Bible Study - Trials and Spiritual Gifts - August 24, 2025

 Bible Study – Trials and Spiritual Gifts – August 24, 2025

Let’s read James 1:2-8:

² Consider it a great joy, my brothers, and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

I cannot say that I consider it a great joy when I experience various trials, except I know they have a purpose and have an endpoint with the sense of achieving its intended purpose. Often, the by-product of a Spiritual trial or trials has/have a Spiritual teaching, learning and maturing impact in our lives.

One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

GOD not only sees where we are, but HE sees where we are headed. HIS desire is for those who DO NOT know HIM to seek HIM and those who do know HIM, through faith in JESUS, to be guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit and grow Spiritually.

One of the sayings of Dr. Vance Havner, “Trust in the dark, what you learn in the light.”

As “born-again” Christians, we seek to obediently serve our LORD JESUS and we seek to do so as wise children of GOD, through faith in JESUS. As “Spirit-born” Children, we know that wisdom comes from GOD.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 - Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

¹⁸ For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. ¹⁹ For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.^[c]

²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?^[d] Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? ²¹ For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. ²² For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.^[e] 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, ²⁵ because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

We read in James 1:5-8:

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he (she) should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him (or her). ⁶ But let him (or her) ask in faith without doubting.^[a] For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, ⁸ being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

First, who is James? He is one of the sons of Mary, the Mother of JESUS and half-brother of JESUS. James mentions “wisdom.”

What is wisdom? It is knowledge applied to GOD’S plan.

Step one for all wise people is to ask JESUS to forgive him/her for his/her sins and ask JESUS to come into his/her heart. Why? A person must be “born-again” in his or her human spirit. What does this do? It establishes the eternal foundation for a person’s eternal relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS. The person of faith through JESUS is GOD’S eternal Child.

Why did JESUS have to die upon the cross? JESUS fulfilled the Law by shedding of HIS blood. As we read in Hebrews 9:22

According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

JESUS fulfilled the Law and by doing so, HIS Passion opened the path for all people to receive not only salvation but “Grace” through faith in JESUS. Folks that is Good News.

What is grace? It is unmerited favor or something that is given that is not deserved. But GOD gives to all who accept HIS only SON, JESUS as their SAVIOR, HIS GRACE. I love grace over the harshness of the Law.

JESUS opened the way to eternal salvation however all people must accept what JESUS did for him or her through HIS Passion. When any person accepts JESUS as his/her Savior by believing that JESUS paid the price for all sin, in full, that is when that person is “born-again” in his/her spirit to become an eternal member of GOD’S Family.

Why JESUS? JESUS is the second Adam. The first Adam, as well as, Eve, the physical mother of all humans, sinned by eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, which resulted in death upon the human race.

JESUS, The Second Adam, willingly left HIS home in Heaven to come to earth to live a 100% human life, without sin, to be the perfect acceptable sacrifice to GOD, HIS FATHER, for all sin by the shedding of HIS sinless blood upon the cross. The proof is the complete bodily resurrection of JESUS on the third day from physical death to eternal life. JESUS’ passion reveals to all that HE conquered physical death, and HE was and is the first fruit of death and the grave to confirm eternal life through the miracle of Spiritual birth through faith in JESUS.

However, a person must accept the fact that JESUS gave HIS sinless life to pay the price for the person’s sin, in full, when a person places his/her faith in JESUS. The Holy Spirit confirms the person of faith with one or more Spiritual Gifts.

What are we, as Spirit-born Christians to know about Spiritual Gifts?

Christians are to seek the fulness of JESUS in their lives but as we read in 1 Corinthains 12: ⁴ Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. ⁷ A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: ⁸ to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹ to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues,^[b] to another, interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.

As we approach the second coming of JESUS to remove all Spirit-born Christians, we will witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as a witness to all people the presence of GOD and JESUS ministering to all humans.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit can become the focus of ministry, but our LORD gives HIS chosen Spiritual Gifts to minister as HE directs.

Yes, Spirit-born Christians must remain focused on the leadership of GOD, The indwelling Holy Spirit as they minister to others using the gift or gifts that GOD has given to them. The purpose of Spiritual GIFTS ARE TO MINISTER TO THE BODY OF BELIEVERS, INCLUDING OURSELVES.

Blessings to all as we journey toward Heaven!!!