What are the spiritual gifts?

A spiritual gift, also called charisma, is an extraordinary power or talent given by the Holy Spirit. There are many spiritual gifts. In the Bible we find examples of them: the gift of healing, the ability to share knowledge, speaking in tongues, prophesying, teaching, the desire to serve others, the ability to lead the church, the desire to give and the desire to help the poor, the ability to distinguish when the Spirit of God is speaking and when it is some other spirit, and so on. (Romans 12:6–8, 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, 1 Corinthians 12:28–30, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:11).

So these are examples of spiritual gifts. The Bible does not aim to give a comprehensive list of them. We can say that all the talents that enable you to serve God's kingdom and help God's church fulfill its mission in this world are spiritual gifts.

We have already received some of the spiritual gifts when our Creator made us and equipped us with certain talents. For example, musicality or the ability to lead or teach are one of these. When you put your skills to use for the church, it is correct to call them spiritual gifts. Some of the gifts are not related to our natural, inborn gifts. For example, speaking in tongues is such, seemingly more "miraculous" ability, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
You too have a spiritual gift. It could very well be some very normal-looking ability. Use your skills to serve God's kingdom, and it is your spiritual gift.

In First Corinthians chapter 12, two Greek terms are translated as spiritual gifts: the word pneumatika ("things of the Spirit") and charisma. The word charisma is derived from the word "charis", which means "grace". That word tells an important thing about spiritual gifts. They are not given according to merit, because then they would be gifts of merit. Spiritual gifts are given by grace. God's Holy Spirit gives what he wants to each person, and we do not know how and why He distributes them to each as he does.

"All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."
(1 Corinthians 12:11)

This is also why Christians should not be ranked according to what gifts someone has. Paul even says that God covers the lesser members of the church with greater glory. Those who do not receive a valued gift do not need it - they are indispensable and necessary in the church anyway (1 Cor. 12:24).

Spiritual gifts are not a prerequisite for true faith

True faith is not only where there are spiritual gifts. And not only the person who has some spiritual gift has true faith. The gospel of the crucified Jesus is enough for saving faith, and nothing more is needed, not even spiritual gifts.

This must be emphasized especially in those churches where God has given many "miraculous-looking" spiritual gifts. They may start to be expected of everyone. There are also always those members of the church who feel that they do not have spiritual gifts and therefore feel inferior. It is then important to know this: Even if you don't have any spiritual gifts and even if you don't know anything about spiritual gifts, you can believe in Jesus. And in faith in the crucified Lord you have everything you need to live as a child of God and to get to heaven.

Some preachers teach that there are two types of Christians: There are those who have the Holy Spirit and who have a spiritual gift as a sign of this (usually they say that this gift is speaking in tongues.) In addition, there are those Christians who have not yet received the Holy Spirit, but they should strive to the level that they too receive God's Spirit. We reject such a teaching, because the Bible does not teach anything like this.

All children of God have the Holy Spirit. The sign that one has received God's Spirit is that one believes in Jesus. No one can believe in Him without the Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Spirit, which the Bible speaks of, means that the Spirit of God, who lives in us, occupies more and more space in our hearts. We ask God for this to happen in us.

Living as a child of God is not so much about strength and miracles, but about carrying the cross that God has given each of us. Carrying a cross is weakness, illness, problems, being despised or the fact that the hoped-for miracle did not happen. And those whose lives are like this are no worse children of God. According to God's word, they are especially dear to God.

Spiritual gifts are not a guarantee of true faith

Even where the triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is not known or where He is rejected, some people speak in tongues or the sick can be healed. And even the Devil can do miracles. He misleads most effectively precisely where his actions resemble God's actions.

And sometimes God works strangely: He may give spiritual gifts to those churches that in some matters teach and live contrary to His word. The Corinthian church was an example of this. Paul praises the church for having many different spiritual gifts and does not say that the gifts are not from God. And yet Paul has to deal with many contradictions to God's word and warns that if the church does not repent in these, it will be condemned when the Lord comes.

The presence of spiritual gifts must not mislead us into thinking that everything is right and good where spiritual gifts are in use. Spiritual gifts are not a sign that God has now accepted something - which, however, is against the Bible. Thus, the presence of spiritual gifts must not, for example, lead us to cooperate with those who teach to rebaptize those who were baptized as infants. They may have God-given graces and yet teach about baptism contrary to God's word. God's word warns us too: We will be condemned if spiritual gifts blind us so that we begin to teach and act contrary to God's word.

