(some of this article is based on
teaching by Derek Prince)
The New Testament depicts Christianity
as a supernatural way of life. The resurrection itself on which Christianity is
based was the most important event in human history. To operate effectively in
this world and the body of Christ we need an understanding of the gift graces
of the Holy Spirit. Some people say they do not need gifts (Charismas) because
they have spiritual fruit. This is totally unscriptural because the bible says:
"Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 14-1). One of the
evidences we are pursuing love is that we are desiring the spiritual gifts. In
fact, spiritual gifts are the means by which love is made effective. Love
without the gifts is left largely impotent and frustrated. Biblical agape love
is always very practical. It does not sit around using nice phrases; it does
something! For instance, if we want to edify the church because we love the
church, then we will desire the gift that most edifies the church, which is
prophecy. Or if we love the sick we will desire gifts that will enable us to
minister to the sick, which are gifts of healings and workings of miracles. We
must not be one sided. We need both gifts and love. We need both gifts and
fruit. We need both spiritual gifts and ministry gifts. We need all of
them.
"As each one has received a gift
(charisma), minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace
of God." (1Peter 4)
First you have to receive the gift.
Peter assumed all Christians would have gifts, thus enabling us to minister to
one another's needs. Real poverty is having nothing to contribute. That's the
tragic condition of 90% of church going Christians who profess faith in Christ.
In fact, in most evangelical churches Christians have become spectators rather
than participators. They could do much the same if they stayed at home at
watched Christian television. They have not received what God has made
available to them so they cannot give it. Some people will tell us the gifts
have been withdrawn from the church. This false theology is called
cessastionism and believes after the church was started by the apostles there
is no need for the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. Yet Paul said the church
is to exercise the gifts while it waits for the return of the Lord
Jesus.
"I thank my God always concerning you
for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were
enriched by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift (charisma),
eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also
confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ." (I Corinthians 1)
The closer we come to the return of the
Lord, the more we need to manifest these gifts. For most Christians the baptism
in the Holy Spirit takes them into a more supernatural realm where they can
move from the natural to the supernatural. The word charisma is derived from
the basic Greek noun charis. Charis is normally translated grace. Grace may be
defined as the unmerited favor of God toward the undeserving. The nine gifts
listed in I Corinthians 12 are not the only charisma gifts mentioned in the
scriptures. Grace is free and it cannot be earned. The gospel is a
manifestation of the grace of God. God's grace is His sovereign choice. He does
not owe anyone an account or explanation of the workings of His grace.
"I will have mercy on whomever I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."
(Romans 9)
The Holy Spirit is the One who
administers the grace of God and He is called the Spirit of grace. Charisma is
grace made effective. Therefore, a charisma is a specific operation or
manifestation of the grace of God. In Romans 12 Paul lists seven specific types
of charisma.
"Having then gifts (charisma) differing
according to the grace (charis) that is given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use
it in our ministering; he who teaches in teaching; he who exhorts in
exhortation; he who gives with liberality; he who leads with diligence; he who
show mercy, with cheerfulness. "
There is a great variety of charismas or
grace gifts mentioned in the New Testament. I will attempt to list the one I
can find:
prophecy
ministry
teaching
exhortation
giving
leading
showing mercy
celibacy
word of wisdom
word of knowledge
faith
gifts of healings
workings of miracles
discernings of spirits
different kinds of tongues
interpretation of tongues
apostle
prophet
helps
administrations
evangelists
pastors
teachers
It is important to make a distinction
between the ministry gifts and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 4 we
have the ministry gifts. Ephesians 4-11 specifies five main ministry gifts the
resurrected Christ gave to humanity.
"He Himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." With the
ministry gifts the believer himself is the gift given by Christ to the church.
The church can never be what God intends for it to be without these ministry
gifts. With the spiritual gifts the person receives a gift from the Spirit of
God. The ministry gifts are a lifework in which the whole life of a person
centers on being an apostle, evangelist etc. On the other hand the nine
supernatural gifts (charismas) of the Spirit are events that happen and are
finished. For instance a prophetic utterance may last a few seconds and it is
complete. Character is very important in the function of ministry gifts.
Today we are living in a very tumultuous
time. God wants us to fight for the values that made our nation great and the
Christian values we inherited. We are not to fear the socialistic policies that
are being forced on our nation through judicial activism and those in political
power. Let the church awake to the supernatural power that is being imparted by
the grace of God so she can rise up in the midst of darkness and cause Her
light to shine in all the dark places of this world. Faith works through love
and through faith and love and the power of the Lord God's church will
overcome!
