But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 1 Corinthians 12:7
Since we just ended our “Get to Know the 5-Fold series” on the different Christ Given Gifts, Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, Evangelist, our next stop is to start a new series on the Holy Spirit Given gifts and to explain the difference. Hopefully this series will help answer the question “What gifts has the Holy Spirit given me?” There are 5 Christ Given Gifts set apart for the direct purpose of administration in bringing edification through ministry. But, there are 9 Holy Spirit Given Gifts for the purpose of edification or bringing the church into unity through maturity. These 9 Holy Spirit given gifts can be given to anyone in any combination God so chooses. Our job is to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal them to us so we can work towards developing them. We must always remember, as with the Christ Given gifts, the Holy Spirit given gifts are signs that follow those that believe. They are gifts to those around us that serve as evidence of Christ’s existence through manifestation. They are not meant for us to show off our own spirituality. If this is our goal, we are misusing our gifts entirely.
The 9 Holy Spirit given gifts mentioned in the above scripture break down into 3 categories for understanding. Gifts that come to us through revelation (Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, and Discerning of Spirits); Gifts that are given to us verbally (tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecies); and finally gifts that display the power or presence of God (faith, healing, working of miracles). breaking them into these 3 categories helps us to digest the fullness of all of them and how they work together through many individuals throughout the church body. Since the Holy Spirit Himself GIVES these gifts, using these gifts has to come through His leading for them to be effective. Today we are going to focus on the Holy Spirit gifts knows as “Word of Wisdom” and “Word of Knowledge” and compare the two for better clarity.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:17,18. A Word of Wisdom is the actual application of God’s Word in a particular situation. It’s a holy spirit given ability to divide the word correctly and apply it to solve a problem according to the Holy Spirit’s leading. It’s a supernatural impartation of Biblical facts that reveal God’s heart, or will, in our circumstance. Often times God will use those He has given this gift to to reveal the way out of something that is particularly dangerous or troublesome. As with the Apostle Paul in Acts 23:6-10, sometimes God will use this gift to divide the wheat from the tares in a situation. This Holy Spirit gift is needed in the operation of all of the 9 Holy Spirit given gifts. There is wisdom we have gained from our own experience and there is a word of wisdom based on revelation through scripture. As the two types of wisdom are completely different, we need to be aware of (and pay attention to) those who operate in the Word of Wisdom gift God has placed in our presence. As with any gift from God, a word of wisdom can come to us in various ways. Most commonly we are given a word of wisdom through our individual Bible Study. We can be given a word of wisdom in a dream, as a response to an interpretation of tongues, in multiple ways. But the thing that makes it a word of wisdom is, again, it is based upon scripture and defines God’s true heart in a given situation.
The second Holy Spirit given gift we are going to look at today is a Word of Knowledge. Like a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge is Holy Spirit revealed. A word of knowledge is a specific Holy Spirit revealed piece of information needed to solve a problem or meet a need. It’s often a “quickening” that comes to you where you suddenly know the information you need. Sometimes you will experience a burden to get this information out as it is of utmost importance. Sometimes it manifests in a simple revelation of a fact that’s been missing. Sometimes it is used to confirm that God is bringing healing to an individual. It’s used in multiple ways. A word of knowledge opens up hearts and minds to the reality of the Holy Spirit and proves God’s existence because it is information that the individual delivering the word was not privy to on their own accord. A word of knowledge can be information about the past, the present, the future, an individual, a group, or a circumstance. There are even times where a word of knowledge can prevent us, when adhered to, from stepping into harms way. As the Bible tells us without knowledge the people perish, a word of knowledge can often times protect us. The important thing to remember is that a word of knowledge will bear witness. Those who it is intended for will recognize it as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and, as a result of receiving it, glorify God.
Now that we understand the 5 Fold Ministry Gifts we can see God’s heart for dispersing the 9 Holy Spirit given gifts throughout the entire body of Christ as 5 Fold Ministers can not reach everyone. It takes an army of equipped Christians to be Christ’s hands and feet. Chances are, someone operating in one of the 9 Holy Spirit given gifts, whether we are aware of it or not, is what led each of us to relationship with Christ. A gift manifested is undeniable proof that can be overlooked if we are not paying attention. However, when the time is right and we are paying attention, the existence of them in itself makes it hard for the recipient to continue to deny Christ. We must always remember that these gifts are for edification of the body and salvation is always God’s truest heart.
Notes from the Holy Spirit on 10/14/2018 by Pastor Audra Waters-Leary, “What Gifts has the Holy Spirit Given Me?” Series.
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