A spiritual gift (Gk. "charisma") is a divine enablement for service given freely by God's grace. Must not be confused with natural talent.
The body of Christ is dependent for growth and maturity upon each member knowing and using his spiritual gift, Eph. 4:16. The Christian must beware of wrong attitudes: pride in having a certain gift; false humility; "I'm no good. . . have nothing that others need, etc." The exercise of gift is called 'ministry' i.e., serving. 1 Pet. 4:10-11.
Paul gives detailed controls in I Cor. 12:15-26
Foundation Gifts: Eph. 2:20, For the beginning of the church
Apostle - I Cor. 12:28 Twelve who had seen the Lord, Acts 1:21-23 Emphasis on revelation, authority, foundation. No such thing as apostolic succession. In a secondary sense the word applies to any one sent forth, e. g. , missionaries, Phil. 2:25; Rom. 16:7.
Prophet - I Cor. 12:28 A spokesman for God. Primary: reception of direct revelation, I Cor. 14:29-31. Secondary: speaking God's Word, Acts 2:17-18; Acts 15:32. The result of prophecy is edification, exhortation and comfort, cf. I Cor. 14:3.
Ministry Gifts: 1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12; Eph. 4; I Pet. 4
Teacher - I Cor. 12:28 Exposition of divine truth.
Pastor - Eph. 4:11, shepherd care for the flock of God.
Evangelist - Eph. 4:11 A special ability to make the gospel message clear, bringing others to know the Lord as Savior. Note that the gift of evangelism is entirely distinct from the methods employed. Also used to equip the saints. . . Eph. 4:12.
Word of Wisdom - I Cor. 12:8 Applying Bible principles wisely to specific life situations.
Word of Knowledge - I Cor. 12:8 The ability to understand the Word of God to a special degree.
Faith - I Cor. 12:9 A special enablement to trust God for large or unusually difficult things, e. g. , George Muller.
Helps - I Cor. 12:28 A God-given ability to be at the right place at the right time with something to meet physical, emotional or spiritual needs.
Administrations - I Cor. 12:28 Ability to give leadership and direction in a spiritual and edifying way. This gift is often found in an elder.
Service - Rom. 12:7 Ability to forget self and render aid to those in need. A broad gift which should certainly be found in deacons.
Exhortation - Rom. 12:8 Gift encourages to action; warns of danger. While teaching is for the mind, exhortation is primarily for the will and conscience.
Giving - Rom. 12:8 All Christians should give, but some receive divine enablement to give larger amounts with greater effectiveness than usual.
Shower of Mercy - Rom. 12:8 Ability to minister to those in great need - beyond the gift of helps. Does not regard the condition of the object.
Discernment of spirits - I Cor. 12:10 A special ability to perceive the source behind any message. cf. I John 4:1 where all believers are warned.
Sign Gifts: I Cor. 14:22, For those "who believe not"
Healings - I Cor. 12:28-30 God still heals today but it is questionable if there are still healers in the church. See James 5:13-16 (the earliest letter in the Christian church) where believers are advised to call for the elders.
Miracles - I Cor. 12:10 Pertains usually to supernatural power over the processes of nature.
Tongues - I Cor. 14, The ability to speak in a language one has never learned. Note: The gift of tongues is:
There is no difference between the tongues in Acts and those in I Corinthians.
Interpretation of tongues - I Cor. 12:10 The ability to understand what is said by the person who has the gift of tongues. The gift may or may not reside in the same person as the above gift. I Cor. 14:13
Know the gifts and relevant passages: I Cor. 12 - 14; Romans 12:3-8, Eph. 4:7- 16, I Pet. 4: 10- 1 1.
Seeing the area of need, try to meet it. If the result is inner satisfaction and the blessing of others, this should be investigated.
The elders of the local church should see to it that time and opportunity and guidance are provided for those to serve while searching.
Attitude of Honesty: neither pride nor false humility. Distinguish between the blessing that comes to others from the exercise of gift, and gracious remarks made to encourage us.
Seek the guidance of older believers. It is rare for one to have a gift that others don't see.
Remember that God gives the gift but we are responsible to exercise it.
Have patience. Prov. 18:16 reminds us that a man's gift will make room for him. It is not necessary to push a door open. God will open it if it is according to His will.
It is sinful to ignore one's spiritual gift, to fail to exercise it, or to attempt to exercise a gift we know we don't have in order to exclude another brother or sister.
Scripture does not teach:
Bear in mind that most of the services connected with spiritual gifts should find some measure of use in the life of every believer; for example, while not every believer has the gift of evangelist, everyone is a witness. While not every believer has the gift of helps, everyone should be a helpful Christian, etc.