Ask for spiritual gifts and use them

The Bible tells us to pursue spiritual gifts. The Bible says a simple truth: Those who ask receive. Those who don't ask are left without. Pursuit is not pressuring - pressuring God or pressuring another person. It is a humble prayer.

Have we pursued spiritual gifts? From now on, can't we pray out loud, for example, at a church gathering, that God would give us the spiritual gifts that our church needs. Prayer would also open the way for the use of spiritual gifts. It is wise to ask God to give us what he knows we need. It can be something completely different than what we ourselves think.

The Bible forbids hiding spiritual gifts. So use your gift - even if your gift is such that you are somehow ashamed of it or others don't appreciate it. God has not given a gift in vain. The congregation needs it.

Keep the cross of Jesus at the center of your faith

The most central thing in our faith is what Jesus did for us on the cross. Learn to rely on it alone. Learn not to rely on what you are. Learn not to rely on what you see God has accomplished in you, or whether you have received a spiritual gift or how you use it. This is a difficult thing and therefore it must be learned.

The cross of Jesus is the only lasting foundation. It is up even on those days when you don't notice anything good in yourself or when even that spiritual gift has waned or turned off completely. And even in those days, the cross of Jesus has everything you need for your salvation and to live as a child of God. If our faith rests on something else, its foundation will crumble. And it happens surprisingly quickly.

If a spiritual gift guides the life of faith so that something other than the cross of Jesus becomes the most important thing, the spiritual gift is misused. It is also true that for many it is precisely a spiritual gift that has renewed their relationship with Jesus and made his cross even more beloved.

God's love is shown through spiritual gifts

Paul teaches in the First Letter to the Corinthians that spiritual gifts are valuable only when love is manifested through them - the love with which Jesus also loved us. If the use of a spiritual gift is to put others down, to pursue one's own interests and to forget others, it is, according to Paul's words, the same as someone beating a drum every now and then. Many hear the voice, but it is of no use. And it hurts the ears.

So, does your gift lead you to rely more and more firmly and alone on the cross of Jesus? Are you guiding others to the crucified Lord with your gift? Do you love with your gift? Are you using your gift for the good of others? Regret if you haven't used your gift like this. But don't hide your gift. From now on, ask God for the skill and humility to love with your gift and glorify the cross of Jesus. With even a small tangible gift, you can love and glorify the meaning of Jesus' work on the cross, and then that gift is the most valuable. On the other hand, even a showy gift can be used for selfish purposes, and such a gift has no value.

A gift used humbly builds the church best. Pride and putting yourself above others weakens the church most effectively.

We are different

Spiritual gifts draw some people into action. Others they drive away. A friend of mine who happened to be in an occasion where tongues were spoken and prophesied said, "If faith in Jesus is like this, I don't want anything to do with faith." Paul also knows this possibility, and that is why he tells to use gifts wisely. We must not drive anyone away from Jesus. Therefore, some gifts must be used with care and sometimes they must not be used. And first of all, spiritual gifts must be talked about and taught - so that they become familiar and not scary - and only after teaching can they be used.

We are different. One has a strong emotional attitude towards faith and longs for experiences in religious life. Others weigh matters of faith intellectually and do not so much need experiences. God has created a unique personality in each of us. Our backgrounds and stages on the religious path are different. And this affects how we feel about spiritual gifts. We must allow for this diversity of human experience. God's word also allows it. But everyone must believe and act according to God's word.

The Bible and the gifts of grace

God does not speak through spiritual gifts contrary to what he says in the Bible. Prophecy cannot override the written word of God. If and when there are prophecies that contradict the Bible, they are not from God. Even a person of faith may announce such a prophecy, and also such a preacher as we are accustomed to regard as a reliable teacher. This is how sin can be seen in us. Whoever, based on such prophecies, urges to believe and act contrary to the Bible, elevates man to the place of God and is in great danger of straying from the path of heaven.

The Holy Spirit works precisely in the word of the Bible. That is why the spiritual gifts born of God's Spirit attach us more and more firmly to God's word. This question - does a spiritual gift make the Bible more dear - is indeed a good indicator of whether the gift is from God or not, and whether the gift is being used correctly. Many people say that the spiritual gift gave them new enthusiasm to read the Bible and the strength to act on it. But someone's life shows that the gift takes you further from God's word. Such a gift cannot be from God. Or the gift given by God is used differently than God intended.