HOLY SPIRIT - Gifts Fruits Charisms
1. Personal Gifts
2. Gifts of Service
Personal Gifts
These are also called as Isaiahian Gifts or Traditional Gifts and are listed in Isaiah 11:1-3 and are seven in number. The personal gifts are given to every person at the time of baptism. These gifts are given to help a person grow in holiness or to help a person to bear fruit. Although the gifts are present they have to be regularly stirred by prayer, study of scriptures and meditation. The measure of the gifts working in every person is different and depends on spiritual efforts of prayer, study of scriptures and meditation. At the time of Confirmation the gifts are stirred by laying of hands.
Wisdom: It is the ability to perceive things the way God does. Or to look at or evaluate things the way God does. Example - Men looked at the woman caught in adultery as scum and misfit of society. Jesus looked at her as a child of God who was in need of help.
Knowledge: It is the ability to know the person of Jesus. Or to know the nature of Jesus - compassion, mercy, gentleness etc. Peter denied Jesus three times. He wept bitterly but did not despair because he knew Jesus would forgive. However Judas was overcome by despair and committed suicide.
Understanding: It is the ability to understand the mysteries of faith - annunciation, incarnation, Eucharist, passion & death, resurrection etc. Thomas initially refused to believe in the resurrection of Jesus but is the only person in the gospel to directly address Jesus as God.
Counsel: It is the ability to make right decisions or to make decisions that are pleasing to God in our daily life. This is much much greater than common sense which is given to everyone.
Fortitude: It is ability to firmly stand for the truth. The Christian ways and the ways of the world are contradictory. One needs special courage to stand for the truth which is often against the views of the majority. The same Peter who denied Jesus three times out of fear for his life is believed to be crucified upside down but did not deny Jesus.
Fear of the Lord: It is the ability to love God with great passion. This is not the fear of cowering in fright before God but is a result of extreme love. A person who is deeply in love with God is constantly under the fear of offending him. This ability makes a person conscious of even the lightest of sins and helps to avoid them.
Piety: It is the ability to have an inner prayerful relationship with God. The focus is on inner ways that please God and not on outer forms. This makes a person see the reflection of God in other persons. Although outer forms of prayer are part of our humanness they are useless without the proper inner disposition.
The nine manifestations of holiness listed here are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The Church has added modesty and chastity which may be broadly taken under self-control.
Love: Love can be understood in unlimited ways. The Greek language has 6 different words to express love (Eros = sexual passion, Philia = deep friendship, Ludus = playful love, Agape = love for everyone, Pragma = longstanding love, Philautia = love of the self). Here our focus is on mutual affection or love for everyone. A love that seeks the good of others.
Joy: The happiness of living a life in relationship with Jesus is of the highest degree and does not depend on external things or factors and therefore cannot be taken away by anyone (bliss, delight).
Peace: It is the calmness of thoughts or of mind (restfulness, harmony, tranquility). It cannot be acquired by worldly possessions or techniques but is received as a result of depending on God. A person who depends on God is able to accept every situation in life. Nothing can happen without God allowing it. If God allows something he also knows the purpose. We will never understand everything. A person who is not at peace with himself cannot bring peace around him.
Patience: It is the ability to wait or bear for long time without getting annoyed or without giving up (tolerate, endure, persevere). In a fast paced world nobody wants to wait but expects everything quickly. We even expect God to act fast and at our convenience. Old people, children, sick people, physically challenged persons etc. take time to respond which is difficult for normal persons to deal with.
Kindness: It is the ability to do good deeds or provide services to others (caring, considerate). Helping a person cross a street, bringing something from the market place for someone who cannot make it, spending time with a sick or lonely person etc.
Generosity: It is the ability to share what we have with others (goodness, charitable). When we give we make something less for self. We can give money or other material possessions.
Faithfulness: It is the ability to commit oneself to something or someone (commitment, reliable, trustworthy, fidelity, loyalty). To be committed to a relationship in marriage or to be committed to one's vocation or work etc. One who is considered to be reliable by others.
Gentleness: It is the ability to deal with others in a mild manner (soft spoken, meek, tenderness).
Self-Control: It is the ability to control one's responses or actions (self restraint). Control over what or when to speak or not. Control over urges, foods and pleasures. Self restraint over doing something that is not good.
There are nine charisms mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and they can be sub divided into three categories.
