Every Gift of The Holy Spirit Explained in 23 Minutes

Most Christians have heard about the gifts of the Holy Spirit their entire lives, but most couldn't name them. A lot of people keep their distance from the whole subject, usually because they saw something that was done in the Holy Spirit's name that just felt really off. So let's fix this all right now in one teaching. I'm going to walk you through every gift in plain language— what each one is, how it can be misused, and what the genuine looks like in the normal believer's life. Confusion about these gifts has done real damage So by the end of this teaching, you'll be able to name them, spot the counterfeits, and know what to do if you feel God stirring you to use one of those spiritual gifts. Let's begin by taking a look at what Paul the Apostle wrote about the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. We'll start at verse 7. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 2 things. Number one, every single believer has a spiritual gift. This includes you. Even if you don't feel like you have a spiritual gift, and even if you don't know what your spiritual gift is yet, God has given you a spiritual gift. Notice also that Paul the Apostle writes that we're given these spiritual gifts so that we can help each other. So we're given these gifts not for status, but for service. Not to puff ourselves up, but so that we can help each other out. Now, in verse number eight, Paul begins to list the various different spiritual gifts, and this list will be the framework from which I teach. To one person, the Spirit gives the word of wisdom; to another, the same Spirit gives the word of knowledge; the same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else, the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles. And another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. So that's the gift of discernment. Still another person is given the ability to speak in tongues, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. Now notice there in verse 11 that it's the Holy Spirit who decides which gift each believer has. So he has selected a spiritual gift for you. These gifts are for today. These gifts are to help build the church. These gifts are powerful demonstrations of the Holy Spirit's involvement here and now. And so you and I have the responsibility to not only discover our spiritual gifts, but also to operate in our spiritual gifts. Now also note that no one spiritual gift is more important than the other. Each spiritual gift is necessary for the advancement of the kingdom of God. So cherish the spiritual gift that God has given to you and honor the spiritual gifts that God has given to your fellow believer. Let's begin with the word of wisdom. The word of wisdom, simply put, It's supernatural wisdom. It's divine reasoning within you, that inner pull, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Now, it may look something like this. Perhaps there's a difficult circumstance that someone's trying to navigate, and they're calling their friends, they're asking for advice, they're trying to figure this very difficult circumstance out, and no one has a solution. But then the one with the gift of the word of wisdom can enter that situation, and it's almost like as natural as breathing for them. They just begin to see the situation from an entirely different angle, and they begin to present solutions that actually yield results that are meaningful for not just the people involved, but ultimately for the kingdom of God. That is the word of wisdom. Now, this may not at face value seem supernatural or grand, Like, often when we think of the spiritual gifts, we think of healing or prophecy because those are more demonstrative in nature. They show what we would think is a greater intensity of a manifestation of power. But the word of wisdom is very powerful because, as I said, it is divine reasoning. Think about that, that God can give you the ability to think like he thinks. Now, the word of wisdom Can be counterfeited because wisdom looks like wisdom. The difference is the source. Not every thought that is clever, not every strategy that yields results, not every angle that's presented from someone's brilliant mind is the word of wisdom. It is determined by its source. If it proceeds from man, though it may yield some results, it is not the word of wisdom. But if it comes from the depths of the Spirit, the source which is divine, then it is the word of wisdom in action. And you can tell the true word of wisdom because the word of wisdom will always align with the word of God. Next, let's take a look at the word of knowledge. Simply put, the word of knowledge is supernaturally received knowledge. Now, much like the word of wisdom, The word of knowledge is best identified by its source. You see, you can gain knowledge all sorts of different ways. You can read information in a book. You can find out information about someone's past and present, their preferences, their personality on social media. You can gain knowledge through experience, what you see, what you hear. But that information is not what makes the gift supernatural. That's information about people's present, people's past, people's experiences. What makes the word of knowledge supernatural is that it was supernaturally received knowledge. In other words, they had no way of knowing what they know about you. They had no way of knowing what they know about your circumstance. Think about Jesus and the woman at the well. That was the word of knowledge in action. He knew things about her past That he had no other way of knowing. That wasn't available to him in a book. She didn't give him her testimony, her life