Can Spiritual Gifts Flow Through Someone Who’s Sinful?
People can have the faith to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, but not have the needed faithfulness for personal holiness.
One day, after seeing a person whom God had used in mighty ways fall to the wayside, I asked God why He would choose people whom He knew would fall. He shared two things I will never forget. God told me, “Sometimes I just need certain things done, and they had the faith to step out even though they are struggling to keep the level of holiness required to maintain what they have obtained. Isn’t it amazing how much glory I could bring to My name in spite of their brokenness that produced wrong choices?”
Whenever God blesses someone in this heart condition, He is also reminding them of His grace toward them. His blessings are a call for them to come back to His heart. It is not His approval of their life or their motives. The kindness of God is to lead us to repentance. Often, successful ministers who are living double lives confuse His kindness to use them in tremendous ways as His stamp of approval on them; it may not be their last supper, but it could be their last conference for many years. At a certain point, God would rather allow the enemy to destroy their reputation that stops their ministry so He can create the opportunity to save their relationship with Him and restore their life. For some, it boils down to their soul being saved. Ministry is always available after repentance, restoration, and personal revival.
If people who have lost their first love with Jesus are still experiencing miracles, we tend to judge them and God: “Why were You using them when You had me?” Judging God for blessing others whom we do not see as faithful as we are is lifting ourselves above God, like lucifer. Let’s not go there. If we do, and we do, repent as soon as possible. We can judge what is wrong, but we are not allowed to judge His servants. Whenever I transgress in this area, I can feel a tangible drop in the anointing I carry. When I repent and bless them, God refreshes and blesses me. My relationship with Him includes my attitude toward His other servants.
Why am I covering these issues again? The pure in heart shall see God, and they shall see what He is doing. They will hear what He is saying. If forgiveness is important to our salvation, forgiveness is also important to operating in the gifts of the Spirit. Gifts flow between those who love each other: Father God, with Abraham, with Daniel, with David, with Esther, with Jesus, with Stephen, with Paul, with Peter, and with you.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29 KJV).
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29 NKJV).
Holy living is about our lifestyle matching His holy gifts and ways. The gift of salvation is freely given with forgiveness. We freely receive the gifts of the Spirit. The operation of the gifts of the Spirit is based on His goodness, not ours. The gifts of the Spirit are about our ability to receive the gifts by faith. At Christmas, did you tell your parents that you weren’t good enough to receive your gifts? No. You received every Christmas gift, even if it wasn’t your best year. Santa Claus is about who has been naughty or nice. Jesus is about those who choose to receive His forgiveness, living in His goodness and gifts, versus those who have rejected Him and choose to live in their own goodness and their abilities. Some people from this last group are leading some of the largest churches in the world in various denominations.
The enemy will tell us what God already knows. Our holy living falls short of qualifying us to walk with Him. We cannot earn what He paid for; we can only receive it. Grace is not only mercy, but it is also divine enablement. Don’t stop with the joy that we are forgiven, press into the grace that gives us anointed authority. We have immediate access to all the gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are ministering in line with the purpose that they were given: to bring the world God loves to salvation, and don’t forget those who attend church every Sunday.
In the early days of my prophetic ministry, when I had a weekend of meetings ahead of me where I felt dry, I would purposely minister prophetically to several people as I was traveling to the meetings. That dry feeling was only a feeling that was not even connected to the truth. We are anointed by God to reach the world with His love and life. When we step into the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit—of being His witnesses—the anointing is released within us to accomplish that purpose.
I have walked up to people with a smile and greeted them: “Hi. I’m a Christian, and when I look at people, God shows me things.” Under my breath, I whisper to God, “If I were You, I would help me out now. I’ve told them what You do. This is about Your name, not mine.” The amazing part that I will never forget is how the anointing would rise in me as I stepped out to be His witness, then the life of His Spirit and His love came over me. If we choose to do an act of love for someone with the purpose to bless them when we don’t feel love for them, the purpose of the act will bring forth the love. Acts of love are initiated by choices.
Activation!
Activate the prophetic. Approach someone and say, “I am a Christian. When I look at people, God shows me things. I see the hand of Jesus….” Then ask Jesus to show you if His hand is over their mind, their heart, their ear, or their hand, and ask the Holy Spirit what it means. If you sense a problem, speak the answer first, before you reveal the problem. “God is pouring His love over your heart that is even breaking the fear you are facing.” Turn the prophetic word into a prayer or declaration. (Following is a list of several examples. Having a basic knowledge of prophetic language will help you prophesy as you develop your own.)
Heart: The heart is about healing brokenness, giving physical strength, releasing faith for a particular situation, a godly desire, or the need to comfort them for a loss.
Head: The head means that God is releasing wisdom, peace, decisions, direction, favor, and dreams. He will point out the back of the head to indicate dreams, while the side of the head could speak of anxiety or frustration with a decision.
Shoulder: The shoulder indicates new authority, ability to rule, and increasing one’s strength. It also could mean that the person is carrying heavy burdens.
Eyes: The eyes refer to fresh vision and/or the ability to see in the spiritual realm.
Ears: The ears are about hearing His voice; they are a gift to listen to others.
Lips: The lips mean increasing confidence to speak, counsel, and the prophetic.
The Holy Spirit is the power that birthed boldness in the Church to be a witness to a broken world that God so deeply loves. Expect the gifts of the Holy Spirit to flow through your life with great fruit to bring many people to Christ. I declare that the anointing will flow over your life, touching the lives of many people. Like David, you will do what He asks you because you are after His heart.
Activation!
Prophetic Activation: Close your eyes to prevent distractions. This exercise will develop your ability to close yourself in with God, with the noisy multitudes around you, with your eyes open. Try it the next time the noise level exceeds your comfort level, or you are in a rush. Give someone a ten-second prophetic word of encouragement, after closing yourself in with God for ten seconds. I do it all the time when I have no time, neither do they, and it always works. The gift of prophecy works if you work it.
Let’s start this activation again. Close your eyes to prevent distractions. Use this phrase as a diving board into the gift of prophecy. I see you like David. Fill in the blank. How? With your eyes closed, what scene of David’s life comes to your mind? (For references, see 1 Samuel 17:34-37; 1 Samuel 17; 1 Samuel 18:1-3; 2 Samuel 8:6; 1 Chronicles 18:13. We are skipping Bathsheba.) Speak the scene. What anointing and strengths were operating in David during that scene? Start prophesying them over that person.
Example: I see you like David when he killed the lion and the bear. The anointing of strength and courage is on your life. God is developing the warrior in you like David. What you have done in secret will qualify you for your day of promotion. Keep on worshiping like David. What God has promised you will come to pass. I believe it is important to challenge the person to a biblical response of action: worship, thankfulness, seek, read a book, devotion, or a story in the Bible, research biblical men and women.
Examples:
Worship: Your worship time will become a place of new strength.
Thankfulness: As you are thankful, God will open a door that no one can shut.
Devotions: The Lord is building wisdom in you. For the next month, I encourage you to read a chapter from the book of Proverbs each day and study the book of James. It is important for your growth.
Seek: As you seek Him, He will draw near to you. He will strengthen your faith to shift into your future.
Biblical men and women: Like Joseph, you will go past the rejection to a place of favor. Do you have a Bible? If not, look it up on the web. Read and study the life of Joseph, which will help you reach the fullness of your call. Like Esther, you will be a voice for those who lost their voice. God is giving you favor. New honor is coming on your life for the purposes of Heaven, for such a time as this. Read the story of Esther. It will help you understand how to overcome the plans of the enemy.