1. Gifts Of Revelation or Gifts Of Insight
2. Action Gifts or Power Gifts or Dynamic Gifts
3. Word Gifts or Gifts Of Utterance
Word of Wisdom: This charism should not be confused with the gift of wisdom which is one of the seven personal gifts and received by every believer. This is a special ability given to know the solution to difficult situations faced by a believer or community. When Jesus was asked whether taxes needed to be paid to the emperor he gave an astounding answer.
Word of Knowledge: Again should not be confused with the personal gift of knowledge. Here some personal information is revealed about another person to the person having the charism. This information is revealed to increase the faith or to help the individual and is not to be made public if it is personal. Jesus told the Samaritan woman things about her personal life. Peter questioned the couple who sold their property and lied about it.
Discernment of Spirits: All the charisms can be imitated by the Evil Spirit. The person having this charism can indicate whether a gift is operated by the Holy Spirit power or by the power of the Evil Spirit. The devil is ready to give many powers in return for worship. Moses turned his staff into a snake and so did the magicians of Pharaoh. The girl who was predicting the future could not do so once Paul cast out the evil spirit from her.
Faith: It is the ability to say something extraordinary in the name of Jesus and it comes to pass. Peter and John said to the man outside the temple "stand up and walk" and he did.
Healing: It is the ability given to cure people suffering from various kinds of illnesses, sicknesses and diseases.
Miracles: It is the ability given to make the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the lame walk, disappearance of tumors or other actions that science cannot explain. It can also be the ability to perform some extraordinary feats.
Prophecy: A message is spoken by the person having the gift to animate or give direction to the community. It can also be about something that is going to happen in the future.
Tongues: It is an ability given to utter words which the speaker does not understand. It can be an ability to just pray or also to preach. A person may preach in his own language but different people in the audience can understand the message in their own languages.
Interpretation of Tongues: This charism works in combination with the charism of tongues. One person will speak in an unknown language which he does not understand. Another person in the group will be able to give the meaning of the words spoken.
The gift of praying in tongues can be easily imitated and therefore found to be most prevalent. The imitation is mostly by the self and rarely by the evil spirit. In contrast the gift of interpretation of tongues is rare as it is difficult to imitate.
CAUTION: It is important to love the giver (God) more than the gifts. In cases where the desire for the gifts is greater than desire for the giver the Devil is bound to take advantage as this amounts to idol worship. Gifts operating in such situations are by the power of the Evil Spirit.
Romans 11:29 says "The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." It is the nature of God that once he gives a gift he will not take it back even if it is not used properly or misused. Satan and the evil spirits are cast out of heaven but their powers are not taken away. However as indicated in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) God will ask for an accounting on the Day of Judgment.
This post is written to provide basic information on the gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit. For a detailed account of all gifts mentioned in the Bible please read GIFTS FRUITS CHARISMS.
Tags: gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit, gifts fruits of the Holy Spirit, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, charisms of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit gifts and fruits, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit explained, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit meanings, Holy Spirit gifts, Holy Spirit fruits
CAUTION: The content given below on the gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit is to stress on the relevance of the post and not for learning purpose. Reader discretion is warranted. To know more about the gifts fruits of the Holy Spirit please click on the link provided above. The link will take you to a page where you will find the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit explained in a more exhaustive manner.
Gifts Of Service
These gifts are given to help others and promote the kingdom of God. These are unlimited in number and given to a person according to the will of God. A person may be given one or more of the gifts of service. St. Paul mentions about some of the gifts in three different places - Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. The gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians are also called as Charisms. The only qualification required to receive the gifts of service is faith in Jesus Christ and not a very high level of holiness or perfection. This misunderstanding makes many people feel they are not qualified to receive these gifts and therefore acts as a block.Brief Explanation Of Personal Gifts
The seven Personal Gifts are: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord and Piety.Wisdom: It is the ability to perceive things the way God does. Or to look at or evaluate things the way God does. Example - Men looked at the woman caught in adultery as scum and misfit of society. Jesus looked at her as a child of God who was in need of help.
Knowledge: It is the ability to know the person of Jesus. Or to know the nature of Jesus - compassion, mercy, gentleness etc. Peter denied Jesus three times. He wept bitterly but did not despair because he knew Jesus would forgive. However Judas was overcome by despair and committed suicide.
