My thoughts this morning are on the subject of the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The main point that I would like to make over the next few days is that there is a lot more to Pentecost as spoken of in Acts than speaking in tongues…a lot more! When we are open to the ways of God and walk in his spirit, you can be sure you will become a chosen vessel for His use.
With that said, first let me say, there are nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit which are the characteristics of the Holy Spirit in the believer and should be produced in every, or you might say, reflected through the Christian. We are to stay alert and be careful in our walk in the Lord, to show the love of the Lord in all we do. The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit are stated in Galatians 5:22-23, But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things (NLT)!
As we give the Holy Spirit full reign of our mind, emotions, and spirit, He will produce the love of God and the witness of Christ in us as believers. Yes, our lives; our minds, emotions, and spirit will produce and show the fruit of the spirit in and through our lives.
Another important factor of the Spirit filled life is that of speaking in tongues. Tongues are given for the purpose of praying to God when we don’t know how to put it into words, for the Holy Spirit knows, provides peace and assurance in our inner spirit. Infilling of the Spirit, with evidence of speaking in tongues, comes after the born-again experience from a desire to be a witness for Christ. When praying in tongues, we are praying to God through the Holy Spirit, which bonds our spirit with God’s spirit. The gift of tongues is for all believers, who are immersed/ yielded and totally surrendered to the working of the Holy Spirit. Again, the gift of tongues is used for their individual times of prayer, not to be confused with the gift of tongues and interpretation.
TODAY, it is important for all believers to be filled with the Spirit! God has promised another experience for all believers to receive after you believe, and that is the infilling of the Holy Spirit. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If the early church had all the gifts, “special abilities” to be working in, through and among the believers, then it is still His plan for all believers today, to be endued with this power from on high, to represent God on the Earth. Speaking in tongues is for the purpose of praying to God when we don’t know how to put it into words. It provides peace and assurance in our spirit. When praying in tongues, we are praying to God through the Holy Spirit that bonds and unifies our spirit with God’s spirit. The gift of tongues is for all believers who are immersed/ yielded and totally surrendered to the Holy Spirit, and as I stated above, it is used during their individual times of prayer.
The different kinds of spiritual gifts or “special abilities” as stated in in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, are distributed to spirit filled believers that are consecrated unto God, His ways and yielded to the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given to whomever the Holy Spirit wills; or you might say, as He sees the need. He fills the need in those and to those that are desiring and opened/ yielded and surrendered to the Holy Spirit, to be used only for the work of the Kingdom. Again, let me say that these gifts are strictly to be used for God’s purpose and not for our own agenda.
Let’s look at what 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 in regards to these nine gifts, There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit [of all]: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another [different] kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills (NKJV).
Yes, these “gifts or special abilities” are given to believers that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. The “special abilities” are essential to the believer, for we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Let me encourage all believers to reach out to God and desire these gifts, “special abilities” to help other believers, and to build up and encourage the body of Christ.
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