How to get the Gifts of the Spirit working?

[KeptByTheWord]

God does not need us to work out His will. He can use an animal if He so chooses.

However, I believe because of His great love and mercy, He DESIRES to use willing, submitted and consecrated vessels to work as He wills.

And, it does seem that once a gift is given to someone, that after the initial giving, that gift can be used in a life that is not submitted or consecrated to God, which is certainly something I don't understand, but have certainly seen it many times.

I believe that is why we are taught NOT to follow signs and wonders. It is a very complicated, intricate thing that we are talking about here, and most of all, we must be led by the Spirit of the Lord.

If a person was once used in the Spirit mightily, and has become lifted up, arrogant, and proud because of the use of that gift, the Spirit of the Lord departs, and yet, the gift can remain. It is for this reason that people have been led astray, following signs, and wonders, and gifts operating through the life of an unconsecrated vessel, to their own destruction. I am thinking of William Branham for instance.

We are never to follow signs, wonders, prophecies, and supernatural events. All of these things should point us to Jesus, and never to follow flesh, but that is exactly what usually happens. People see the gift of the spirit operating in someone's life, and turn their focus from Jesus, and begin to put that person on a pedestal, so to speak, and in turn, that person can begin to have pride, and we all know what happens when you have pride, it comes before a fall.

So in essence, if the gifts of the spirit are in operation in a person's life, we should not lift up or worship the vessel that is operating the gifts, but give all glory to God. When the glory shifts to the vessel, instead of the Lord, then the spirit of the Lord will depart, as he will not share his glory with another, and that person may or may not continue to have gifts, but they won't be edifying to the church.

It is a dangerous thing to receive the gift, and then begin to believe that you are "something special" because the Lord was gracious enough to give it to you. HOW one chooses to live and operate that gift, will in turn depend on how edifying to the church that gift will be.

Truly, it has already been said in this post before... the only way to receive and keep a gift that is edifying to the church is to stay consecrated, and not allow people to worship you because you are operating supernatually, but always turn that focus to the Lord, and never let yourself even receive a bit of the glory. Never. God will not share His glory with another, and if you desire to keep the gift operational, and beneficial to the church, you must be willing to always give God the glory.

I do believe more teaching does need to be done in this area, so people can understand that we are not to worship the gift, but the GIVER who gave the gift... and to not worship the vessel who operates the gift, but to worship the GIVER through whom all blessings flow.

[votivesoul]

There is no special button that can be pressed in the Spirit to turn them on or off. God is sovereign. He administrates and operates according to His own pleasure.

But they are available to all born again believers. Their availability is without question. God has made a way for them to be ever-present among His people.

For them to occur more often requires some very simple, yet often overlooked truths.

We want to talk anointing and consecration, and stepping out by faith, and a lot of other things. These are all surface. We must get to the depths.

Depth #1: The More Excellent Way

Without agape love, the gifts are pointless. 1 Corinthians 13 is too often ignored or untaught. Agape is more important than faith and hope.

So what is agape love? It's a principle of God. It's not even emotional or relational, although those kinds of love usually grow from agape. Agape is or can be sacrificial. But ultimately, agape is the divine expression of the person of God. God is agape (1 John 4:8).

But what does that mean? Well, take a look at 1 Corinthians 13, and the list we so often hear at weddings: love is patient, love is kind, and etc. Insert the word agape (since this is the Greek word) and think of God. God is patient, God is kind, and etc.

And because we know that God never changes (Malachi 3:6), neither does the nature of His agape. This means God and His agape DO NOT COMPROMISE, hence the principle.

Emotional feeling and relational affection often lead people into areas that they should not go. Feelings and affections can lead to all sorts of sin. But agape never does, because it is of God.

People who are born of God overcome the world and do not sin (1 John 5:4 & 18). We know we are of God and that we truly love Him when we keep His commandments (1 John 5:3). Keeping God's commandments is the first and really only step in having one's agape perfected (1 John 2:5 and 1 John 4:18).

But what does this have to do with the charismata of the Spirit? Everything! Why? Because it goes to motive. The Gifts of the Spirit, being so readily available, can be faked and abused. Even the devil can give someone a "word of knowledge", so-called, since he knows secrets no other person can know, about another individual.