Understanding: It is the ability to understand the mysteries of faith - annunciation, incarnation, Eucharist, passion & death, resurrection etc. Thomas initially refused to believe in the resurrection of Jesus but is the only person in the gospel to directly address Jesus as God.
Counsel: It is the ability to make right decisions or to make decisions that are pleasing to God in our daily life. This is much much greater than common sense which is given to everyone.
Fortitude: It is ability to firmly stand for the truth. The Christian ways and the ways of the world are contradictory. One needs special courage to stand for the truth which is often against the views of the majority. The same Peter who denied Jesus three times out of fear for his life is believed to be crucified upside down but did not deny Jesus.
Fear of the Lord: It is the ability to love God with great passion. This is not the fear of cowering in fright before God but is a result of extreme love. A person who is deeply in love with God is constantly under the fear of offending him. This ability makes a person conscious of even the lightest of sins and helps to avoid them.
Piety: It is the ability to have an inner prayerful relationship with God. The focus is on inner ways that please God and not on outer forms. This makes a person see the reflection of God in other persons. Although outer forms of prayer are part of our humanness they are useless without the proper inner disposition.
Fruit Of The Holy Spirit
A mango tree will give only mango fruit and a apple tree will give only apple fruit. Although a mango tree gives only mango but the fruit appears in various shapes, sizes, colors and tastes. Similarly the fruit of the Holy Spirit is also one - Holiness. However the manifestations of Holiness are many. The manifestations are various ways in which the holiness in a person appears or is visible to others. In Galatians 5:22-23 St. Paul lists nine different manifestations of holiness but there can be many more. The fruit in a person will bring taste in the life of people around or make things better for others. If you don't have something you cannot give it to others.The nine manifestations of holiness listed here are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The Church has added modesty and chastity which may be broadly taken under self-control.
Love: Love can be understood in unlimited ways. The Greek language has 6 different words to express love (Eros = sexual passion, Philia = deep friendship, Ludus = playful love, Agape = love for everyone, Pragma = longstanding love, Philautia = love of the self). Here our focus is on mutual affection or love for everyone. A love that seeks the good of others.
Joy: The happiness of living a life in relationship with Jesus is of the highest degree and does not depend on external things or factors and therefore cannot be taken away by anyone (bliss, delight).
Peace: It is the calmness of thoughts or of mind (restfulness, harmony, tranquility). It cannot be acquired by worldly possessions or techniques but is received as a result of depending on God. A person who depends on God is able to accept every situation in life. Nothing can happen without God allowing it. If God allows something he also knows the purpose. We will never understand everything. A person who is not at peace with himself cannot bring peace around him.
Patience: It is the ability to wait or bear for long time without getting annoyed or without giving up (tolerate, endure, persevere). In a fast paced world nobody wants to wait but expects everything quickly. We even expect God to act fast and at our convenience. Old people, children, sick people, physically challenged persons etc. take time to respond which is difficult for normal persons to deal with.
Kindness: It is the ability to do good deeds or provide services to others (caring, considerate). Helping a person cross a street, bringing something from the market place for someone who cannot make it, spending time with a sick or lonely person etc.
Generosity: It is the ability to share what we have with others (goodness, charitable). When we give we make something less for self. We can give money or other material possessions.
Faithfulness: It is the ability to commit oneself to something or someone (commitment, reliable, trustworthy, fidelity, loyalty). To be committed to a relationship in marriage or to be committed to one's vocation or work etc. One who is considered to be reliable by others.
Gentleness: It is the ability to deal with others in a mild manner (soft spoken, meek, tenderness).
Self-Control: It is the ability to control one's responses or actions (self restraint). Control over what or when to speak or not. Control over urges, foods and pleasures. Self restraint over doing something that is not good.
Personal Gifts And Fruits Of The Holy Spirit
The personal gifts as mentioned earlier are freely given to every baptized person. The purpose of the personal gifts is to help us to bear fruit. Using the gifts each person is expected to bear fruit. Gifts are what God gives to us. Fruit is what we are expected to give to God in return. To bear fruit requires efforts and to increase the measure of the fruit requires continuous and sustained efforts. Gifts can be received in an instant but bearing fruit is a lifelong process. On the Day of judgment Jesus will not look for gifts but only for the fruit. Gifts are temporary and only for our earthly life and they will cease in the end (1 Cor. 13). Fruit is permanent and what we will carry in the next life as it is part of the person. Although the word ability is used to explain each manifestation of the fruit the more appropriate word is quality or attribute.
