The Gifts of God

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with
whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).
In the days of the Bible, times of great joy were often accompanied by the giving of gifts, one to
another (e.g. Nehemiah 8:10; Esther 9:22; Revelation 11:10). This ancient custom, practiced commonly
in all nations throughout history, finds its greatest expression today at Christmas time, when the joy of
the wise men (Matthew 2:10) and the joyful tidings of the angels (Luke 2:10) echo in millions of family
circles around the world and, even where Christ Himself is not known, people share the joy of giving.
The Gift of Creation
But giving began with God! Human gifts are imperfect often wrongly motivated, frequently
unappreciated, always defective and temporary. Gifts that are good gifts and perfect gifts come only
from above, from the Father of lights. The marvelous universe itself, as it came from the creative hand
of the great Giver, was good and perfect. In fact, God pronounced it "very good" and then "rested,"
having "finished" (that is, "perfected") everything He had created and made (Genesis 1:31-2:3).
God began with a good and perfect creation and He has maintained that standard, for with Him "is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning." Both He and His creation remain forever. In fact, this
principle as seen in the natural world is now recognized by scientists as the most universal of all
scientific laws?the principle of conservation of matter and energy, the "first law of thermodynamics."
Into this perfect creation, however, has appeared an intruder, a disordering agent. By man came sin, and
then came the great Curse, and now the whole creation is under the bondage of decay (Romans 8:20-
22). In science, this also is recognized as a universal law, the principle of increasing entropy the
"second law of thermodynamics," the universality observed fact that everything tends to wear out, run
down, disintegrate, grow old and die. The term "entropy" (from two Greek words, en and trope,
meaning "in" and "turning") itself suggests that any system which "turns inward" for its strength will
soon decay.
But with God is no "shadow of turning (trope)." He is not only invariable in essence, but unchanging in
nature. Thus, every gift from God is still a good gift and a perfect gift! Not only was His created world
perfect, but so also is His inspired Word (Psalm 19:7; 119:89).
The Father of Lights
Theme of giving is strong in the Scriptures. The words "give," "giving," "gift" and other such words
occur at least 2100 times. The very first occurrence, however, is in connection with the giving of light.
God placed the great lights in the heavens "to give light upon the earth" (Genesis 1:15). Light is the
basic energy by which all creation functions but, so far as the earth is concerned, it is the particular
light from the sun which energizes all earth's processes. God Himself is the Light (Genesis 1:3; I John
1:5; Revelation 22:5) and that light antedates the sun, but He made the "lights;" He is the Father of
lights.
In the same manner as joyful celebrations commonly involve gift-giving, so they have always involved
many lights. When Christ came into the world, the shepherds saw the glory shining (Luke 2:9), the
wise men saw His star (Matthew 2:2) and John testified that the "true Light" had come (John 1:9).
Today, the remembrance of His birth is everywhere marked by an abundance of lights. Even the Jews;
festival of Hanukkah, observed concurrently with Christmas, is called by them the "festival of lights ."
The Other Gifts of God
Our purpose here does not require a comprehensive study of the Biblical theme of giving, but we can at
least examine the specific gifts of God that are listed as such in the Scriptures. There are actually eight
times when the phrase "gift of God" occurs in the Bible, with the plural "gifts of God" occurring once.
In the Old Testament, the emphasis is on God's material blessings, with the only two references being
found in Ecclesiastes.
"That every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God"
(Ecclesiastes 3:13).
"Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof,
and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:19).
Let no one, therefore, take personal pride in his own abilities or his possessions! They are, in the
deepest sense, gifts of God's grace.
Spiritual blessings are far more important than physical and material blessings, however, and all six of
the New Testament occurrences of this phrase, the "gift of God," emphasize these. Three of these are
translations of the Greek dorea ("freewill gift"), with three from the Greek charisma ("gracious gift")
but, for our purposes, the meaning is so nearly the same that they can almost be used interchangeably.
God's Spiritual Blessings
These six New Testament gifts of God are listed below in order as we trace them sequentially through
the New Testament.

1. The Gift of Christ Himself

"If thou knewest the gift of God...thou wast have asked of Him ?" (John 4:10).

