Spiritual gifts part 26: God is love, so your life with God will be a love story.

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Wednesday,
September 15, 2010

Spiritual Gifts Part 26: Spirituality is romance with the God who is Love.

The Doctrine of Spiritual Gifts

Point 1: Setting the scene for Paul’s teaching on the Spiritual Gifts.

Point 2. The Giver of the Gifts: The Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit.

Joh 14:16
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

The Indwelling of God the Holy Spirit refers to the act of God the Father sending the Spirit to take up His permanent residence in the Church Age believer, and this in answer to the prayer of God the Son, Joh 14:16.

The Bible uses a synonym for the indwelling and that is the anointing with the Spirit, as in 2Co 1:21-22; 1Jo 2:20, 2:27.

His work of teaching the believer the word.

His work of giving the believer an innate ability to know in an intuitive way, things spiritual.

ἐπιποθεῑ

present active indicative of the verb

epipotheo

to dote upon, i.e. intensely crave possession (lawfully or wrongfully)

Thayer:
1. long for, desire:
2. to be possessed with a desire for, long for
3.to pursue with love, to long after

Thieme: epipotheoo is the strongest word in the Greek for passionate love, pure passion, good passion.
 

It is a strong word for love, and it includes all the passion that goes with true love.

According to Wuest, it means “to earnestly or passionately desire”.

The majority of verses in the NT use this verb in speaking of someone who is at a distance and desires that intimate personal fellowship with another believer.

There is a rival for the attentions, affections, and trust of your soul.
 

That rival is satan, joined by his allies: the kingdom of darkness, the world system, and the old sin nature.

Psa 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.