story. He just knew it by the Holy Spirit. So though the information itself isn't supernatural, the way that information was received is supernatural. For example, while praying a mass prayer over the sick in our services, often I'll receive words of knowledge about people who are getting healed. As I pray for people, sometimes the Lord will show me a spine that's straightening out, a tumor that's disappearing. Maybe he'll tell me somebody to my right is having their left ear opened, and so forth. That word of knowledge is the revelation of something. That word of knowledge is me getting information from God about someone's present. Now, here's something to note about the word of knowledge. It primarily deals with present and past, and prophecy, as we'll get into in a moment, has more to do with the future. So the word of knowledge is supernaturally acquired knowledge. Now be careful because there are many abuses with this gift. There's outright fakery where people nowadays can just get information about you from your social media accounts. Someone actually tried this on me one time. I was deeply offended by it, and the information they were giving me was actually outdated because I hadn't yet updated my Facebook. And so I knew for a fact where they were getting that information from. Also, here's another thing when it comes to the word of knowledge. Recognize that anytime man is glorified instead of Jesus, that's a red flag. Anytime the gift is glorified rather than Jesus, that's a red flag. Giving words of knowledge just for the sake of making people go, wow, how did you know that? That— unto what end? What does that prove? How does that help? Anytime we see the word of knowledge in action in Scripture, it always resulted in something. It was given for a purpose. It was given so that someone will be saved or healed or delivered or transformed in some way. So these demonstrations of people just knowing your bank account number or just knowing what kind of car you drive or just giving you your birthday just for the sake of doing that, just be cautious with that. I'm not saying God never speaks to those kinds of details in our lives. He often does, of course. But be careful if that demonstration alone becomes the entire focus of the use of that gift. Remember, we are given these gifts to build each other up, not just to wow one another. Next, let's take a look at the gift of faith. Very important. This is not saving faith or a measure of faith. This is the gift of faith. And we understand how the gift of faith works because we're clued into its use in 1 Corinthians 12:7. Remember, Paul the Apostle writes that a spiritual gift is given to each of us. Why? So we can help each other. So the gift of faith can't just be me having my faith boosted. The gift of faith, by looking at the context we see, is to be able to stir and build faith in one another supernaturally. This is a powerful gift because it helps to break through even the most stubborn discouragement. It helps you to break through even the most difficult doubt to where others may advise, others may pray, no one's getting through to that person. And someone with the gift of faith comes along, and as they speak, even by their mere presence, because it's a gift of the Holy Spirit, that doubt begins to break. The heart begins to soften. They begin to respond. It's like they, they gain this life in the Spirit now, and now they begin to think and believe according to faith because they had an interaction with someone with the gift of faith. Now it's important that we don't confuse the gift of faith with just pure hype. Look, I'm charismatic, I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and I know that you do too. But let's just be honest, in our circles, one of the problems that we have is that people mistake hype for the power of the Holy Spirit. Now this is where you have to be discerning. Just because someone is hyping you emotionally doesn't mean that they're stirring your faith spiritually. And the difference is always going to be, where does that faith point? What does that faith result in? How does that bring forth transformation, even if just incremental? How does that actually cause effect in the life of the believer? Next, I want to take a look at 2 different spiritual gifts at the same time, Simply because they're very similar in nature. These 2 gifts are the gift of healing and the gift of miracles. The gift of healing is simply the ability to heal the sick, and the gift of miracles is simply the ability to perform miracles. Now, first of all, what's the difference between a healing and a miracle? Well, biblically speaking, we see that a healing has to do with the physical body primarily. So it could be a deaf ear opening, Maybe a skin condition is cleared out, blind eyes open, etc. A miracle has more to do with everything else. For example, the multiplication of food in the feeding of the 5,000 and various other demonstrations of God's power that seem to go against the laws of physics. So then what's the difference between just generally praying for the sick and the gift of healing? What's the difference between just a general miracle and the gift of miracles? And I believe this has to do with focused assignment. Certain believers are given grace, favor in these areas. And so I would say, and though this might offend some, I know we all are equal, we're all just as valuable as one another, but God wouldn't give us anything that's useless. So of course it should be said that the one with the gift of healing just has a more potent healing ability on their life. The one with the gift of miracles just has a more potent demonstration of God's power in that area. Again, we all