2. The Gift of the Holy Spirit

And when Simon saw that?the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,?. But Peter said
unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with money" (Acts 8:18-20).

3. The Gift of Eternal Life

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Romans 6:23).

4. The Gift of Individual Personal Abilities

"But every man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner, and another after that" (I
Corinthians 7:7).

5. The Gift of Salvation through Faith

"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"
(Ephesians 2:8).

6. The Gift of Confident Love

"Wherefore?stir up the gift of God, which is in thee?. For God hath not given us the spirit of
fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:6,7).

The Permanence of God's Gifts

If all of the gifts of God are good and perfect, it is no surprise that they are eternal. It is significant that
the sole occurrence of the plural "gifts of God" stresses this wonderful truth. "For the gifts and calling
of God are without repentance " (Romans 11:29). Every one of these gifts of God will be ours to
treasure throughout eternity.
The last mention of giving in the Bible has to do with the rewards which Christ will give His faithful
servants at his return. "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12). He is the great Giver, from the first chapter of
Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation!
Therefore, as we share once again the lights of Christmas and the joy of giving gifts to those we love,
let us be sure to remember the Father of lights and that greatest of all His good and perfect gifts.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Then, after contemplating His great gift and the love that determined it, we can respond only in praise
and wonder:
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15).

Gifts of the Spirit in the Old Testament

Dr. Art Lindsley
February 3, 2014

Download and print full PDF here.

In order to better understand who they are made to be and what they are to do in their work, it is
essential for Christians to discern their gifts. Each Christians specific calling is related to the Spirits
work in the creation, personal regeneration, and empowerment for ones work in the church and in the
world. The Old Testament has many things to say about the work of the Holy Spirit on the cosmos, the
individual, and the theocratic level.

Where the Spirit Is, There Is Power

In some ancient languages, the words for spirit, breath, and wind are identical. This is the case in
both Hebrew and Greek. The Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma could both mean
spirit, breath, or wind, depending on the context.

In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words for breath or wind: Ruachheavy breathing, or
Neshamahquiet breathing. Ruach means breathing through the nose with violence. Ruach is also
used for wind in Exodus 10:19an exceedingly strong west wind, or in Exodus 15:8a blast of the
nostrils. It is sometimes used to describe strong emotions as in Genesis 26:35 where it describes a
bitterness of spirit (morath ruach) of the Hittite wives of Esau toward Isaac and Rebekah. Where most
translations of Isaiah 40:7 read Spirit of the Lord, Ruach Yahweh could also mean wind of the
Lord. In both cases, the idea is power. When the Spirit is present, the connotation is power. Our gifts
are from the Spirit who can empower those gifts to accomplish the purpose for which they are given.

The Spirit Works in the Cosmos

There are a number of passages that allude to the work of the Holy Spirit in creation, including Genesis
1:2, Job 26:13, Job 33:4, Psalm 104:30, Psalm 33:6, and Psalm 139:7. The general thrust of all these
passages is that the Spirit completes or refines the work of creation. For instance, Job 26:13 says, by
His breath the heavens are cleared or made beautiful. Job 33:4 says, The Spirit of God has made
me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Another instance is Psalm 104:30 which says, You
send forth Your Spirit; they are created, and You renew the face of the ground.

It is important to note the Spirit is involved in creating men and women made in the image of God.
This means that the createdor naturalgifts that humans are given are gifts from or of the Holy
Spirit, as well as from the Father and the Son. This helps prevent us from deprecating the gifts we are
given in creation and over-exalting the spiritual gifts given in redemption. Both gifts in creation and
redemption are from or of the Holy Spirit. The latter is not higher than the former; redemption is not
necessarily greater than creation with respect to our gifts. Some gifts as we will see in the New
Testament are super natural above and beyond the created giftsbut most of the gifts listed in the
New Testament are a redirection, the unfolding, or the empowerment of createdor naturalgifts.

This means that we should generally not divorce natural and spiritual gifts. We can look at the gifts
we have expressed throughout our lives as an indication of where we are to serve both in the church
and in the world. For instance, one of the gifts mentioned in Romans 12:8 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 is
administration. In my hundreds of vocational interviews, I have never seen someone who was
disorganized in every area suddenly become the chief administrator of a churchor corporation. Many
people can discern their gifts both before and after becoming believers, though this is not always the
case.

