MEMORY VERSE: For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 1 Corinthians 14:2
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 93-95
The gifts of God, when expressed as the Lord intended them to be, are beautiful, and needful in order that the body of Christ may grow and develop. As mentioned earlier in these series, these gifts are not earned but they are freely given by God to His children. Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Before we define each gift, there is an important thing one needs to know and that is the gifts of God will be manifested according to one’s faith: " According to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 9:29).
The first gift we will be looking at is the Gifts of Tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:2 says, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.” Speaking in tongues has nothing to do with emotion. Speaking in tongues cannot be emotion, for the emotions are part of the soul, the psychological nature, whilst speaking in tongues is speaking from or in the spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:14 says, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.” Speaking in tongues may stir the emotions, just as it may sharpen the intellect, and order the will, but you do not have to become emotional in order to speak in tongues. Remember, emotion is a response, an expression, not a cause. There is no compulsion involved in speaking in tongues. God does not compel His people to do things, but He inspires them. It is the enemy who ‘possess’ and compels people against their will. Whenever anyone says: “i do this because God makes do it!” referring to any physical manifestation, it is likely that it is not God at all, but either his own soulish (psychological) nature that is acting, or worse yet, an alien spirit that is oppressing him. I am not denying that the Holy Spirit can sovereignly cause physical sensations. It is not uncommon for a person to feel a supernatural movement upon cheeks, lips, or tongue, or a stammering tongue, or trembling of the body, when praying for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are cases of people experiencing a weakness of muscle, even to the point of not being able to stand up. On the day of Pentecost itself they were accused of drunkenness! Nonetheless, no matter how overwhelming the inspiration may be, and whether it is spiritual, psychological, or even physical in nature, the spirit of the prophet is still subject to the prophet (1 Corinthians 14:32). God can and does do unexpected and unusual things, but does not make His children behave in bizarre and grotesque ways that would frighten others. Speaking in tongues is your spirit speaking, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and your spirit is under your control.
Someone once asked, did Jesus speak in tongues when He was empowered by the Holy Spirit? No, He didn’t but He said we would do so. Jesus did not need the edification of speaking in tongues, and there were no barriers in His soul that made it necessary for His Spirit to speak to the Father in a language His mind did not understand. Moreover, speaking in tongues is the manifestation that was to come at Pentecost, in ‘fullness of time’ (John 14:12).
NOTE: Although the Spirit does not compel believers, it can and does compel unbelievers for example those who came out to arrest Jesus were thrown to the ground (John 18:5-6).
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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world
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