Then man becomes part of His family, as John said, But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe His name (John 1: 12). Peter confirms the truth about this new birth: We have been born again to an ever living hope through the resurrection of YAHSHUA the Messiah from the dead; [born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay, unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who are being guarded by God, power through [your] faith [till you inherit that final]salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time (I Peter 1:3b, 4,5).
God comes to live in us through His Holy Spirit after we go through the spiritual birth. YAHSHUA said, Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you (John 15:4b). The promised Holy Spirit will guide us into all the Truth, He will be our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby, He will be our Teacher, the Revealer of Truth; He will be with us until the end. We are set apart to accomplish the work God has set for us to do. For this reason, He blesses each of us believers with gifts- spiritual gifts. They are to bring fulfillment of God’s purpose on this earth; they are to shine God’s fulfilled promises to the world, they are to bring glory to Him and lead others to YAHSHUA. The spiritual gifts unite believers as part of one body- the body of YAHSHUA. As Paul said, There is one body and one Spirit – just as there is also one hope to the calling you received- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all pervading all and living in us (Eph. 4:4-6). His intention for His gifts was for the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints to do the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body, until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood, the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. For because of Him the whole body, closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, grows to full maturity, building itself up in love (Ephesians 4).
Now, Paul said, there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments, and there are distinctive varieties of service and ministration, and there are distinctive varieties of operation, but it is the same God Who inspires and energizes them all in all (I Cor. 12:4-6). The gifts are evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and manifestation for the good and building of YAHSHUA’S church. There are various spiritual gifts Paul emphasized in his letter to the Corinthians:
The message of wisdom,
Word of knowledge and understanding
Wonder-working faith
Healing
The working of miracles
Prophetic insight
Ability to discern and distinguish between spirits
Kinds of unknown tongues
The ability to interpret them
There is no reason for a believer to boast on the gift given him, for all is from God to benefit one another in Christ. These gifts unite the body of Christ in harmony, respect, and love for one another. No gift is to be considered better and greater inside the sphere of the body of Christ. He is the sole Giver and we are the sole recipient of His blessings. No spiritual gift is insignificant in the fulfillment of God’s purpose for His church. They are the glue that unite the church together in the building of His body. Brick by brick, His church is being raised up to its completion.
Here are the spiritual gifts in their order of importance:
Apostles
Prophets
Teachers
Wonder-workers
Healing
Administrators
Language
To fulfill the function of an apostle, the twelve apostles were commissioned to spread the message of salvation unto the entire world. YAHSHUA commanded them by saying: Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19-20). They were witnesses of the fact that YAHSHUA died and had risen from the dead to provide salvation for all who will believe in Him. They were representatives of YAHSHUA after He ascended to heaven as messengers of the Gospel to the entire world. The work of an apostle is to spread the message, teach and baptize. Prophets have a very important task to perform also. As a New Testament prophet we are expounders of the word of God. To those who have the gift of prophecy, the Holy Spirit gives him insight into the Word of God, making clear things not understood, or things not perceived. I do believe that God chooses people today to reveal and warn them of what is about to happen. I do believe that the spirit of prophecy exists today as it did in the Old and New Testaments. Believers should be discerning to test the spirits to know if it came from God or not. If the prophet is in line with Scripture, if what he says is in harmony with the word of God, he is credible. A prophet should be the interpreter of the Word of God. Teachers’ function is close to that of a prophet in the sense of shinning the Word of God into the understanding of others. “And the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). The Holy Spirit has empowered many with the gift of miracles and healing. These gifts point to the awesome power of God and His existence. Those who have them are blessed to see the manifestations of God’s presence as He touches the hearts of men through miracles and healings. Revival often follows and the fear of God spreads throughout the world. The administrator gift is essential to maintain order and the continuity of the work needed to be done and the gift of unknown language is an intimate way to touch the heart of God. It is a relationship between God and men, only God understands the conversation, because it is the language of the Spirit of God.
The gifts the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us connect us to Him as we work together to bring about salvation, understanding, knowledge, miracles, healings to others. However, there is a gift greater than all, Paul said. It is the gift of love. Love encompasses all subjects existent that affect life. Without it in our hearts and motives, nothing we do counts for anything. For love motivates, compels and causes us to do what is right for one another. It is the engine of all gifts. It is the most excellent of all gifts. To love one another is to look outward to the needs of others, it is to forgive, to give, to serve; it is to forget self to live for others.
Light from the Word 