The Journey: Session One

The Gifts of the Spirit

by Bob Van Cleef

The Apostle Peter declared that the Spirit of God would be given to all who believe. He also declared that one of the ways that the Spirit would manifest Himself through prophesy, visions, and dreams.

(Acts 2:17-18) "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. [18] And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy."

Jesus talked about God's gift of the Spirit in many places. He let us know that we need not be afraid to ask for the Holy Spirit to come, and to trust the Father to send only the Holy Spirit.

(Luke 11:13) "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Jesus promises that the Spirit will be with as a Helper, a comforter, an aid on our journeys.

(John 14:16-17) "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; [17] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

There are some of the manifestations of presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives which are called the Gifts of the Spirit. They are intended for the common good of the body of believers, and are given by the Holy Spirit as needed.

(1 Cor 12:7-11) "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: [8] for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, [10] 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. [11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."

If we turn to Jesus, these Gifts of the Spirit will be made available to us. They are what makes it possible for us to continue our journey. Without them we would fail.

(Acts 2:38-39) "Then Peter said to them, `Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."'

The key to spiritual growth is not the gifts, but Love. As we grow in Love, the Gifts will manifest, for they are the product of our love for God and for each other. They are not the end, they are a means to the end. The "end" is oneness with Jesus Christ.

(1 Cor 14:1) "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."

(2 Tim 1:6-7) "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [7] For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Some gifts may appeal to you, some may make sense, others may simply not make any sense to you. However, you have to be careful that you aren't picking and choosing.

(1 Th 5:19-22) "Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies. [21] Test all things; hold fast what is good. [22] Abstain from every form of evil."

(1 Cor 14:39-40) "Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. [40] Let all things be done decently and in order."

The Gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12

In 1 Corinthians Paul discusses what I would like to call the charismatic gifts of service. The Spirit uses these gifts to enable us to serve each other.

The Gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2

In Isaiah the prophet lists gifts that relate more to the character of the individual. These gifts help us develop as individuals, and as a result, enable us to better serve God.

(Isa 11:2) "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."

These two lists do not list every spiritual gift. Praise God! Others are alluded to in Scripture, and others, such as hospitality, are manifest throughout Scripture and are beautifully visible in the lives of many Christians. People will testify of emotional gifts, such as the gift of tears, which accompany many healing services, or the gifts of joy and laughter, which often lead to healing, and other, important, action gifts, such as the gift of praise.

The Holy Spirit -- God's Gift
(from the Catechism)

733 "God is Love" and love is his first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

734 Because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.

735 He, then, gives us the "pledge" or "first fruits" of our inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as "God [has] loved us." This love (the "charity" of 1 Cor. 13) is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received "power" from the Holy Spirit.

736 By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the fruit of the Spirit... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." "We live by the Spirit"; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we "walk by the Spirit."

Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, led back to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children, given confidence to call God "Father" and to share in Christ's grace, called children of light and given a share in eternal glory.

Grace is the Foremost Gift of the Spirit
(from the Catechism)

2003 "Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning 'favor,' 'gratuitous gift,' 'benefit.' Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church."

The Journey:
The Gifts of the Spirit

This is part of a collection of handouts designed for use as part of a seven week series on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, published by the Catholic Charismatic Center. Copyright (C) 1999 by the Catholic Charismatic Center.

Permission is granted for reproduction and distribution for use for non-commercial purposes, providing that you credit the author and the Catholic Charismatic Center.

Illustrations are Copyright (C) Highland Graphics, PO Box 118, Springville, UT 84633