Chapter 8 - Gifts of the Holy Spirit
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CHAPTER EIGHT
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

If there is any one word that sums up what most Christians know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit it is probably the word "ignorance." There is much misinformation available upon this topic today and the effects of the Devil's efforts to confuse this issue are abundant throughout Christendom. This problem is not new however and Paul faced it in his day, particularly with the saints at Corinth.

I Corinthians 12:1 - "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant."
What Are Spiritual Gifts?

A spiritual gift is a specific talent or ability that is given by God the Holy Spirit to individual believers in the local church. These gifts are given to assist that church in its goals of glorifying Jesus Christ, reaching the lost with the gospel, and edifying one another until the Lord Jesus Christ returns. In several cases, the individual and the talent are both called a gift: eg. both the word "teacher" and "teaching" are identified as spiritual gifts.

A) The Holy Spirit is the Source of the Spiritual Gifts

I Corinthians 12:4, 8-9 - "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…For to one is __________ by the ____________ the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge ____ the same ____________; To another faith ____ the same ____________; to another the gifts of healing ____ the same ____________;"

B) Every Believer Is the Target of the Spiritual Gifts

I Corinthians 12:11-14 - "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to __________ ______ severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and ______ the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we ______ baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been ______ made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."

Romans 12:4-6a - "For as we have many members in one body, and ______ members have not the same office: So we, being ________, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ____________ then __________ differing according to the grace that is __________ to ____…."

Scripture appears to take it for granted that EVERY believer in Jesus Christ has one or more spiritual gifts. Both of the passages above make the simple connection between believing in Jesus Christ and having a spiritual gift and thus it appears that obtaining one or more spiritual gifts is an automatic benefit of salvation.