have the Holy Spirit. We've all been given faith, but these individuals God chooses to use more frequently and more intensely in these specific areas of grace. Now, obviously healing and miracles can be counterfeited. People pay actors, people tell lies, they make up stories. So that's one of the more obvious ways that there is a misunderstanding or abuse of these gifts. Another abuse or misunderstanding surrounding these gifts is that— is the idea that simply because someone is operating in these gifts, that they must 100% be genuine. Well, that's not always the case, because we see in Matthew 7 there were those who performed miracles that Jesus didn't even know. So God will back his word with power at all times. That doesn't mean that everything the person does and says is endorsed by God. So be careful of someone trying to use miracles alone to teach something or say something or to live in a way that's contrary to the Word of God. Another misconception surrounding the gift of healing and the gift of miracles is that the one who has this gift or these gifts can just use them at will. Often you'll hear people ask, if you have the gift of healing, why don't you just go to the hospital and empty out the hospital? Simply put, the gift of healing and the gift of miracles like everything else, still works under subjection to the sovereignty of God. It is not one's ability to heal or one's ability to perform the miraculous. It's God's sovereign ability through them that brings forth healing and miracles. All right, next let's take a look at the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy is simply the ability to deliver divine messages, and prophecy Primarily focuses on the future, though not always. This could be given through a dream. The Holy Spirit can speak to your heart through an impression, but he'll give you a divine message for someone concerning their future. Now remember that prophecy will always point to Jesus. One of the biggest red flags when it comes to prophecy and counterfeit prophecy is when people use that gift to lord their authority over others. In other words, because I gave you a prophetic word, now I own the direction for your life. Think about what someone says when God told me. I think we have to be so careful with that. When you come to someone and say, God told me, and then you tell them what you're telling them, you're putting them in a really tough position. If you're not hearing from God, you're basically saying what I'm saying, you have to accept it and you can't question it or you're being disobedient. Think about the implication of that. And if anyone ever tries that with you, I pray that the Holy Spirit today would open your eyes to that religious, overbearing, demonic manipulation, because people will try to do that. They'll give you a word and they'll try to control your life with it, and they'll, they'll keep you coming back to them as your source of direction for your life. Usually when someone prophesies— I should say always when someone prophesies— it's going to align with the word. And usually when someone prophesies, they're confirming something that the Holy Spirit was already speaking to you. Think about it. The Holy Spirit in you is the same Holy Spirit in them. So there's going to be this agreement. There's going to be this confirmation. This inner knowing is what I call it, this peace about what they're saying. But even then, even though you emotionally feel peace, be very careful and make sure that you're not basing your whole life on one person's prophecy. Someone gives you a word. And then you're confused about it, or it doesn't come to pass. Now you're losing sleep, you're getting anxious, you're wondering if you miss God. Just trust in God's ability to speak to you. We thank God for prophecy, but do watch out for those counterfeits. Next, we look at the gift of discernment. Simply put, it's the ability to distinguish the source of a spiritual influence, whether something is demonic, divine, of self, or of the world. I like to say there's 4 different categories of spiritual influence. There's self, secular, the satanic, and the spiritual. And the gift of discernment is the ability to distinguish between them. And it's going to be precise. It's going to be based on the word. The gift of discernment is not the gift of criticism. The gift of discernment is not the gift of suspicion. The gift of discernment is not the gift of cynicism. The gift of discernment is the ability To see the source of a message, of a demonstration of power, the, the source of a ministry or an expression or a work or a project. Whatever's behind that, you're gonna be able to tell. And so God gives this to people to help protect the body. Now we have to be especially careful these days because of social media. Everything is hyper-emotional. Everyone is so reactive. And we've got to guard our hearts to make sure that we're not just going along with the mob and calling it discernment. We have to be grounded. We have to be mature. We have to be properly, actually discerning. And in order to be discerning, you have to be level-headed. You have to be rooted in the Word, not in emotions. And so God will speak to you. And again, he gives us this gift to help protect the body. From pollution or sources that are not of his Spirit. So we thank God for this gift, but remember, balance it and recognize it is not the gift of criticism. Next, we see the gift of tongues and the gift of tongues interpretation. Now keep in mind that this is different than the personal use of the gift of tongues, which is to build up your own spirit. Here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul the Apostle is writing about the gift of