Gifts of the Spirit pt.5-Gift of Faith

The first of the “do something”, power gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of faith. The other two power gifts are the gifts of healing and the working of miracles.

This gift of faith is not the simple faith needed for salvation, nor is it the faith that all Christians are given that Paul wrote about in Romans 12:3 (“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”)

The gift of faith is an extraordinary trust in God under the most difficult or dangerous circumstance.

The gift of faith supernaturally achieves what is impossible through human means.

These definitions of the gift of faith might seem very similar to the gift of the working of miracles, but these two gifts are different.

The gift of faith is given in order that the believer might receive a supernatural intervention or miracle, whereas the working of miracles is something that the believer does. The gift of faith receives something whereas the working of miracles does something. One is passive, the other is active.

Now, after clarifying the difference of these two gifts of the Spirit, always remember that the gifts can often work together. For instance, as previously mentioned, the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 show the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom operating together.

Examples in the Bible

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD , the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."

So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. (1 Kings 17:1–6)

Elijah did nothing to get his meals—the birds brought food to him. He was a receiver, a passive participant in this work of God.

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"

Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (Daniel 6:16–23)

Daniel didn’t do anything but rest in the lion’s den and most likely slept all night. An angel did the work to shut the mouths of the lions. Daniel was a receiver of God’s power to keep him alive.

It is my prayer for you that Father will continue to help you to hear His voice, and more and more frequently.

With God’s grace and in His peace,

Gary

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