Understanding The Gifts Of The Spirit - Test (Daily Devotional)

Hello and a very warm welcome to each one of you watching Living Supernaturally, the daily devotion. We're so glad that you could join us today. We've been studying about the gifts of the Spirit and getting an understanding of the different facets of the gifts of the Spirit. Even as we wrap up this series, we are today looking at this instruction or exhortation in scripture to test the gifts of the Spirit, we are called to test. Now, we might have this question, why should we test? To test means to investigate, to find out, to discern, and to see if things are so, if it is genuine, if it is correct, if it is authentic and so, why is there such an exhortation or instruction in scripture for the New Testament believer, for you and I? Let's look at that instruction. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 19 to 21, so, Paul writes to them and he says, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things. Hold fast what is good." So, regarding the work of the Spirit, we learn that the gifts of the Spirit are the expression of the Holy Spirit and so, this is the display of the Holy Spirit, displaying the character of God, the nature of God, and the power of God. So, we are not to quench, which means we are not to figuratively just pour water over the fire. So, the Holy Spirit is leading, Holy Spirit is prompting us to do certain things, we are not to disobey and quench the fire of the Holy Spirit. The second thing we see is do not despise, now, don't despise prophecies. Now, why could be there a reason to despise prophecies? Maybe some things were shared and maybe we didn't see it through to completion and or we saw the character of the person being something else and so we were discouraged and so Paul is writing for whatever reason he's saying, "Do not despise prophecies." And then the third one he states is test all things, whether they are prophecies, whether they are the fire of the Holy Spirit, the work of the Holy Spirit, test all things and definitely some of these things like the revelatory work of the Holy Spirit or the revelatory manifestations of the Holy Spirit like word of wisdom, word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits, and prophecy, and so on. So, the instruction is that we need to test them. Now, what is the reason to test? We know that the gift is perfect, because it's from God and He's the source and God does not make a mistake. It is good, it is perfect, and when He speaks, it is the truth. Now, while the gift is perfect, while the giver is perfect, now the instrument through whom God works, the instruments or the channels through whom God communicates, you and I, we are not perfect. We are learning, we are on that journey of being renewed and are works in progress. Therefore, we have this instruction. In the same the episode, 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verse 29, Paul writes, "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge." The word judge meaning to discern, to separate thoroughly, to make a difference. So, it's not to say that well, it's a hit or miss, that the gift is not perfect, that God is not perfect, no. As New Testament believers, we are to do this, and it is our responsibility. Shall we pray? Father, we thank you for the gifts of the Spirit. We thank you for this exhortation, for this instruction in your word to test all things. Lord, may we take it up as our responsibility to test and to prove, to discern and to hold on to those things that are good, and discarding and letting go of things that are not. We thank you, may we grow in our understanding of the gifts, may we grow in our expression of who you are and what you do in and through us, Lord, we thank you, in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
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