The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit Series

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

Isaiah 11:1-5

When I began this week’s study, I have to admit that I went, “Yeah! This is week is going to be good!” because this idea has underpinnings that tell us of vast and great discernment about this world that we can tap in to. The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit gives believers spiritual abilities and/or gifts….miraculous abilities. There are a few scriptures I want you to read this week about them. They are:

1 Corinthians 12, 14 and Ephesians 4 [Spiritual gifts]

>>>How do you see the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating today? What type of Christian has it/fully utilizes them? Is it just for the charismatic movement? Let’s look at them and define them. I want to jump right into these gifts and spend some time trying to understand what exactly they are.

>>>First off, have you ever read this scripture in reference to the Holy Spirit?

>>>Did you know it existed? Perhaps you have not been as aware of certain aspects of the Holy Spirit just simply because this type of sermon series is not that common? Let’s learn a bit about this then

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are:

Wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety and Fear of the Lord [meaning wonder and awe].

• Wisdom: Is the ability for us as humans to actually love spiritual things versus the material world that we see in front of us. Loving to tithe and giving a full tithe stem from this.

• Understanding: When we have spiritual understanding, we can comprehend how we need to operate as followers of Jesus daily. B A person with understanding is not confused by the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live versus what God says. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known.

• Counsel (right judgment): with the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus. It involves the giving as wel as the receiving of council and the ability to discern which is Godly.

• Fortitude : with the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or physical harm. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil.

• Knowledge: with the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.

• Piety (reverence): with the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father.

• Fear of the Lord (wonder and awe): with the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Thomas Aquinas said that four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God.

In some respects, the gifts are similar to the 7 virtues.

>>>What are the 7 virtues? They are a list of seven heavenly virtues, to oppose the seven deadly sins. They appear in a poem entitled Battle/Contest of the Soul. It was written by Aurelius Prudentius, he was a Christian governor who died around 410 A.D. It talks about the battle between good virtues and evil vices. What we must note as a huge difference is that the 7 virtues operate under the influence of human reason (prompted by grace), whereas the gifts operate under the influence of the Holy Spirit; the first can be used when we want, but the latter operate only when the Holy Spirit wishes or where it resides.