Brief Explanation Of Charisms
There are nine charisms mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and they can be sub divided into three categories.1. Gifts Of Revelation or Gifts Of Insight
2. Action Gifts or Power Gifts or Dynamic Gifts
3. Word Gifts or Gifts Of Utterance
Revelation Gifts
These are called gifts of revelation as something is revealed in the mind of the person having the gift.Word of Wisdom: This charism should not be confused with the gift of wisdom which is one of the seven personal gifts and received by every believer. This is a special ability given to know the solution to difficult situations faced by a believer or community. When Jesus was asked whether taxes needed to be paid to the emperor he gave an astounding answer.
Word of Knowledge: Again should not be confused with the personal gift of knowledge. Here some personal information is revealed about another person to the person having the charism. This information is revealed to increase the faith or to help the individual and is not to be made public if it is personal. Jesus told the Samaritan woman things about her personal life. Peter questioned the couple who sold their property and lied about it.
Discernment of Spirits: All the charisms can be imitated by the Evil Spirit. The person having this charism can indicate whether a gift is operated by the Holy Spirit power or by the power of the Evil Spirit. The devil is ready to give many powers in return for worship. Moses turned his staff into a snake and so did the magicians of Pharaoh. The girl who was predicting the future could not do so once Paul cast out the evil spirit from her.
Action Gifts
These are called action gifts as some physical action takes place.Faith: It is the ability to say something extraordinary in the name of Jesus and it comes to pass. Peter and John said to the man outside the temple "stand up and walk" and he did.
Healing: It is the ability given to cure people suffering from various kinds of illnesses, sicknesses and diseases.
Miracles: It is the ability given to make the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the lame walk, disappearance of tumors or other actions that science cannot explain. It can also be the ability to perform some extraordinary feats.
Word Gifts
These are called word gifts as some words are uttered using the mouth.Prophecy: A message is spoken by the person having the gift to animate or give direction to the community. It can also be about something that is going to happen in the future.
Tongues: It is an ability given to utter words which the speaker does not understand. It can be an ability to just pray or also to preach. A person may preach in his own language but different people in the audience can understand the message in their own languages.
Interpretation of Tongues: This charism works in combination with the charism of tongues. One person will speak in an unknown language which he does not understand. Another person in the group will be able to give the meaning of the words spoken.
The gift of praying in tongues can be easily imitated and therefore found to be most prevalent. The imitation is mostly by the self and rarely by the evil spirit. In contrast the gift of interpretation of tongues is rare as it is difficult to imitate.
CAUTION: It is important to love the giver (God) more than the gifts. In cases where the desire for the gifts is greater than desire for the giver the Devil is bound to take advantage as this amounts to idol worship. Gifts operating in such situations are by the power of the Evil Spirit.
Conclusion
Romans 11:29 says "The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." It is the nature of God that once he gives a gift he will not take it back even if it is not used properly or misused. Satan and the evil spirits are cast out of heaven but their powers are not taken away. However as indicated in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) God will ask for an accounting on the Day of Judgment.This post is written to provide basic information on the gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit. For a detailed account of all gifts mentioned in the Bible please read GIFTS FRUITS CHARISMS.
Tags: gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit, gifts fruits of the Holy Spirit, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, charisms of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit gifts and fruits, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit explained, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit meanings, Holy Spirit gifts, Holy Spirit fruits
CAUTION: The content given below on the gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit is to stress on the relevance of the post and not for learning purpose. Reader discretion is warranted. To know more about the gifts fruits of the Holy Spirit please click on the link provided above. The link will take you to a page where you will find the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit explained in a more exhaustive manner.
The gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit explained here are to give a basic understanding. For those who wish to get deeper gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit meanings should check out the above link.
The gifts fruits of the Holy Spirit can be explained in many different ways and one has to keep an open mind towards all interpretations. One has to constantly pray in faith for the for the increase in measure of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The gifts fruits and charisms of the Holy Spirit are needed for the personal growth in holiness of an individual and to expand the kingdom of God respectively. The gifts fruits of the Holy Spirit have to be nurtured in prayer and increased in measure by constant efforts.
The gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit meanings are vast and one has to always keep an openness to the various ways of interpreting the actions of the Spirit.
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