Ministering Through Spiritual Gifts

Ministering through spiritual gifts enables you to help build up the Body of Christ and manifest the Kingdom of God to the waiting world through accompanying signs and wonders.

Ministering Through Spiritual Gifts to the Body of Christ and Others

Part 8 of 8 by Don Bell | ⏱️ 11 minute read

Tumbling Waterfall, Rapids, and RiverUse the Gifts of the Spirit and Do the Works of Jesus
Source: ©Kirkjufell/Depositphotos.com

Once we believe in Jesus and His Spirit is living within us, we can ask for and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit along with the nine gifts (supernatural abilities) that He supplies.

However, it's only by obediently stepping out in faith and ministering through spiritual gifts that we can truly meet the needs of the church and those whom we encounter in our daily life.

Believer's Ministry to the Church

Paul writes, "One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to EACH ONE individually as He wills" (1 Corinthians 12:11, emphasis added).

When the Holy Spirit is allowed to operate freely in a gathering of believer, He hovers over those assembled and distributes His gifts (charismata) to believers on an individual basis to answer specific needs of the Body of Christ.

Scripture says, "As EACH ONE has received a GIFT, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with THE ABILITY WHICH GOD SUPPLIES, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:10, 11, emphasis added).

We always have within us a gift of the Spirit (supernatural ability) to meet someone's specific need, and we are called manifest it out of agape love, as a good steward of God's grace.

Clearly, the Holy Spirit desires to manifest His gifts through EACH believer for the benefit of everyone. That's why you need to begin ministering through spiritual gifts.

So, How Does This Work?

The Holy Spirit will gently nudge (quicken) someone to give a word of prophecy, and if that person doesn't respond, He'll move on to nudge someone else to give it, and so on until someone chooses to obey and speak the prophetic word to those assembled.

The Holy Spirit might also be nudging someone to dispense a gift of healing in the same meeting, and nudging someone else to speak an unknown tongue and give its interpretation.

Each gift is manifested at the time it's needed, and the Holy Spirit decides which gift is needed, and whom he will nudge to manifest it.

Sadly, when the Holy Spirit's nudges are ignored (quenched), then the opportunities for blessing are missed, and the church is deprived of its potential. What's more, by failing to respond, we are depriving people of their intended blessing.

Paul writes, "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to EACH ONE for the profit of all" (1 Corinthians 12:7, emphasis added). The Greek word συμφέρω (sympherō), translated as "for the profit of all," means to bring together, to contribute in order to help.

Each Believer Takes Part

Clearly, the Holy Spirit's gifts are available to EACH believer for the benefit of everyone by uniting the believers in the faith and building up the Body of Christ.

Paul writes, "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, EACH OF YOU has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26, emphasis added).

Paul encourages us by saying, "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts …" (1 Corinthians 14:1). That's the believer's course of action in a nutshell.

Therefore, out of love for our fellow believers, let's arrive at meetings with our faith built up, ready to minister the nine gifts of the Spirit to strengthen and build up the Body of Christ.

Believer's Ministry to Individuals

There are times when the Holy Spirit might call on you to minister to an individual. It might be someone in your church, your workplace, your circle of friends, your family, or a stranger on the street.

Sometimes, several gifts of the Spirit might be needed, because each gift has its unique characteristics. For example, you might use a word of prophecy, or a word of knowledge accompanied by a word of wisdom, or maybe discernment of spirits with a word of wisdom, followed by a miracle when an evil spirit is dispensed with.

The nine gifts can be likened to the instruments in a nine-piece orchestra. The conductor can call on one or several instruments at any given time to perform the musical number.

Similarly, you have nine gifts of the Spirit ready for instant use, and the Holy Spirit can call on one or several gifts at any time to perform the work that's needed.

Example of Jesus' Ministry

For an example of Jesus using spiritual gifts, let's consider the miracle that He performed in Capernaum while staying at Simon Peter's house. Jesus was teaching, and the crowd not only filled the modest house, but people gathered outside in the street eager to hear His message.

Home of the Apostle Peter in CapernaumThe Ruins of Simon Peter's House In Capernaum
Source: ©Don Bell

When visiting the ruins of Simon Peter's House in Capernaum, I was struck by its small size: only a few small rooms around two small courtyards. A crowd would have had to spill out onto the street, listening to Jesus through the window.

Houses of that time in Israel often had a flat roof of straw or tiles, reached by outside stairs. The roof was used for extra living space and for sleeping on hot summer nights when cool breezes off the Sea of Galilee about 30 meters distant would have been most refreshing.1

Four men had carried their paralytic friend to the house believing that Jesus would heal him. Seeing the crowd of people, they carried him up the outside stairway anad onto the roof where they removed a section of the covering and lowered the young man on his mat down to where Jesus was seated.

Carefully read the following Scripture and see how many gifts of the Spirit you can identify being used. Hint: Jesus used at least four gifts of the Spirit on this occasion:

Engraving of Jesus Healing the Paralytic Man by Bernhard RodeJesus Healing the Paralytic Man at Capernaum
PD Source: Engraving by Bernhard Rode, 1780

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" — He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" (Mark 2:5-12).

