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The Gifts of the Spirit for Today

The Gifts of the Spirit for Today
Photo by Fa Barboza / Unsplash

Note: This article is part of my ongoing series on the Holy Spirit, The Spirit Poured Out. The series explores who the Holy Spirit is, what He does, and how He works in our lives today—just as in the early church. You can find other posts in this series at the end of this article.

“But that doesn’t still happen today… right?”

I was reading Scripture with a young believer I was discipling. As we came across some of the miracles of Jesus and the early church, he looked at me with surprise. When I suggested that the Holy Spirit is with us today—and that miracles, tongues, healings, and words from the Lord should still be expected—he was shocked.

He had been shaped by a version of cultural Christianity that taught him prayer was more ritual than power, more duty than encounter. But within a couple of weeks, as he joined other believers in prayer, he began to experience the Spirit firsthand. Prayer stopped being a box to check. It became a place where the supernatural showed up in his life—where God spoke, healed, and moved.

The Spirit works today just as He worked in the New Testament.

A Global Reminder

I’ve seen this truth confirmed again and again as I’ve listened to believers from around the world. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, pastors and church leaders have personally shared with me stories of demons cast out, marriages restored, the sick healed, and entire neighborhoods transformed by the gospel. For them, these aren’t rare highlights—they’re normal testimonies of the Spirit’s presence.

And in our Free Methodist context here in the U.S., I’ve begun to see glimmers of this same reality. As we’ve prayed for a Spirit-fueled movement, rooted in deep prayer and dependence, the Spirit has shown up in surprising ways. I’ve seen moments that I’d never personally experienced before—powerful answers to prayer, breakthrough in people’s lives, and fresh boldness in mission. It’s a reminder that the Spirit is not finished with us yet.

What Are the Gifts?

Paul describes the Spirit’s gifts in several places:

  • 1 Corinthians 12 – wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, tongues, interpretation.
  • Romans 12 – teaching, serving, exhortation, giving, leading, mercy.
  • Ephesians 4 – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.

Some gifts look dramatic, like prophecy or healing. Others look ordinary, like service or giving. But all of them are supernatural because they all come from the Spirit.

Think of them as instruments in an orchestra. Each one sounds different, but together they create the music of God’s kingdom.

Why Gifts Still Matter

Some argue that the gifts of the Spirit were only for the early church. But both Scripture and history disagree. Reliable scholars across traditions affirm this—not only Pentecostal voices, but also respected theologians from broader Wesleyan-Arminian and Reformed backgrounds.

  • Craig Keener reminds us: if the Spirit gave gifts to empower the church in the first century, why would He withdraw them now when the mission isn’t finished? (Gift and Giver, 2001; Miracles, 2011).
  • Sam Storms points out that Paul never said the gifts would end before Christ’s return (Practicing the Power, 2017).
  • J. Rodman Williams argued simply: if the Spirit is still present, His gifts are still present (Renewal Theology, Vol. 2, 1990).
  • Ruth Haley Barton reminds us that the Spirit’s work is always tied to love, humility, and discernment (Pursuing God’s Will Together, 2012).

The truth is, the church cannot accomplish its mission without the Spirit’s gifts. They aren’t extras; they are essential.

Gifts With Discernment

Paul gives guardrails: prophecy should be tested, tongues should be interpreted, worship should be orderly. And the Spirit’s gifts will always line up with the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23).

Barton’s reminder is timely: Spirit-led leadership must be discerning and grounded in Christlike character. The Spirit never contradicts Scripture or leads us away from love.

Gifts in the Wesleyan Tradition

Even in our own Wesleyan and Methodist tradition, the Spirit’s gifts have always been evident. John Wesley not only taught and affirmed them—he saw them firsthand in revival settings.

In his Journal, Wesley describes praying for the sick and seeing them healed (Journal, Jan. 1, 1739, Works, Vol. 19:26). He recounts moments when he or others spoke with uncanny spiritual insight, leading people to conviction of sin (Journal, Jan. 17, 1739, Works, Vol. 19:35). He also recorded dreams and visions that encouraged or warned believers (Journal, May 21, 1740, Works, Vol. 19:230).

These were not distractions from holiness. For Wesley, they were evidence that God was present and active in the lives of ordinary people. The gifts of the Spirit were never about spectacle—they were about transformation, fueling a holy life marked by love of God and neighbor.