Jim Dykes
teaching by Derek Prince)
The New Testament depicts Christianity
as a supernatural way of life. The resurrection itself on which Christianity is
based was the most important event in human history. To operate effectively in
this world and the body of Christ we need an understanding of the gift graces
of the Holy Spirit. Some people say they do not need gifts (Charismas) because
they have spiritual fruit. This is totally unscriptural because the bible says:
"Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 14-1). One of the
evidences we are pursuing love is that we are desiring the spiritual gifts. In
fact, spiritual gifts are the means by which love is made effective. Love
without the gifts is left largely impotent and frustrated. Biblical agape love
is always very practical. It does not sit around using nice phrases; it does
something! For instance, if we want to edify the church because we love the
church, then we will desire the gift that most edifies the church, which is
prophecy. Or if we love the sick we will desire gifts that will enable us to
minister to the sick, which are gifts of healings and workings of miracles. We
must not be one sided. We need both gifts and love. We need both gifts and
fruit. We need both spiritual gifts and ministry gifts. We need all of
them.
"As each one has received a gift
(charisma), minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace
of God." (1Peter 4)
First you have to receive the gift.
Peter assumed all Christians would have gifts, thus enabling us to minister to
one another's needs. Real poverty is having nothing to contribute. That's the
tragic condition of 90% of church going Christians who profess faith in Christ.
In fact, in most evangelical churches Christians have become spectators rather
than participators. They could do much the same if they stayed at home at
watched Christian television. They have not received what God has made
available to them so they cannot give it. Some people will tell us the gifts
have been withdrawn from the church. This false theology is called
cessastionism and believes after the church was started by the apostles there
is no need for the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. Yet Paul said the church
is to exercise the gifts while it waits for the return of the Lord
Jesus.
"I thank my God always concerning you
for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were
enriched by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift (charisma),
eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also
confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ." (I Corinthians 1)
The closer we come to the return of the
Lord, the more we need to manifest these gifts. For most Christians the baptism
in the Holy Spirit takes them into a more supernatural realm where they can
move from the natural to the supernatural. The word charisma is derived from
the basic Greek noun charis. Charis is normally translated grace. Grace may be
defined as the unmerited favor of God toward the undeserving. The nine gifts
listed in I Corinthians 12 are not the only charisma gifts mentioned in the
scriptures. Grace is free and it cannot be earned. The gospel is a
manifestation of the grace of God. God's grace is His sovereign choice. He does
not owe anyone an account or explanation of the workings of His grace.
"I will have mercy on whomever I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."
(Romans 9)
The Holy Spirit is the One who
administers the grace of God and He is called the Spirit of grace. Charisma is
grace made effective. Therefore, a charisma is a specific operation or
manifestation of the grace of God. In Romans 12 Paul lists seven specific types
of charisma.
"Having then gifts (charisma) differing
according to the grace (charis) that is given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use
it in our ministering; he who teaches in teaching; he who exhorts in
exhortation; he who gives with liberality; he who leads with diligence; he who
show mercy, with cheerfulness. "
There is a great variety of charismas or
grace gifts mentioned in the New Testament. I will attempt to list the one I
can find:
prophecy
ministry
teaching
exhortation
giving
leading
showing mercy
celibacy
word of wisdom
word of knowledge
faith
gifts of healings
workings of miracles
discernings of spirits
different kinds of tongues
interpretation of tongues
apostle
prophet
helps
administrations
evangelists
pastors
teachers
It is important to make a distinction
between the ministry gifts and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 4 we
have the ministry gifts. Ephesians 4-11 specifies five main ministry gifts the
resurrected Christ gave to humanity.
"He Himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." With the
ministry gifts the believer himself is the gift given by Christ to the church.
The church can never be what God intends for it to be without these ministry
gifts. With the spiritual gifts the person receives a gift from the Spirit of
God. The ministry gifts are a lifework in which the whole life of a person
centers on being an apostle, evangelist etc. On the other hand the nine
supernatural gifts (charismas) of the Spirit are events that happen and are
finished. For instance a prophetic utterance may last a few seconds and it is
complete. Character is very important in the function of ministry gifts.
Today we are living in a very tumultuous
time. God wants us to fight for the values that made our nation great and the
Christian values we inherited. We are not to fear the socialistic policies that
are being forced on our nation through judicial activism and those in political
power. Let the church awake to the supernatural power that is being imparted by
the grace of God so she can rise up in the midst of darkness and cause Her
light to shine in all the dark places of this world. Faith works through love
and through faith and love and the power of the Lord God's church will
overcome!
Jim Dykes
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