Weapons for the Believer 5.5 – The Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Word of Knowledge

Weapons for the Believer 5.5 – The Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Word of Knowledge

According to Paul, there are weapons of warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (ESV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We are considering ten weapons that the Believer has at their disposal. We looked at the first four in previous posts. If you haven’t read them I encourage you to do so.

The next weapons are referred to as The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Gifts of Healing, Working of Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits,

Different Kinds of Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues.

When our faith intersects with the Spirit’s power, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished in those moments. I do not believe these are given permanently as some teach. I do not believe that some “posses” these gifts, but instead are given in the moment when needed. Consequently any or all of these may manifest in each Believer as the Spirit chooses.

There are nine gifts list by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. Traditionally these have been divided into three groups: The Power Gifts, The Revelation Gifts, and The Speaking Gifts.

            The Power Gifts:                  Faith (or special faith, as some have described it)

                                                            Gifts of Healing (the only plural gift)

                                                            Working of Miracles

            The Revelation Gifts:          Word of Wisdom

                                                            Word of Knowledge

                                                            Discerning of Spirits

            The Speaking Gifts:                        Prophecy

                                                            Tongues

                                                            Interpretation of Tongues

Today we will look at the fifth of these in more detail: Word of Knowledge. Keep in mind that all of the Gifts of the Spirit are given to the Believer to accomplish the purposes of God. When the Gift of the Word of Knowledge is given it so the Believer will have information for the moment that will empower them to more completely show the love of God.

The Word of Knowledge is when the Spirit reveals information to the conscious thinking of the Believer that could be found out in the natural, but is unknown to the Believer. Some in the Church have abused this Gift by making “giving a word on demand” a type of sideshow-like event in worship gatherings, or other gatherings of Believers. This is not the purpose of this Gift. Actually, I do not believe this type of activity is the working of a Gift of the Spirit at all. God is not interested in hype of any kind. His only purpose to reveal a Word of Knowledge by the Spirit to the Believer is to further the establishing of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Some confuse the Word of Knowledge with that of Prophecy, however these are not the same thing. When you speak of things that are realities in the earth already, either past or present, but are not know to you, it is the Word of Knowledge. Future events are not part of the Word of Knowledge because there is no way you could know these things in a natural sense. As I stated in a prior post while looking at the Gifts of the Spirit, there is a fine line between some of the Gifts, and only the Holy Spirit can accurately distinguish them clearly. That should not discourage you from allowing the Spirit to use you to manifest any of the Gifts. There is no fear in this.

I encourage you to study the Gifts more fully. Paul actually encourages us to “covet” the Gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV) But earnestly desire (KJV says “covet”) the higher gifts.

  

Regardless of how desperately we seek them, it is the Holy Spirit that determines when these Gifts will manifest. They cannot be manipulated. God will not be mocked.

Acts 8:18-21 (ESV) Now when Simon (the Magician) saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

Be open to the Gifts. Be prepared to be used of God through the Gifts. Desire to have the Gifts operate in your life. But, leave it up to the Holy Spirit to decide when, or if, any of the Gifts will be manifest in your life.