Listen carefully to what the Holy Spirit says to the Church in John 1:14-15 (Amp), "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (undeserved, unearned favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Christians have somehow believed that some people were Blessed or had more faith and ability, than others. Our faith has never risen to believe the Father for such things as healing, laying hands on the sick and witnessing, because we were taught that "only some can do these things" or "these things have passed away and were only for the early Church." We've been taught that, "God doesn't do this for everyone," but the above scripture tells us that, "Out of His fullness, we have ALL received, ALL had a part and were ALL supplied with."
Jesus says in Mark 16:17 (Amp), "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe." Jesus wasn't speaking about the Gifts of the Spirit, listed in 1Corinthians 12. The Gifts of the Spirit usually accompany the five-fold ministry, listed in Ephesians 4. When were were born-again, we were filled with the Holy Spirit, Who gives the Gifts "severally as He wills." The Holy Spirit can and does move upon anyone, at anytime, in order to profit mankind. The Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write to the Church in Romans 12:3 (Amp), saying, "For by Grace, unmerited favor of God give to me, I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought (not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance), but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith appointed by God to him."
The King James Version of this scripture reads, "For I say through the Grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." No one person has more faith than another. God has given ALL, the measure of faith, favor and Grace. It's what we do with faith that matters.
Romans 1:17 (Amp) says, "For in the Gospel a Righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of FAITH), that arouses to more faith. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith." Every born-again believer begins his/her walk with God, on the same level as others in the Body of Christ. Some pursue faith and exercise their faith, believing God on a higher level than other, but every believer has the same ability to go from faith to faith."
Ephesians 4:11,12 (Amp) says, "And His Gifts were varied. He Himself appointed and gave men to us, some apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of the flock), and teachers." God chooses, appoints and calls people for certain offices. He Himself places these people where they "fit" in the Body of Christ, but that doesn't mean that these people are the only ones appointed by the Holy Spirit and used by the Lord. The Holy Spirit tells us the reason for the five-fold ministry in Verse 12, saying, "It is for the perfecting of and full equipping of the saints to do the work of ministering to build up the Body of Christ."
Those in the five-fold ministry are there to teach believers what our inheritance and calling in Jesus is and to teach us how to go from faith to faith and how to grow in our place in the Body of Christ. We were ALL given a share and were ALL supplied with the same Spiritual Blessing, Grace, favor and God's fullness (abundance). Romans 8:16-17 (Amp) says, "The Spirit Himself thus testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are children of God. And if we are His children then we are His heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him, only we must share His suffering if we are to share His Glory."
We know that ALL have received and are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus. The H Spirit chooses who He gives the calling and Gifts for the ministry to. The only thing that holds us back is that we don't put faith in who He has called and made us to be, in Jesus. Jesus tells us in "The Parable of the Sower" that one person took the mustard seed of faith and sowed it, so it could grow into a great tree. Others though, kept the mustard seed of faith and didn't plant it. Both were given the same amount of seed, but not everyone allowed it to grow.
No person received more of the Holy Spirit than others did, but one believed and allowed the Holy Spirit to express Himself in a higher degree. It's not the man, but his allowing the ability of the Holy Spirit to be expressed through him, that makes it seem like he has a greater walk with God.
Hebrews 4:2 (Amp) says, "For indeed we have had the glad tidings (Gospel of God) proclaimed to us just as truly as they (the Israelites of old when the Good News of deliverance from bondage came to them), but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith by those who heard."
Going from one degree of faith to another, comes by faith. We must mix our faith with what we read and hear in God's Word. The Israelites in the Wilderness limited God, by their unbelief. We have the potential for the God-kind of faith and the Holy Spirit living in us, to do what God's Word says we are to do and to go from faith to faith in Him.
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