Determining the Possession of Gifts - Knowing what gifts are operative in the church today and how they function is an absolute necessity. But even if that knowledge is gained, it is useless unless one knows how to determine what gift or gifts he possesses and how to apply them in ministry for the glory of God. The misuse as well as the failure to use spiritual gifts by a believer can cause the Body of Christ to function improperly, as well as bring legitimate criticism from the unsaved world. It is then vital that every believer understand what gift or gifts he possesses and how to develop and use those gifts for the glory of God.
In determining what gifts a believer may possess, it is important to begin with the understanding that the Holy Spirit distributes gifts according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:11) at the moment a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. While prayer is essential in determining what gifts a believer may possess, prayer cannot acquire any gift. It is futile for a believer to ask God for a particular gift. To borrow from the illustration of the body that the apostle Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 12, it would be similar to the leg saying to the head, “I would really like to be used like an eye. Will you give me that ability?” The leg is already a leg and placed on the body to do the function of a leg. All believers, from the moment they are saved, already are placed in the Body of Christ and gifted to perform a certain function that cannot be altered. But while prayer cannot acquire a gift, as with every other aspect of the Christian life, prayer is essential in determining what gifts a believer already possesses. Believers should pray for illumination from the Holy Spirit in understanding what gifts have been distributed to them.
A believer also needs to understand what gifts are presently operative in the Church. If you were looking for a particular object and were told that it is found in a box sitting on a table, and you begin to look in a box on the floor, you will not find what you are looking for. Likewise, seeking gifts that are no longer operative is futile.
As emphasized in the section dealing with the permanent gifts, every believer is partly responsible for the accomplishment or ministry of every spiritual gift. While not all may be gifted as evangelists, every Christian is responsible to evangelize the lost. While not every Christian may be gifted with the gift of exhortation, every Christian is responsible for exhorting other Christians (1 Thes. 5:11). Therefore, it is profitable for a believer to look for ministry opportunities where every operative gift can be employed. It is here that the answer to the believer’s prayer for illumination can be found.
In the definition of spiritual gifts, it was stated that a spiritual gift enables the believer to perform a ministry with relative ease and success compared to the person who does not possess that gift. The word “relative” must be emphasized. Possessing a spiritual gift does not mean that the possessor will automatically and perfectly succeed in that particular ministry or that ease means a ministry can be accomplished with a complete lack of effort. In the exercise of any and every spiritual gift, the believer will be ministering to a person who has a will that can either obey or disobey the will of God. Therefore, success is not automatic. In the same manner, the person with the gift of teaching does not simply open his mouth and expect the right words to come forth. Time must be spent in study to prepare the lesson to be taught in an orderly, coherent fashion.
This definition, then, gives two clues to the possession of a spiritual gift. First, the believer will find that he has an aptitude toward accomplishing a certain ministry. There also may be a delight in the exercising of his gift. A consuming desire to evangelize the lost will be found in the person who is gifted as an evangelist. The person who has the gift of showing mercy or helps will find that they can appreciate or empathize with a person who is enduring some affliction.
Secondly, in the administration of the gift, the ministry will be regularly productive. The evangelist generally will be successful in leading people to Christ. The person with the gift of teaching will be able to convey spiritual truth so that the student comprehends it. It is necessary to reiterate that the possession of a spiritual gift does not guarantee success or accomplishment of a ministry, but at the same time, the Holy Spirit does not gift a believer for the purpose of failure. A regular success in the accomplishment of a ministry is a good indication of the possession of a spiritual gift.
A third clue emanates from the first two clues. Generally, the person ministered to will appreciate the believer’s exercise of a spiritual gift and recognize its existence by giving a testimony of gratitude. It may be too that others will recognize the possession of a spiritual gift as they simply observe the believer in his or her ministry.
When all three of these clues are recognized, it is safe to conclude the presence of a spiritual gift. There will be an inner compulsion for the exercise of the gift, an outward recognition or appreciation of the exercise of the gift and an upward blessing upon the exercise of the gift in accomplishment of its intended purpose.
The recognition of the presence or absence of spiritual gifts is vital to the Christian in prioritizing how to spend their time in ministry. A person who possesses the gift of exhortation may want to consider a counseling ministry, but a person who does not possess that gift should look to minister in that capacity as a “full-time” ministry.
Developing the Potential of Spiritual Gifts - In the same manner as a new believer is positionally perfect in Christ while yet experientially imperfect, a new believer possesses a perfect spiritual gift while the exercise of it may be imperfect. There are a number of passages of Scripture that speak to the development and exercise of spiritual gifts.
Paul writes to Timothy and exhorts him not to neglect the gift that is in him (1 Timothy 4:14). In that the gift was received by the laying on of hands by the presbytery, the gift in view was not a spiritual gift. I believe that this gift is related to his call to vocational ministry and the exercise of it in a pastoral ministry. While the gift may not be a spiritual gift, the exhortation not to neglect it can certainly be applied to spiritual gifts. The old adage of “practice makes perfect” is certainly applicable here. Paul also instructs Timothy to “Study to show himself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) An ongoing study of the Scriptures, particularly those passages related to a Christian ministry, is beneficial to the development of spiritual gifts.
A second passage is found in 1 Corinthians 13. This famous passage of Scripture is generally referred to as The Love Chapter, but unfortunately it generally is pulled out of its context. 1 Corinthians 12 to 14 is a passage dealing with the exercise of spiritual gifts, and the twelfth chapter deals with the use of those gifts being motivated by love for the recipient rather than pride of accomplishment by the person who possesses a gift. The natural man wants to believe that he is something special in that God has given him something extraordinary such as a spiritual gift. And when that gift is used successfully, the natural man wants to believe that he is better than others in the body of Christ. My friend and mentor, Dr. Paul Reiter, often said that, “Man is the most curious of God’s creation. Pat him on the back and his head swells.” For spiritual gifts to be truly successful in their use, the possessor of the gift must learn to exercise the gift out of a heart of love and not for self-aggrandizement.
A third passage is found in 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul’s analogy of the physical body. The individual members of the body cannot function independently, but cooperatively with the other parts of the body. In order for the body to move forward, the leg and foot must move according to the brain’s instruction. But in order that the leg and the foot do not stumble in moving forward, the eyes must locate potential obstacles. In the same manner, no one spiritual gift can work effectively apart from the effective functioning of other spiritual gifts. McRae notes the harmony that should exist between the evangelist and the teacher. He writes, “One introduces the unbeliever to salvation, the other introduces him to the Christian life. One is the obstetrician, the other is the pediatrician. “[1]
Conclusion - Imagine giving a child an expensive gift for Christmas. The gift will enable the child to mature and become a man of godly character who can affect the well-being of others and be appreciated by all who come in contact with him. Unfortunately, the child does not appreciate either the value or purpose of the gift and lays it aside for some toy that may provide immediate amusement, but no significant benefit to his person. How would you feel? At the very least you would be disappointed, but more than likely you would be rightfully angry. Now imagine the heart of God when He bestows spiritual gifts to His children and they do not appreciate either their value or purpose and put them aside for some silly amusement. God help us to be appreciative of, thankful for and faithful in the use of spiritual gifts.
[1] McRae, Dynamics Of Spiritual Gifts, p. 60.