The More Excellent Way is aware of this, and if agape is present in the one God moves upon, then the Gifts will never be faked or abused by that person.

Depth #2: Unity

Active agape in the saints ALWAYS brings about unity in the people of God.

Ephesians 4:2-3,

2. ...forbearing one another in [agape];
3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit...

When we forbear one another in agape, it helps us keep the unity of the Spirit.

Where there is no unity of the Spirit, the Gifts of the Spirit never authentically operate. God is not mocked. He knows whether or not His people are loving each other the way He commands them to.

We are to have the same care for each other. There should be no schism (i.e. dis-unity) in the Body (1 Corinthians 12:25). If there is schism, it's because not everyone in the assembly is being cared for at the appropriate level. When this schism occurs, it's because of a lack of agape, the more excellent way. When agape is missing and dis-unity occurs, we stop forbearing one another, and the more excellent way of agape is thrown out the window.

This is a shame, but even worse, it's a poor reflection on the divine essence of the nature of God, which is agape. Without this kind of active, principled love among the brethren, we cannot show a single soul we are of God and that we have overcome the world. We are not born of God, and so, we sin, being yet carnal. Carnal believers should never expect a single true Gift of the Spirit to occur.

Depth 3#: The Profit of All

The Gifts of the Spirit, as a manifestation or revelation of the Spirit being active in a local church, is "...given to every man to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:7).

What does "profit withal" mean?

It means to carry or bear a burden together in order to contribute or help one another.

The Spirit will only manifest Itself through charismata if and only if this reason is present. If people are selfish, and only want a move of God for themselves, or get jealous when God heals someone else and not them (instead of rejoicing with that person a la 1 Corinthians 12:26), or think they are the only worthy vessel to be used by God in the Gifts, or plainly just don't like the brother or sister next to them, you had better believe God knows, and He won't let His Spirit do much of anything except perhaps move on a leader or elder to reprove the assembly for the discord being caused by person or persons unknown. God may then touch a prophet to speak a message of repentance, but not much else.

But when a church is totally in agape love with each other and God, and they all have the same care for each other, they all want to pitch in and help carry the burden/load their brother or sister is bearing, when they despise schism/dis-unity, and so forbear one another, rejoicing with them that rejoice, or weeping with them that weep, suffering together, you had better believe the charismata of the Spirit will be on constant display at the discretion of a Sovereign God who is more than willing to let His presence be manifested in such a way.

[renee819]

Votive wrote,

We are to have the same care for each other. There should be no schism (i.e. dis-unity) in the Body (1 Corinthians 12:25). If there is schism, it's because not everyone in the assembly is being cared for at the appropriate level. When this schism occurs, it's because of a lack of agape, the more excellent way. When agape is missing and dis-unity occurs, we stop forbearing one another, and the more excellent way of agape is thrown out the window.

This is a shame, but even worse, it's a poor reflection on the divine essence of the nature of God, which is agape. Without this kind of active, principled love among the brethren, we cannot show a single soul we are of God and that we have overcome the world. We are not born of God, and so, we sin, being yet carnal. Carnal believers should never expect a single true Gift of the Spirit to occur.

Depth 3#: The Profit of All

The Gifts of the Spirit, as a manifestation or revelation of the Spirit being active in a local church, is "...given to every man to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:7).

What does "profit withal" mean?

It means to carry or bear a burden together in order to contribute or help one another.

The Spirit will only manifest Itself through charismata if and only if this reason is present. If people are selfish, and only want a move of God for themselves, or get jealous when God heals someone else and not them (instead of rejoicing with that person a la 1 Corinthians 12:26), or think they are the only worthy vessel to be used by God in the Gifts, or plainly just don't like the brother or sister next to them, you had better believe God knows, and He won't let His Spirit do much of anything except perhaps move on a leader or elder to reprove the assembly for the discord being caused by person or persons unknown. God may then touch a prophet to speak a message of repentance, but not much else.

