Category: Self-Help

Spiritual gifts are divided among the body; not all of us have the same gifts, for the sake of uniting or brining together the Body of Christ. You need what I got and I need what you got! When one of us fails to discover and use our gifts, the rest of us suffers lack in the Body, as Paul tells us in his first letter to the church of Corinth:

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it… Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” 1 Corinthians 12:26, 30 KJV

Spiritual gifts, the ones that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, will allow us to operate at a capacity that we could never reach if we’re trying to function without them! These spiritual gifts will give us the ability to bear fruit in the kingdom that we could never bear otherwise.

“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.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV

If we think we can just go about doing good without the Holy Spirit, we are in for a sad surprise. Jesus told us in John 15:5 that apart from Him, we can do nothing:

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 KJV

The flip side of that is clear that we can bear much fruit if we will stay plugged into the Holy Spirit and operate out of our identity and use the gifts that He’s given us.

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“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 KJV

Jesus did not do the works that He did because He was God. He did the works (miracles, signs, wonders, etc.) because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit:

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” John 5:19 KJV

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38 KJV

And just as Jesus was anointed and called to do the work of the Father, so also are we called to be His representatives today, going about doing the Father’s good works! Keep in mind that it’s not about showing off the power of God, it’s about showing the love of God to the people around us. When we lay hands on somebody and they are healed, it shows them that God really does care about their health and wants them well. When we speak a word of wisdom to them, it shows them that God cares enough to give them divine wisdom about their situation. When we cast out their demons, it shows them that God wants them free to enjoy life free of evil spirits, the torments, and all the afflictions that come with having a demon. Operating in the power of God is all about demonstrating the love of God to that person!

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV

We were commissioned to go forth and cast out demons, heal the sick and raise the dead, all while preaching the gospel. Preaching the gospel was never intended to be done without demonstrating the power and love of God to the people!

“And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:7-8 KJV

Notice that we aren’t just called to preach, but to drive out demons and heal the sick alongside preaching the gospel of Christ! Do you have any idea how many more people’s lives would be impacted if every sermon in our churches were accompanying signs and wonders? Lives would be impacted in ways that just good teaching alone cannot even begin to measure up to! Just look at Philip’s ministry, and how many people believed because they saw the power of God operating through him, performing many miracles, healings, and deliverances:

“And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:6-8 KJV)

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The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a very important step to stepping into our ministry here on earth. Jesus told the early church to wait until they received the Holy Spirit, then they were ready to go out and operate in the power of God:

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49 KJV)

Secondly, we’re never going to walk in the things God has called us to, without fully discovering the two levels of our unique identity. When we are asked who we are, if we answer “Accountant!” or “Plumber!” we are wrong. That may be what we’re doing for a living, but that’s not who we are. What if you lost your job? Would you become a nobody? Of course not! Who you are does not depend on what you do, but rather who God has called you to be.

We all share a foundational identity in Christ; we are all washed with the Blood, adopted as children of God, and loved with the same intensity as Father God loves His own son Jesus. That is our first identity. It isn’t unique, because it apples to all of us who are in Christ. Numerous promises from God’s Word are for us just in our foundational identity in Christ.

The first step to living out of our identity, is to become knowledgeable of that identity. We first need to learn about who we are in Christ, and our identity in Him. There is a really good book called Victory over Darkness by Neil T. Anderson that is a great help in this area.

But then there is another level of identity that we also need to be aware of and function in. That is our unique identity; it’s what makes us uniquely usable by God in the kingdom! Our unique identity includes a special collaboration of gifts, talents, and a calling that is unique to us, it’s something that sets us apart from everybody else. With these gifts, you will be able to minister to certain people in ways that the person next to you is unable.

Just like with our foundational identity in Christ, our first step is to become knowledgeable. We need to study the gifts and callings in the Bible to become familiar with them. We will never be able to recognize a word of wisdom gift, if we don’t have any idea what it’s purpose is or what is looks like.

Many of us do not even know one of our gifts, and if we aren’t aware of what is ours, then it’s very difficult to operate in those gifts. Gaining knowledge of the various gifts is crucial to uncovering our own gifts, then using those gifts God has given us are the keys to developing our unique identity. Once you have an understanding of the various gifts, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what He has placed within us. Once you know what your gifts are, then ask the Holy Spirit to stir up those gifts in you!

Just as a disclaimer, not all of us are called to public ministry as pastors, teachers, prophets, or evangelists, but ALL of us are given at least one supernatural gift such as prophecy, word of wisdom, etc. We all have ministry work to do, even if it’s just the people in our lives. The praying grandma may play a vital role in her grandson who becomes the next Billy Graham. You may save one person’s life by getting them healed of cancer, only to have that person touch thousands of people with their testimony. Do not underestimate the power of the ministry that God has given you. You are needed in the kingdom!

The very first step to discovering your unique identity, is to learn of your foundational identity. It is out of revelation of who you are in Christ, that will set you up to receive revelation on your unique identity.

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If God has called the believers to raise the dead (Matthew 10:8) and do extraordinary miracles, even greater than the ones that He performed, then who are each of us called to be? What part are we called to play in this awesome kingdom that we’ve been adopted into?