When Things Got Messy

But Wesley also knew the Spirit’s work could look messy. In revival meetings, people sometimes cried out, trembled, shook, or fell to the ground (Journal, Jan. 1, 1739, Works, Vol. 19:26). Others broke out in uncontrollable laughter or described powerful visions (Journal, June 1739, Works, Vol. 19:67; Aug. 15, 1739, Works, Vol. 19:88). To many onlookers, it looked chaotic. Critics mocked Methodists as “enthusiasts,” accusing them of being out of control.

Wesley’s response was pastoral and discerning. He didn’t dismiss these manifestations outright, nor did he celebrate them as proof of spirituality. Instead, he asked: what fruit followed? If a person’s life was changed—if they walked in holiness and love—then he recognized the Spirit was at work. If not, he warned against chasing dramatic experiences for their own sake.

His guiding principle came straight from Scripture: “Do not quench the Spirit… test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:19–21; cf. Wesley, The Nature of Enthusiasm, 1750).

Gifts for Everyone: Why This Shapes Our Ministry

One of the most radical truths in Scripture is this: the Spirit gives gifts to everyone. Paul says, “To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). That means gifts aren’t limited by gender, age, class, or status. Sons and daughters prophesy. Old and young dream dreams. Servants as well as leaders are empowered (Joel 2:28–29; Acts 2:17–18).

This conviction has shaped who we are as a church. Because we believe in the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, we also believe God calls and equips women for every position in the church — whether that’s preaching, pastoring, planting new churches, or serving as bishop.

To deny women the opportunity to lead while affirming that the Spirit has clearly given them gifts of preaching, teaching, or shepherding would be to silence the Spirit Himself. As Craig Keener points out, Paul’s teaching on gifts makes no distinction between men and women — to restrict gifts on the basis of gender is to go against the very point Paul is making (Paul, Women, and Wives, 1992).

This isn’t cultural accommodation or bending to modern values. It’s obedience. Our theology of the Spirit shapes our practice of ministry. Historically, Wesleyans have affirmed women in leadership for this very reason. Women like Mary Bosanquet Fletcher in the 18th century and Phoebe Palmer in the 19th boldly exercised their Spirit-given gifts to preach, teach, and lead revival movements. They are living proof that when the Spirit gives gifts, the church must make room for them.

Love at the Center: The Greatest Gift

Paul spends an entire chapter—1 Corinthians 13—driving home a simple but seismic truth: gifts without love are worthless. He isn’t dismissing the gifts; he’s showing us their true purpose.

  • Tongues without love are just noise.
  • Prophecy without love is empty.
  • Even faith that can move mountains, or generosity that gives everything away, means nothing if love isn’t at the center.

Love is not one gift among many; it is the measure and goal of every gift. The Spirit distributes gifts to empower the church, but He anchors them in love so that they build up, never tear down.

This is what sets Christian community apart. In a world that uses power for control, wealth for self, and influence for status, the Spirit calls us to use every gift as an expression of love. Healing is love in action toward the sick. Prophecy is love in action, speaking truth that strengthens and comforts. Teaching is love in action, guiding people toward Christ. Even the seemingly ordinary gifts—hospitality, mercy, generosity—become radiant when fueled by love.

The Wesleyan tradition has always emphasized this: holiness is not simply moral purity, but perfect love of God and neighbor poured into the heart by the Holy Spirit. The gifts are never ends in themselves. They are the Spirit’s chosen instruments to express that love, to build up the body, and to advance God’s mission in the world.

So when we talk about gifts, we’re not just talking about spiritual abilities. We’re talking about God’s love made visible and active through His people. The gifts are love with sleeves rolled up. They are love stepping into brokenness, love confronting sin, love restoring the hurting, love multiplying disciples.

This is why the Spirit still gives gifts today—not for show, not for spectacle, but so that the church can embody God’s love in power.

Living Sent

So how do we live this out?

  1. Ask God to show you your gifts. Pay attention to how He uses you.
  2. Pray for more. Paul said, “Eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy” (1 Cor. 14:1).
  3. Practice with humility. Gifts grow as we use them to serve others.
  4. Affirm the gifts of others. Call out what you see in them, especially among women and young people.
  5. Keep love first. Let love shape and direct every gift you use.

Series on the Holy Spirit

This post is part of my series on the Holy Spirit. You can find the other posts here:

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Jamie Larson
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