The Holy Spirit wants to be an active part of a Jesus-follower’s life. The Holy Spirit is active in the salvation process. It is through the Holy Spirit that a believer is sanctified. And the Holy Spirit wants to supercharge the believer’s life.
When we abide in Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit is the result. Our life will naturally produce – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These should be evident in every believer’s life.
In addition to the fruit of the Spirit, the Bible talks about various gifts of the Spirit. These are given by the Spirit to individual believers and are “essential for spreading the gospel, leading the church, building up believers, and serving others as an example of God’s love.” (What Are Spiritual Gifts?)
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.”
– 1 Cor 12:4 NIV
The most concise lists are in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. I’ve listed them below. In the following article you can find definitions and specific Scripture references.
| Romans 12 | 1 Corinthians 12 |
|---|---|
| exhortation giving leadership mercy prophecy service teaching | administration apostle discernment faith healings helps knowledge miracles prophecy teaching tongues tongues interpretation wisdom |
| Ephesians 4 | Various Passages |
|---|---|
| apostleship evangelism pastoring prophecy teaching | celibacy hospitality martyrdom missionary voluntary poverty |
If you’d like to learn more about each of the gifts and how they are used, we encourage you to take the time to listen to a 30 week sermon series by Skip Heitzig at Calvary Church that he preached in 1987; titled “Holy Spirit“.
But…you’re probably wondering, “Has the Holy Spirit given me a gift?” The following online test will help you discover what gifts the Holy Spirit may be giving you!