But when a church is totally in agape love with each other and God, and they all have the same care for each other, they all want to pitch in and help carry the burden/load their brother or sister is bearing, when they despise schism/dis-unity, and so forbear one another, rejoicing with them that rejoice, or weeping with them that weep, suffering together, you had better believe the charismata of the Spirit will be on constant display at the discretion of a Sovereign God who is more than willing to let His presence be manifested in such a way.

Votive, this is great teaching and explains a lot.

I have went into some churches, actually many, and you feel the deadness there. The music may be great. The minister preach a good sermon. And you can even feel the love of God in some of the people. And yet you still feel the deadness.

We live in the age, when most think more of themselves than they do each other. We were even warned about this age. I remember my mother saying so many times, "People don't love each other any more." That was 50-60 years ago. today she would probably say, 'that love has left the earth."
Well we know that God is love, and God hasn't left the earth. but I am afraid, agape love is only displayed in people full of God's Spirit, and have been taught how to let that love flow.

I'm beginning to see, even though we need more teaching on the Gifts, there is a greater need for teaching on how to let the love of God flow thru us to others.

If a person has the Holy Ghost, the love of God is there. But too many of us, me included are too shy to reveal it.

I remember probably 50 years ago, I was selling something door to door. I knocked on this lady's door, and as soon as I started talking to her, I could feel such love of God, I had to ask her, where she went to church. It turned out, she was Trinitarian, but she had the Holy Ghost.

When I left, I was perplexed, she was Trinitarian and yet I felt the love of God in her. I had to come to the conclusion, it was the Holy Ghost that I felt.
We've got to let the Holy Ghost have it's way, in showing UNFEINGED love of God thru us. The real thing.

[renee819]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

God does not need us to work out His will. He can use an animal if He so chooses.

However, I believe because of His great love and mercy, He DESIRES to use willing, submitted and consecrated vessels to work as He wills.

And, it does seem that once a gift is given to someone, that after the initial giving, that gift can be used in a life that is not submitted or consecrated to God, which is certainly something I don't understand, but have certainly seen it many times.

I believe that is why we are taught NOT to follow signs and wonders. It is a very complicated, intricate thing that we are talking about here, and most of all, we must be led by the Spirit of the Lord.

If a person was once used in the Spirit mightily, and has become lifted up, arrogant, and proud because of the use of that gift, the Spirit of the Lord departs, and yet, the gift can remain. It is for this reason that people have been led astray, following signs, and wonders, and gifts operating through the life of an unconsecrated vessel, to their own destruction. I am thinking of William Branham for instance.

We are never to follow signs, wonders, prophecies, and supernatural events. All of these things should point us to Jesus, and never to follow flesh, but that is exactly what usually happens. People see the gift of the spirit operating in someone's life, and turn their focus from Jesus, and begin to put that person on a pedestal, so to speak, and in turn, that person can begin to have pride, and we all know what happens when you have pride, it comes before a fall.

So in essence, if the gifts of the spirit are in operation in a person's life, we should not lift up or worship the vessel that is operating the gifts, but give all glory to God. When the glory shifts to the vessel, instead of the Lord, then the spirit of the Lord will depart, as he will not share his glory with another, and that person may or may not continue to have gifts, but they won't be edifying to the church.

It is a dangerous thing to receive the gift, and then begin to believe that you are "something special" because the Lord was gracious enough to give it to you. HOW one chooses to live and operate that gift, will in turn depend on how edifying to the church that gift will be.

Truly, it has already been said in this post before... the only way to receive and keep a gift that is edifying to the church is to stay consecrated, and not allow people to worship you because you are operating supernatually, but always turn that focus to the Lord, and never let yourself even receive a bit of the glory. Never. God will not share His glory with another, and if you desire to keep the gift operational, and beneficial to the church, you must be willing to always give God the glory.

I do believe more teaching does need to be done in this area, so people can understand that we are not to worship the gift, but the GIVER who gave the gift... and to not worship the vessel who operates the gift, but to worship the GIVER through whom all blessings flow.

AMEN, Kept. I believe that should be our guide. Does it edify? Warn? Guide in some way?
If every person the church, used their gift, then there shouldn't be hero worship, nor even jealousy. And I do believe that every person that receives the Holy Ghost also receives one or more gifts.