The Spirit Regenerates and Sanctifies the Individual

People in the Old Testament were born again and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the most
thorough source on this topic is a book by Leon Wood, The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, in which
chapters seven and eight focus on Spirit Renewal in the Old Testament.1

Three times in John 3:1-10, Jesus talks about being born again or born from above. In verse ten,
Jesus says to Nicodemus, Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Jesus is
saying here that based on Nicodemuss knowledge of the Old Testament, he should have known about
the Spirits role in rebirth and renewal.

One example of an Old Testament passage that speaks this language is Ezekiel 36:26, which says, I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from
your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. This passage promises a new spirit and a new heart. The
hardened heart is replaced with a soft heart. If we need the Spirit now to grasp divine things, would that
that not also hold true in the Old Testament? How could anyone truly know spiritual realities without
the Spirit? Being born again means beginning the process of being restored to what we were created
to be. That process includes the development and discovery of our gifts.

The Spirits Work in Israel Is Theocratic

The Holy Spirit empowered various people in different ways to establish and protect the kingdom of
Israel. For instance, in Judges, various leaders such as Othniel were given power. In Judges 3:10 it says
the Spirit of the Lord came upon him enabling him to lead Israel into war with the king of
Mesopotamia. Judges 6:34 says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon the leader Gideon. The words
came upon literally mean clothed. The Spirit put himself on Gideon as a cloak and enabled him to
lead his three hundred mighty men into battle against a vast number of Midianites. Similarly, in Judges
11:29-33, the Spirit of the Lord fell on Jepthah, and he was able to win the battle against the sons of
Ammon.

The Spirit Strengthens the Strong

The Lord also took people who were already gifted by his Spirit and caused their gifts to reach their
potential. When the Spirit of the Lord fell on Samson, he became extraordinarily strong. Though he
was already strong, the work of the Spirit made him nearly invincible. In Judges 14:6, a lion attacked
him. The passage describes how The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he was easily able to tear
that young lion apart. Later in Judges 15:14 it says, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson so that
he was able to break his bonds, pick up the jawbone of a donkey, and kill a thousand Philistines.

The Lord can build strengths and abilities. The Spirit of the Lord gave gifts of leadership, courage, and
strength to these judges, enabling them to defend Israel against its enemies.

The Lord also took people who were already gifted by his Spirit and caused their gifts to reach their
potential. In Exodus 31:3-5 it says about Bezalel, I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom,
in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kind of craftsmanship to make artistic designs for work in
gold, in silver and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones, for settings, and in the carving of wood, that
he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

So the Spirit could increase the gift of a man who was already a gifted artist. God not only provided a
detailed blueprint for the tabernacle, its utensils, and furnishings, but also empowered people to
excellently carry out his design. In Exodus 31:6 it says of other men, Oholiab and Ahishamach, and in
the hearts of all those who are skillful (wise), I have put skill (wisdom) that they may make all that I
commanded you.

All our gifts are affected by the Fall. They can be withered, misdirected, or dormant. The Spirit can
take our created gifts and reveal them, direct them to his glory, and cause them to reach their potential.
This is what the Spirit did for Bezalel, Oholiab, and Ahishamach. The Spirit can do this not only with
artistic gifts, but also with gifts in education, business, politics, law, etc. The Spirit can unfold the
potential of the gifts of those who ask.

The Spirit Inspires Speech

The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to speak Gods word. For instance, the books of 1 and 2
Chronicles alone mention quite a few prophets: Azariah, Jahaziel, Zechariah, and Amassi.2 The first
three are prophets in a more traditional sense and speak forth Gods word to a particular situation. The
last oneAmassiis interesting and perhaps the most relevant to discuss.

Amassis story takes place in the days after Saul died when David was in the wilderness at Ziklag.
Various groups of people were coming to him professing loyalty. A group of thirty men from the sons
of Benjamin and Judah came to David. He wanted to know if he could trust them or not, so he said to
them:

If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if you betray me to my
adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.
Then the Spirit came upon Amassi, who was chief of the thirty, and he said,

We are yours, O David,

And with you, O son of Jesse.
Peace, peace to you,
And peace to him who helps you;
Indeed your God helped you!

