The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Every Christian has received a spiritual gift from God. These spiritual gifts are the operation of the Holy Spirit within us. They are a manifestation of the grace of God, and they are the way that we serve God here on the earth.

We are commanded to minister these gifts one to another (1 Peter 4:10). These spiritual gifts are the means by which the body of Christ is edified. We are to be good stewards of this grace of God inside us, using this grace well in order to build up the body of Christ.

A steward is a person who manages the wealth of his master. Our master is Jesus, and he has given us spiritual riches. We are to minister these spiritual riches to each other, employing them for the advancement of our Lord’s kingdom on the earth. As we minister these gifts, we lay up heavenly treasure and gain eternal rewards.

The New Testament lists many different spiritual gifts. 5 of these major gifts are listed in Ephesians 4:11. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers are 5 ministry positions in the church that are based on spiritual gifts. It is only possible to function in these ministries by spiritual gift. It is impossible to perform these ministries by natural ability.

Ephesians 4 says that God has given these 5 ministry positions “for the perfecting of the saints” (Eph. 4:12). Everyone who believes in Jesus is a saint of God according to the New Testament. When the saints are perfected, it means that they become mature. The 5 ministry positions are to disciple each believer so they grow into spiritual maturity and can function in their spiritual gifts.

As the saints become mature, they are able to do “the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12). Every Christian is called to serve God in some way. This is because everyone has a spiritual gift. Not all spiritual gifts are very visible. Not all spiritual gifts are able to function in the church meeting on Sunday. However, all spiritual gifts need to function. This means that we need to meet regularly as believers, both inside the church meeting and outside the church meeting. We need strong relationships in the body of Christ, and we need healthy Christian community. Within Christian fellowship spiritual gifts will become revealed and operate. This is because spiritual gifts are primarily given “for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

To edify means literally to build. God is building his church, and he is doing so through the spiritual gifts that operate within each Christian. The church can only grow as each member ministers. When this happens, the body grows into maturity. When some members do not function in their spiritual gifts, then the body cannot grow to its full potential. It is important to expose ourselves to fellowship and to anointed servants of God, especially to the 5 ministries. This will activate our spiritual gifts.

The church will continue to be built until several things happen.

1. “We all come into the unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13). God has a remnant of faithful believers all over the world, and these believers will all come into the unity of the faith. They will be united with Jesus in following the New Testament, and they will throw out all religious traditions of men.
2. We all come “to the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13). We know Jesus now, but only in measure. God desires us to know him as he is, in his fullness. As we have an increasing revelation of Jesus, we are transformed into his image. Someday, the church will see Jesus as he is.
3. We all come “unto a perfect man” (Eph. 4:13). Someday the body of Christ will become mature. She will be fully submitted to her head, Jesus Christ. Then she will be perfect. This word perfect in Greek means mature. One mature man, all over the world – that’s the goal of the church. Then the church will be filled with the fullness of God and radiate his glory into the world.
4. We all come “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Christ has a very tall spiritual stature. Someday, the church will attain to this stature. It might be hard to believe this is possible, but it will. God says it, so it will happen.
5. So that “we are no longer spiritual babies” (Eph 4:14). Spiritual babies are immature. They are blown about by winds of deception. They are not grounded on the words and teachings of Christ and his apostles, but are easily swayed by false teachings and demonic power. We need to become mature so that we are spiritually stable.

The body of Christ will be built by “that which every joint supplies, according to the effective working in the measure of every part” (Eph. 4:16). We all have a role to play, and we all have a responsibility. Let us be faithful stewards with what God has given us.

Spiritual gifts will become manifested within the church. They will will operate within Christian fellowship, and they will fulfill their purpose as they edify Christ’s body. All gifts can not function in the church meeting, but they will operate in other Christian meetings, groups, and through relationships. As these spiritual gifts operate, the body of Christ will be built. Then she will fulfill her glorious purpose.