Expert: Dr. Tim Gladu - 12/14/2007

Question
Dr. Tim,
I am troubled by the receiving of gifts. All my life I have been raised Baptist not necessarily southern but Baptist none the less. Through out my time in different churches I have never really understood the receiving of Gifts in fact I think I have totally misinterpreted the tower of Babylon and the day of Pentecost.  Recent research has made me question if gifts from the Holy Spirit are real and should be embraced or discounted, to the latter I have always thought.  Please help me from a Baptist perspective come to grips with this.  Are the Holy Sprits Gifts real?  Am I to expect that in time when my faith is strong I will in fact receive one?
Thank you in advance and God Bless your ministries for making this site available to the laymen.  

Answer
Bruce,

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit come to those who believe in Christ and who have been saved. We in the church are to fit together as one body. The church is the body of Christ and all the gifts we possess continue the ministry. We sometimes do not embrace our gifts but they are there. I find that so many people will do ministry because they want to do that particular ministry. If we are doing what God wants us to do we will be much more productive. The gifts that were given to the Apostles at the day of Pentecost I believe were only given to them. I realize that Christ would have given the Apostles greater gifts because they were going to be the basis of the church. They needed to be able to heal the sick and to speak in tounges. I encourage you to continue to listen to God and other people of God like pastors maybe teachers and even elders in the church. If someone asks you if you would like to be involved take it as God asking you. You may find that God has plans for you that you never even imagined you would be doing. I would also ask you to find a spiritual gifts survey. This may at the very least help you in your journey.