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Spiritual Gifts Index
Motivational Gifts
Prophecy
Ministry
Teaching
Exhortation
Giving
Ruling
Mercy
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Unless otherwise noted, all of the information concerning
Spiritual Gifts has been compiled by me, John Lounsberry.
It is my desire that you will benefit from this information.
My first introduction to a Biblical teaching on Spiritual
Gifts was in a leadership conference of Basic Youth
Conflicts on the campus of UCLA in 1971. Since then, I have
come across other Bible teachers who have added their insight to my
understanding of the subject.
The material presented here is a compilation of over thirty years
of study and personal experience. Any place where an author or teacher
is quoted directly will be noted with quotation marks and
an acknowledgement of their contribution.
I would like to especially thank Jackson Snyder, for
allowing us to use his Spiritual Gifts Survey.
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ONE GOD
Scripture tells us that there is one God who made covenant with mankind. This covenant gave
man dominion over the earth and all that is in it. We further find that God has revealed Himself
in three different functions. God, as The Father, sent Jesus The Son, to become legal on earth
by taking on a body.
Because God's covenant was with mankind, it was necessary for Jesus to come as a man. This
gave Jesus the legal right to participate in sealing the covenant for mankind. When Jesus died
on the cross for us, God was in essence entering into covenant with Himself.
This was the ultimate in communication. Jesus, also known as The Word, communicated with us (mankind)
how we could receive redemption from God.
In order for Jesus to become the communication of God to man, it was necessary for Him to
actually become a member of the human race. Once this was done, Jesus could no longer be omnipresent.
He would have to, for all of eternity, limit Himself to being in one place at one time.
This is why Jesus said, "It is expedient for you that I go away. If I do not go away, then The
Spirit cannot come to you."
THE LAW MUST BE FULFILLED
Because God cannot lie, everything that He says becomes law for eternity! The statement was
made in the first covenant (found in the Old Testament, the Torah, and in the Koran), that sin
must be paid for by death. This was a law that had to be obeyed!
ANIMAL SACRIFICES
We find in scripture, that God instituted a temporary way that mankind could continue to live
and, to a limited extent, still have a relationship with God. The concept of using the death of
animals to pay for the sins of mankind was begun.
Once each year, the high priest would sacrifice an animal to atone (cover) the sins of the
people. This would be in effect for one year. Then, the next year, the process was repeated.
This did not do away with sin. Rather, in it's atoning (covering) of the sins, they were in
essence, put forward to the next year when with each subsequent sacrifice, the sins of each
previous year were moved forward another year.
When Jesus came to reconcile mankind back to God, it was necessary to account for all of the
centuries of sin that had been committed in the past. Not only that, but all of the sins of
future generations had to be paid for as well.
Jesus became sin, not by committing sin, but by an act of mankind. You see, when He was
nailed to the cross, his accusers made Him to be sin. Because the scripture states that cursed
is everyone who hangs on a tree, Jesus became sin because of what others did.
WHO CAN BENEFIT?
Even though the price for sin has been paid by Jesus, there is a requirement that must be met
before an individual can benefit from this payment.
Two things are required:
- An individual must admit that he or she has sinned and so is condemned to death.
- Next, that person must accept what Jesus has done for him or her.
At the moment of our confessing The Lord Jesus as our savior, we are changed into a new
creation and The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our very beings.
We are promised in scripture that He, Holy Spirit, will lead us into all truth.
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