Charismatic Gifts are spiritual endowments given to the born again believers, as tools of ministers to the body of Christ and the unsaved. These are not taught but received by the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever heard someone say, of the gifts, “I have to heal”, or I have the prophecy?” The more accurate statement would be, “God uses me in the gifts of healing, or “God uses me in prophecy.”
These blessings do not belong to the believer, but to God. They flow from our vessel as He chooses, for a particular case. If Someone loans you their lawnmower to cut their yard, you can not say that mower is yours! So is it with charismatic gifts or gifts of the spirit.
The Charismatic Gifts
As a believer, baptized in the Holy Ghost, God will use you in His charismatic gifts if you are willing to be used. You can not pull these spiritual abilities out of a hat, at will. It doesn’t work that way. Rather, these abilities will flow through a believer, when God gives him the proper tool, (gift) at the proper time, to perform a certain operation. (as God wills)
1Corinthians 12:11 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to other 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.
When I pray for someone, I always ask God to meet that person’s need. Often He will give me a word of faith or a word of knowledge, or release healing to that person. God knows what we need and desire to minister to others`. It is true, however, that those who walk in certain spiritual Offices will be used regularly in certain gifts. We will discuss that we talk about the 5-fold ministry.
In I Corinthians 12, you will see an account of the nine gifts of the spirit. Each gift has a purpose and a function and is released at God’s timing. The gifts of the spirit, are spiritual tools given to every believer to use to develop the kingdom of God. They are used for winning souls to the Lord, for ministering to the body of Christ and as a sign to the unbeliever. When the Spirit of God reveals the heart and life of the unbeliever, his eyes and heart become open to God.
You Don’t Own Charismatic Gifts
A gift is, “something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.” Ephesians 4:7, 8.
God uses the Open and the Willing
The gifts of the Spirit, are not given necessarily because of years of spiritual piety, but to any believer who has the faith to believe that they can be used by God. Every believer has, at least, one gift of the Spirit. These gifts will manifest at any time the Lord needs that gift in operation.
No one owns the Gifts of the Spirit, they are total on loan to the believer, to be used as the Spirit deems necessary. I have heard some people say, I have all nine Gifts of the Spirit, but the truth of the matter is, that person may have at one time or another been used in each of the Nine Gifts of the Spirit.
If you want to be used in God gifts, simply tell him, “Lord I am open to you. Use me in the Gifts of the spirit!’