tongues That's to be used in the context of a church setting. Imagine this, you're in a church service, the pastor's preaching, and then there's a holy moment of silence that comes over the room. An individual stands and begins to pray boldly out loud in tongues. You don't know what they're saying. But just moments after they finish praying, another stands and they speak out a message that's prophetic in nature. They're giving an interpretation of what was spoken in that spiritual language. Now remember, an interpretation is not a translation. Translation is word for word. Interpretation is the giving of the general message. And that's how these 2 gifts work. The gift of tongues is that spiritual language, and the gift of tongues interpretation is the interpretation of that spiritual language, where now they're giving a message from God. Through that specific delivery. And again, keep in mind that this particular use of the gift of tongues has to do with its use in the context of church settings, a gathering of believers, a community of believers, because as we remember from 1 Corinthians 12:7, we're given these gifts not to edify ourselves, but to edify one another. All right, so what do you do if you don't know what your spiritual gift is? First, ask God to begin to reveal it to you. And here's a tip for you. Your purpose is often linked with your passion. God usually places a desire for a specific gift in you to draw you toward that gift. But as I said, this is something you have to pray through. Now, once you've determined what your spiritual gift is, check your motives, because the flesh can destroy the influence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Make sure you're not using it for ego's sake or to be perceived as special, or because you want to gain influence and power within the church culture. Remember, he gives us these gifts so that we may serve one another. And then once you believe that the Holy Spirit has spoken to you about a particular gift, step out in faith and start to see the demonstration of his power. If you believe he's given you the gift of healing, go lay hands on the sick. If you believe that he's given you the gift of tongues or tongues interpretation, make use of that. But you're going to have to be the one who opens your mouth. If you believe God has given you the gift of prophecy, share this with a mature believer and let them help you walk through this process. Share with them what you believe God is speaking and check the accuracy, of course, in everyday experience and most importantly, with the word of God. Now I wanna pray for you that the Holy Spirit would reveal your spiritual gift and give you the boldness to step out and use it. So Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift that one to you now who desires to be used by you, not for their glory but for your glory. They desire to serve and help your body, the church. And I pray in the name of Jesus, Lord, that you would begin to speak to them clearly, that you would reveal that gift that you deposited in them and give them the bold faith to step out and make use of what you've given them. And Lord, when they step out, let there be great power that comes upon them. Use them for your glory. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray. And if you're ready to step out in faith and use your spiritual gifts, I want you to type in the comment section right now, amen. I want you to give me your attention for just one one moment here. I wanna read something to you, and it's found in Galatians chapter 6, verse number 6. Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. Here, Paul the Apostle is talking about honoring the teaching of the word through the giving of finances and resources. When you receive the word of God from a ministry, it is biblical To support that ministry, not just as a thanks to God for having received, but also as a way of helping that ministry continue in its mission. Those who receive from the word should support the word. Those who receive from the ministry should support the ministry. Now let me be very clear, I'm not asking you to support me personally. I'm asking you to join our cause. I'm asking you to support the work that this ministry does through media, events that we host around the world, and now church planting that we're beginning to do. Your gift, what you give into this ministry, makes an impact. It makes a difference. So I know it's tempting because you're watching online to just kind of be dismissive and say, well, I'm just watching a video. I was just looking for some information, maybe on the spiritual gifts or whatnot, and I'm just kind of passing through. But, but I challenge you to participate. Because this is something I believe our generation needs to capture in terms of revelation and mindset. We need to recapture that revelation of honoring the word through the sowing of financial seed. And so I challenge you today, get involved. Help us continue to grow this ministry. Help us continue to reach more people. If you've been blessed by this ministry, give and pay that forward so that we can reach even more people. I so appreciate your support. Your generosity, your sacrifice. As you give, you can go to davidhernandezministries.com/partner to give a monthly gift. You can also go to davidhernandezministries.com/donate to give a single gift. Everything counts, but please do something today. We need your help to reach this generation. The need is urgent. The hour calls for it now. Let's win the soul of a generation. If you felt that I personally described you through this teaching. If you're sensing that God is trying to get your attention, then make sure to watch this teaching next.