, and bringing glory to God, you may receive gifts for only a time, as needs change over time.  As your ministry changes or grows, you may need additional or different gifts that God will be faithful to provide. 

     At times it may appear that we have received a spiritual gift when in fact it is the result of having achieved a higher level of spiritual maturity rather than the receiving of a spiritual gift.  Consider the following example. As you mature as a Christian, you become more knowledgeable about the scriptures and their meaning. Therefore, you then teach others.  In addition, your faith has grown as your relationship with God has deepened.  You are then able to express your faith in new ways.

     It is of no importance as to how the ability came to be.  What is important is to know that the ability is God-given and that you are to use your spiritual gifts or abilities for the purpose of serving God.

Listen to what others say about you

       As an adult, you have probably received a fair amount of feedback from others about your performance.  Early in life, our parents were often the mirrors from which we viewed ourselves.  Statements like,” you do that so much better than. . . that seems to be so easy for you. . . you’re just like your Aunt Sue. . . “I’m sure you remember them well.  Later, it was our elementary school teachers that often provided the feedback.  Remember the remarks portion of your report card where your teacher made comments such as “talks too much. . .  would rather draw in the margins than do the math problems. . . is a born leader. . . ?”   This kind of feedback occurs throughout our lives. Our bosses, our spouses, and those with who we are in relationship continue to provide verbal or written comments about our abilities, capabilities and personality characteristics.

     You may be familiar with the Veggie Tales videos that preschool children and some adults enjoy.  A grand-daughter couldn’t get enough of Veggie Tales.  Her grandparents learned many of the lyrics to songs on the Veggie Tales videos.  One Sunday morning they safely belted their grand-daughter into her car seat after she had spent the night with them and left for church. They had hardly gone around the first corner when she wanted them to put in a Veggie Tales CD.  The grandfather promptly put one of her favorites into the CD player and began to sing along with the peppy music.  From the back seat, a little voice said sternly, “No singing Papa.”  There it was. The grandfather received another confirmation of what he had long known. He did not have the gift of music.

Serving may precede the recognition of your gifts

     It may just simply be because of the existence of spiritual gift inventories that many believe the first step in the process of recognizing your spiritual gifts is to take a test.  The common thinking is that you will take the results of the test to identify your special place of ministry.  While this can be the way in which God works in the lives of some individuals, the identification of our gifts may occur after we have assumed a place of service.  In The Purpose Driven Life, author Rick Warren writes, “You will never know what you’re good at until you try.”  Sometimes, God calls and then equips.  Sometimes, God equips and then calls.

      Be willing to take a risk.  Try doing something you’re not sure you can do. Taking a risk is an exercise of our faith in God.   It is often in failing that you may learn the most.  Learning through failure may be necessary for you to gain spiritual maturity.   When you begin an activity, task, or project, you may not see it as having a potential for ministry.  That comes later, as you become aware of issues or circumstances that you would never have known about if you hadn’t become involved.

Keep Your Spiritual Gifts Right Side Up

     Spiritual gifts are given only for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.   In The Body of Christ: A Reality, Watchman Nee writes:          

                         Satan takes great pains to try to effect the “disintegration” of the
                         Body of Christ.   Christ “integrates.”  When distrust, murmuring,
                         suspicion, division, and conflict arise within the Body, we can be
                         sure that Satan is doing His “disintegrating” work.  The work of
                         God is to make us one body, but the work of Satan is to cause us
                         to be torn asunder.

     A well-known Biblical example of division and weakness is the description of the church at Corinth.  The scriptural account makes clear that the church as a body lacked none of the spiritual gifts.   However, the church was filled with evil, corruption and division.  The example given us in I Corinthians warns that spiritual gifts become weak or useless when sin is present. 

     The fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance must overshadow our spiritual gifts. Helping without love is not God’s intention, nor is mercy without longsuffering. In every use of a spiritual gift, there is to be a witness of the fruits of the spirit.

     We must always be aware of our motives when seeking to perform a ministry. If there is any self service at play when exercising our spiritual gifts, God is not honored.  Our selfishness can undermine the ministry as God intended it to be.

     Taking credit for what is accomplished through the use of our spiritual gifts takes the glory away from God.  Spiritual gifts are to be used only for the purpose of glorifying God. He is the giver and the source of all spiritual gifts. The apostle Paul prayed that God would prevent him from succumbing to his own conceit because of the amazing work that God was doing in him.   We must never forget that we are only the physical being that God is able to use for furthering His message to mankind.

     Culturally, we often place people and things in a hierarchy of importance.  The exercising of some gifts is naturally more visible than others.  It is easier to see and recognize the spiritual gift of music as demonstrated by a worship leader than to see and recognize the gift of giving that was placed in the offering.  We should be careful that we honor and value all of the spiritual gifts. No one gift is more important than another in carrying out God’s mission.

     Don’t claim gifts that you don’t possess.  Paul cautions in Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”  Pray that you will first know the giver, then ask for knowledge of the gift and how God desires for you to use your gift(s).

Jesus warned against self-display in the fifth chapter of Matthew where we read:

         “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be 
         hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put if under a bowl.
          Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in
          the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men,
          that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
          heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

     He warns again of our need to be careful about letting our own selfish desires for earthly reward or recognition enter into our service to others.

            “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to
            be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your

Father in heaven.  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you: (Matthew 6:1-4).

     It may be tempting to assume a position that is highly visible and held in esteem even though we know we are not gifted in that area.  For example, someone may be asked to teach a Bible study because they are the best that is available at the time.  Once in the position, they rather like the attention and gratification and then refuse to step down when someone becomes available who is a spiritually gifted teacher.  Or maybe they were struggling in teaching but felt that once that were in the position, it would be wrong to quit, when in reality they are robbing someone else of the opportunity for using their spiritual gift(s).

     Not having the spiritual gift that is needed to be effective in a place of service is not an excuse for refusing to serve.  There are times when an athlete must assume a different position than the one he is best suited for.  In the church or other places of ministry, it may be necessary for you to assume a temporary position because of a current need that must be met, even though it is not in an area in which you are gifted.  A servant heart should always be our guide.  God will be glorified through our obedience.

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