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12 KJV

What is the kingdom fruit that we are called to bear? Changed lives, saved souls, divine healings, casting out demons, raising the dead, and the list goes on and on. These are all things that we cannot do on our own, but with the Holy Spirit equipping us, we can do great exploits.

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Paul said that we have all been given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit the body (see 1 Corinthians 12:7). The manifestation of the Spirit which he is talking about is our spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Without those, the body suffers loss as a whole (see 1 Corinthians 12:26). Why would God give us the manifestation of the Spirit if He never intended us to walk in it to edify the body? If every man has been given the manifestation of the Spirit in the form of spiritual gift(s), then we are all intended to use them as part of our calling. To argue that some Christians are not called to walk in spiritual gifts is to call Paul a liar, but if we are all given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit the entire body, then we will not fulfill our God-given calling unless we figure out and operate in our spiritual gifts. If it’s intended for us to have, then it’s intended for us to use as part of God’s ultimate plan for our lives.

“(7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; (9) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (10) 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: (11) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 KJV

The Christian life that Jesus gave us is the most exciting life we can live here on earth. We are called to do things that would normally be impossible for us to accomplish on our own. Jesus even said that the works that He was doing were impossible if He attempted to do them Himself!

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19 KJV)

So what was the key to all the miracles and demonstrations of the Power of God? It was the fact that He was anointed with Power from heaven, that is, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit! It was that anointing that gave Him the ability to do all sorts of powerful exploits for the kingdom.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 KJV)

According to that scripture, we learn that the reason Jesus was able to do what He did, was because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit. My friend, we have that same Holy Spirit to equip us for ministry and to do great exploits as well!

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 KJV)

My friend, with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are endued with the same power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus was in His earthly ministry! That means, just as Jesus said in John 14:12, that the same miracles He did, we will be doing also.

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One of the biggest reasons why we may remain in bondage to sin, even though we have been ‘legally’ set free, is because of ignorance of the truth. Jesus speaks of this in John 8:31-36: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

One time I was tempted to sin, but the Lord brought me to this one picture of a cute baby bird in somebody’s hands, and somebody wrote a Bible verse on the picture about the goodness of God. I realized that I didn’t even THINK of sinning after thinking about what a good and loving God we serve!! My point? The more we become aware of the goodness and the love of God, the more we will love Him, and the more we will develop a bitter hatred for sin, because as we become more like Him, the more we love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. After all, it’s the goodness of God that leadeth us to repentance: Romans 2:4, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Once you begin to grasp the goodness of God, your love for Him will grow because of the love that He has for you (1 John 4:19), and out of your love for Him, you will begin to naturally keep Jesus’ commandments as Jesus said in John 14:23, “…If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” As we grow in love for God, we also grow in love for one another (1 John 5:1), and out of our love for one another, we will naturally fulfill the law by loving one another (Romans 13:8, “…love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”).

Meditating on God’s Word and learning of the goodness of God is very powerful in the tearing down of strongholds (incorrect thinking patterns based on lies and deception). I believe one of the reasons King David developed a very intimate relationship with God is because he spent a lot of time alone out in the field with Him.

Did you know that knowing (realizing) the love of Christ allows us to to filled with the fullness of God? Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

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Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

If God Himself chooses not to remember our sins, then who are we to remember something that God Himself has chosen to forget?

Philippians 3:13, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”

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A saint is somebody who is holy, and we have been made holy with the righteousness of God through the blood shed by Christ Jesus! 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

1 Corinthians 1:2, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:” This passage tells us that the letters Paul wrote to Corinth, were geared towards all who call upon the name of the Lord, and later on He refers to the believers reading these letters as saints in 1 Corinthians 6:2.

Just after Paul got done chewing out the saints at Corinth for rejoicing over the man who was having incest with his mother, Paul turns right around and refers to them as saints in 1 Corinthians 6:2, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”

If Paul still referred to them as saints, then I think it becomes clear that a saint is not somebody who is perfect by the things they did, but somebody who’s been made perfect through the blood of Jesus!

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As you know, a forgiven sinner would be somebody who was forgiven, but is still in bondage to sin. God’s Word makes it clear that we not only have had our sins forgiven, but we have also been set free from the power of sin. A saint is a person who is holy, and we are given the righteousness of God through the work Jesus did on the cross:

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Unlike forgiven sinners, we have not only been forgiven our sins, but also set free from the bondage of sin:

Romans 6:18, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

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As I said before, if you look up the word “sinners” in the NT Greek, it gives us this interpretation:

1) devoted to sin, a sinner

Would you consider yourself a “Forgiven person who is devoted to sin”?

a) not free from sin

Would you consider yourself somebody who is forgiven, but not freed from sin? (Romans 6:18, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”)

b) pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked

Would you consider yourself somebody who is forgiven but especially wicked?

1) all wicked men

Would you consider yourself a forgiven wicked person?

2a) tax collectors, heathen

Would you consider yourself a forgiven heathen?

Basically, a forgiven sinner is somebody who has been forgiven, but they are not freed from the power of sin.

Jesus didn’t just die to forgive us of our sins, but also to deliver us from the power of sin! If He only came to forgive us, then we could use the term ‘forgiven sinner’.

I don’t know about you, but the old ‘sinner’ in me died (Romans 6:11), and was buried with Christ (Romans 6:2, 4), and I am a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

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