Gifts of the Spirit in OPeration

  • Word of knowledge: The Holy Spirit ministers to the heart of the matter, so Jesus received a word of knowledge revealing the paralytic man's underlying spiritual condition. He forgave the man's sin bringing restoration and relief, so the paralytic could now believe himself worthy to release faith and accept healing for his body.
  • Discerning of spirits: Jesus then "perceived in His spirit" that some of the scribes were accusing Him of blasphemy. The Greek word ἐπιγινώσκω (epiginōskō) translated perceive means to gain knowledge, to be fully acquainted in a discerning manner.
  • Word of wisdom: Blasphemy could lead to a serious charge that was punishable by death, so the Holy Spirit gave Jesus wisdom on how to best respond to the serious situation developing. He presented the scribes with a trick question for which they'd be unable to give a clear answer.
  • Working of Miracles: Finally, Jesus then performed a miracle, and the man's physical mobility was restored. It was not a "gift of healing" since the cure was instant. The miracle sealed Jesus' right to pardon the man, and it silenced the scribes.

The crowd merely saw the man pick up his sleeping mat and walk home healed. They would only have said that an amazing miracle had taken place. They would not have realized that Jesus was using spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit to do the miraculous work.

Remember, Jesus did not perform miracles through His deity; He performed miracles through His Spirit-filled humanity.

We read in Scripture, "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).

After you've examined how each gift of the Holy Spirit operates, you'll be able to read other miraculous accounts throughout the Bible and identify the various gifts working in concert to meet the need.

Some people suggest that you cannot define the operation of the gifts; however, each gift of the Spirit is quite distinctive. Paul surely defined them, and to skirt round their functioning reveals the lack of understanding that's prevalent in today's churches concerning the nine supernatural abilities known as gifts of the Spirit.

Spiritual Gifts Flow Seamlessly

The nine gifts of the Spirit flow seamlessly the moment they're needed. Yes, you will be conscious of each gift and its operation at the beginning, but as you gain experience in ministering through spiritual gifts, and as you sharpen your spiritual senses, the gifts of the Spirit will start to flow automatically without you having to think about them.

When you encounter a sudden need, you won't ask, "Holy Spirit, what gift should I use?" You will minister to the need as the Spirit prompts using the supernatural abilities that He has supplied.

Scripture says, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who BY REASON OF USE have their SENSES EXERCISED to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14, emphasis added).

Begin Using Your Spiritual Senses

The more your spiritual sight and hearing are used, the more you'll become acutely aware of the Holy Spirit's promptings. That's why you should seek to operate the gifts in public whenever you get the opportunity, so you can grow in faith and increase your confidence.

For example, when the Holy Spirit gently nudges (prompts) you to prophesy, don't sit waiting for a bolt of lightening from Heaven or for someone else to begin speaking. God is wanting YOU to speak. Just step out in faith and prophesy when there's an opening!

You say, "But my heart's really pounding, and I'm unsure whether it's the Holy Spirit or me!" Sorry, but that's normal. That's why it's called stepping out in faith!

I would love to promise that it will get easier, and it will to a point; however, you must accept that faith will ALWAYS be required when ministering through spiritual gifts.

We read in Scripture, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

So, BELIEVE in God. HAVE FAITH that He won't leave you empty handed! Believe me, He won't let you down!

Start Ministering Through Spiritual Gifts

God has made each of us a unique individual, and He will always manifest His gifts through our uniqueness. For that reason, neither I nor anyone else can teach you step-by-step how to exercise any of the nine spiritual gifts. Holy Spirit will lead and guide you in how to operate them.

However, what I can do is share what the gifts are and what they are not, so you can better understand their functioning. Then, whenever the Holy Spirit nudges (quickens) you to manifest a gift to meet the needs of an individual, or to bless a gathering of believers, you can obediently step out in faith and manifest that gift.

When you are new to the gifts of the Spirit, it's always best to start ministering through spiritual gifts in a small group of like-minded believers and to have someone seasoned in the gifts present, so there's support and correction available if needed.

Proficiency in the gifts requires time and practice; it doesn't happen overnight. God will give many opportunities to exercise the gifts of the Spirit, and He will never ask you to do something beyond your capabilities. However, He will often ask you to step out in faith beyond your comfort zone. So, be obedient to step out in faith whenever He nudges.

Paul also writes, "And yet I show you a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31), and he immediately follows with 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, the familiar Love Chapter.

God's agape love is the MOVIVATION for activating our spiritual gifts. Since we are ambassadors of God's Kingdom, we are called to expend ourselves by manifesting the gifts of the Spirit so the signs and wonders will point people to Jesus and His Kingdom.

After teaching on the gifts of the Spirit, Paul writes, "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:37-40, emphasis added).

Please, don't read the information on this website and do nothing. It's no accident that you find yourself reading this!

God desires YOU to become proficient in ministering through spiritual gifts, so you can do the works of Jesus to build up the Body of Christ and advance the Kingdom of God.

Endnote

1 "The House of Peter: The Home of Jesus in Capernaum?" biblicalarchaeology.org. Biblical Archaeology Society Staff, 12 Oct. 2023, Web. 7 Apr. 2024.

End of This 8-Part Series

If you missed it, Part 1: Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit


About the Author

Don Bell of Kingdom Anointing

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website, and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and lead extraordinary lives in the Holy Spirit.


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