Then David received them and made them captains of the band.3

The phrase, The Spirit came upon Amassi, literally means the Spirit clothed Amassi. Then he was
able to speak, not so much a prophecy about the future as an affirmation of loyalty in the present. He
was able to speak so persuasively that David took the thirty men and made them captains or chiefs of
his mighty men. The Spirit can do the same today, perhaps in a military context like the one above, in
politics, in business, in education, or other situations. We can ask for the Spirit to give us persuasive
speech so that others will have immediate confidence in the truth of what we say.

The Spirit Gives Power to Leaders and Administrators

When the prophet Samuel anointed Saul to be king, he said that when Saul met other prophets, Then
the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily and you will prophesy with them and be changed
into another man.5 Saul was gifted to be able to lead Israel as king. This was what made it even more
dramatic when, after Sauls disobedience, Saul was told that the Lord would give his kingdom to
anothera man after His own heart.5

In chapter sixteen, the Lord told Samuel to go to Jesses house, for one of Jesses sons would become
the next king. One by one, Jesses seven sons were brought to Samuel, but the Lord indicated that none
of these was the chosen one. Samuel asked, Are these all the children? Jesse responded, No, there is
the youngest who is out tending the sheep. Samuel summoned this boy, David, and the Lord indicated
that the young boy would be the next king. When Samuel anointed David, the Spirit of the Lord came
mightily on David. In the next verse, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.6

In what sense did the Spirit come upon David and leave Saul? It seems that David was given the gift of
leadership commensurate to being a king while this gifting was taken from Saul. It wasnt that Saul lost
his salvation, but that the equipping to be king was taken away. This helps explain why David cries out
in Psalm 51:11, Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. David saw what happened to Saul as a result
of his sinhis depression and despair.7 David knew that as a result of his murder and adultery, the Lord
could reject him as king. So he prayed that the anointing, the empowering, or gifting not be taken away
from him.
Although the context for this story is the theocracy of Israel, God can give gifts of leadership to people
in political power, even to a head of state. This is not promised today, but it is a desirable gift and we
can ask for the Lord to provide such empowerment. If he has done it before, who is to say he will not
do it again?

Implications

1. Where people have gifts of the Holy Spirit, they have power. Believers can fail to appropriate
their gifts, they can bury them in the ground, or they can fail to fully utilize them. However,
when the Holy Spirit gives gifts, what he bestows is potentially powerful.

2. It is wrong to deprecate or separate our createdor naturalgifts and our spiritual gifts.
Both are of or from the Holy Spirit. Although God can give new capabilities to people at any
time, in most cases, he empowers or develops the potential of our created gifts for use in the
church or in the world.

3. In both the Old and New Testaments, people need the Holy Spirit to overcome spiritual
blindness and apprehend spiritual realities. People in both Testaments need to be born from
above and need their hearts of stone to become hearts of flesh. Being born from above means
that we are being restored to what we are created to be. We are enabled to develop our potential.

4. God gave gifts to people in the Old Testament to enable them to lead the people of Israel in
difficult times. For instance, the judges were empowered to defend Israel. One of their number,
Samson, though in many ways unfaithful, was made stronger than normal (or perhaps utilized
his full potential) when the Spirit came upon him.

5. God gave people with artistic skill even more skill by his Spirit so they could fulfill his plans to
build the tabernacle and fashion its utensils. God can unfold, redirect, or develop the potential
of the gifts he has given us. It is certainly appropriate to pray that the Lord would unfold
withered or partially used gifts. In Luke 11:13, Jesus promises that just as evil people know how
to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!

6. God gave prophets the ability to speak about future events but he also gave some the ability to
speak persuasively about present realities, even in military matters. The Spirit can give people
power to elicit trust through their speech. Even in seemingly secular matters, the Spirit can
empower effective speech.

7. The Spirit can give leadership not only to judges, but to people with political power, like kings.
This gift of leadership is still present today and we can ask for the Spirits power both in the
church and in the world.

We can pray for the Spirit to empower our gifts both in whatever we do. God has made everyone in a
unique fashion to express his or her gifts in both the secular and sacred arenasin church, at work, and
around other people.