Being A Disciple of Jesus Christ
Lesson 6
The Gifts of Perception
When Jesus walked the earth, He performed many signs, miracles and wonders: sick were healed, dead raised, miracles performed. The question naturally arises: how and by whose power? The answer is clearly given in Scripture.
Joh 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
In the same way, Christ has given the Gifts of the Spirit to the church, so that believers may also manifest the same power. This is clearly seen after Christ’s ascension, since the Apostles performed many miracles and acts of power.
Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
There are three different views concerning miracles
- That miracles stopped after the time of the apostles
This view is really based on unbelief and ignorance not only to the Word of God but also to what God is doing around the world. If you look around the world today at what God is doing he is moving in power He is doing he is raising up a Pentecostal, spirit filled, signs and wonders church. Whenever God moves in revival there is always an associated revival in the power gifts especially in miracles and healing
- That God is sovereign, and he chooses who he does miracles for
This view is really based on experience on why do some people recieve miracles and other don’t
Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism
- That it is God’s will to move on our behalf in signs and wonders
This view is based on the Word of God, it’s based on faith and in having an understanding of the will and character of God. The word SAVED in the Greek is the word sozo, which has been translated into several ways. Saved: (Sozo) To save, to heal, to deliver, to give peace, prosperity, to preserve from danger and to make completely whole.
As much as we believe that it is God’s will to save everyone, we can believe it is God’s will to heal and deliver and give peace to everyone that will receive it by faith. Rom 12:2
The will of God is not based on ignorance, it’s not based on experience, God’s will is only ever clearly understood by the renewing of our minds according to the Word of God
Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Paul clearly outlines the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Cor 12:8-11, which falls naturally into three groups of three each. There are three gifts of revelation, three of power, and three of inspiration. The third group contains the three vocal groups.
1 Cor 12:8-11 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
The nine gifts can be divided into three categories.
1. Gifts of perception
- Word of knowledge
- Discerning of Spirits
- Wisdom
2. Gifts of power
- Gift of Faith
- Gift of Miracles
- Gift of Healings
3. Gifts of proclamation
- Other tongues
- Interpretation of Other Tongues
- Gift of Prophecy
1 Cor 12:11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to reproduce the life of Jesus in you, to take in all the tremendous powers within Him, and to reproduce it in your life, to the place where Christ actually lives in the NOW, in flesh, in spirit and in mind. 2 Pet 1:3
God is wanting to transform our lives from living just out of the natural realm to a place where we are living out of the supernatural realm, participate in the divine nature of God
We can overcome, even in our natural tendency of feelings of inadequacy, through the power of the life of Jesus imparted to us through these nine gifts of the Spirit. Rom 8:11
A gift of the spirit is Christ manifesting himself by the spirit through one person to others.
1Cor12:1 “Spiritual” can be translated “supernatural”. Amplified Bible: “The special endowments of supernatural energy” Thus they are from above, and outside of the person’s natural ability or agency. They are the charisma or the free graces of God.
The Gifts of perception
The Word of wisdom
Wisdom and knowledge are very closely related. Knowledge is wisdom learnt and wisdom is knowledge applied. Generally speaking, the word of knowledge applies to that which is known of the past and present. The word of wisdom reveals the future and how to act. Like a word of knowledge, God can give us a word of wisdom. God can give us a word of wisdom for our circumstances. Or he can give us a word of wisdom for others.
- All wisdom is not imputed. The bearer of the gift does not become all- wise. We are given a portion of the wisdom of God for that moment of time.
- Wisdom is the supernatural information that we can apply to our lives. It is the supernatural revelation by the Spirit, to give us an answer or information needed at that moment.
What a word of wisdom is not.
- It is not natural wisdom or a permanent ability to decide issues or discern essentials.
- It is not on-going administrative wisdom.
- It is not on-going intelligence.
What a word of wisdom is.
It is a supernatural revelation for a divine purpose. God can give us divine wisdom for a specific purpose or situation.
The word of knowledge
The word of knowledge is the supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. It is the supernatural revelation of facts previously unknown, unperceived and indiscoverable to man unless God Himself chooses to reveal it. A divinely granted flash of knowledge by the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. God can give us a word of wisdom for our own circumstances or a word of knowledge to help someone else.
“It is the supernatural revelation of FACTS: past, present or future, which were not learned through the efforts of the natural mind. It may be described as the mind of Christ being manifested in the mind of the believer and is given when needed in a flash of time.”
1 Cor 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The word of knowledge is not:
- Natural learning.
- Great knowledge of the Bible.
- A substitute for study.
What it is.
- It is “A” word of knowledge.
- A single revelation that the spirits reveals to us
The discerning of spirits
This supernatural gift is to discern spiritual activity and the nature of the spirits that are involved. In every situation there can be three spirits that are in operation. Our spirit, which is the spirit of man, God’s Spirit which is the Holy Spirit and demonic spirits. The gift of discernment will help us to distinguish which spirit is at work in our lives or in people’s lives.
If we keep in mind that we are in a spiritual warfare, it will stand us in good stead. Satan’s strategy is to counterfeit, infiltrate and oppose the gifts of the Spirit. Frequently, these counterfeits are so close that they can confuse one who is not equipped to discern the difference. Acts 16:16-18.
The purpose of the gift.
To enable the people of God to really know the difference between what is from the Lord and what is not.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
The discerning of spirits assists in:
- Delivering the afflicted, oppressed and tormented.
- Discovering a servant of the devil.
- Hindering and checking the plans of the devil.
- Exposing plausible error.
- Unmasking demon miracle workers.
- Revealing demonic activity, dumb spirits, blind spirits, and deaf spirits.
- Revealing the spirit of infirmity.
- Revealing the spirit of lunacy.
The use of the gift.
There are cases where people are possessed with devils. The gift of discerning of spirits will enable the worker to approach these cases with knowledge and understanding. Then with Christ-like authority these spirits can be cast out. Discerning of spirits reveals the source of supernatural manifestation.