The Holy Spirit THE GIFTS ARE FOR SERVICE
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 1 Cor. 12:1.
It is the work of the Spirit to empower for service. Here is where the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit are seen. It is under this work of the Spirit that the gifts of the Spirit are given. Here is where we see such things as prophecy and tongues and healings and miracles. The supernatural manifestations are always given for service.
No one gets the gifts of the Spirit, and empowering for service, without having first received the fruits of the Spirit through the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. In the genuine working of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit come before the gifts. This tells us that we cannot expect a drunk coming out of the gutter and wandering into a gospel meeting somewhere to suddenly get the gifts of the Spirit, just because someone places hands on his head. You can't expect that.
There was a man in Phoenix who was having a terrible time. He beat his wife, and yelled at his kids, and broke the furniture, and got drunk. One night, as a completely discouraged man, a backslider, he was considering suicide. He passed a tent, but went back in to the meeting. Someone put his hands on him, and he "got the Holy Spirit." He began "talking in tongues" right there. What would you make of that?
Not only did he talk in tongues but following this experience he quit beating his wife, and breaking the furniture, and all the rest of it. It appeared that victory came to him through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
If you will study the subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will discover that they are never given to change a person's life. They are not to make us holy, they are not to make us happy. They are to make us useful. Any other use and purpose for the gifts of the Holy Spirit is a deception. It is the fruit of the Spirit that brings transformation of life. And not until that has happened are the gifts of the Spirit given. You can never find the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit given anywhere in the Bible for the purpose of transforming or cleansing. They are always for service and witness. If you have this sequence clearly in mind, you have tools with which to face the spectacular manifestations of today without being deceived.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 1 Cor. 12:1.
It is the work of the Spirit to empower for service. Here is where the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit are seen. It is under this work of the Spirit that the gifts of the Spirit are given. Here is where we see such things as prophecy and tongues and healings and miracles. The supernatural manifestations are always given for service.
No one gets the gifts of the Spirit, and empowering for service, without having first received the fruits of the Spirit through the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. In the genuine working of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit come before the gifts. This tells us that we cannot expect a drunk coming out of the gutter and wandering into a gospel meeting somewhere to suddenly get the gifts of the Spirit, just because someone places hands on his head. You can't expect that.
There was a man in Phoenix who was having a terrible time. He beat his wife, and yelled at his kids, and broke the furniture, and got drunk. One night, as a completely discouraged man, a backslider, he was considering suicide. He passed a tent, but went back in to the meeting. Someone put his hands on him, and he "got the Holy Spirit." He began "talking in tongues" right there. What would you make of that?
Not only did he talk in tongues but following this experience he quit beating his wife, and breaking the furniture, and all the rest of it. It appeared that victory came to him through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
If you will study the subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will discover that they are never given to change a person's life. They are not to make us holy, they are not to make us happy. They are to make us useful. Any other use and purpose for the gifts of the Holy Spirit is a deception. It is the fruit of the Spirit that brings transformation of life. And not until that has happened are the gifts of the Spirit given. You can never find the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit given anywhere in the Bible for the purpose of transforming or cleansing. They are always for service and witness. If you have this sequence clearly in mind, you have tools with which to face the spectacular manifestations of today without being deceived.
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