Twelve Days, Twelve Things to Ponder
Day 7:
Seven Gifts
of the Holy Spirit
Wisdom. Understanding. Counsel. Strength. Knowledge. Piety. The Fear of the Lord.
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This will leave many of us scratching our heads. Aren't "spiritual gifts" things like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy? Certainly, those are among the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, which is usually where we go to see what the Bible has to say on the subject. passage has received a lot of attention over the course of the past 100 or so years. But other parts of the Bible speak of other gifts from the Holy Spirit. There are, of course, far more than seven!
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The list above is helpful. It was seen as the definitive list of gifts of the Holy Spirit from very early on in the Church's history. It, too, is taken from Scripture. Isaiah 11:2-3 speaks of the coming Messiah, and predicts the ways that the Spirit will evident in him! And this list typifies the way in which the Spirit also works in our lives. J.I. Packer once wrote: "the Holy Spirit’s main ministry is not to give thrills but to create in us Christlike character." Seven is typically seen in the Bible as a number that signifies completion. The Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to become more like Jesus!
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Thank God for the fact that when we trust in Christ for our salvation a true conversion takes place: though we were dead, the Holy Spirit gives us new life, his life, the life of Jesus!
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"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord."
Isaiah 11:1-3a (NIV)
What Should I Read Today?
Any or all of the following:
Isaiah 11 Read