Spiritual Gifts| Part 4: Areas of Influence

We were created in the image and likeness of God, and through Christ we have become His body on the earth. On the day of Pentecost, God poured out His Spirit so that His people could walk in His mind, His wisdom, His character, His power, and His authority. The same Spirit that was in Jesus now lives in us—not because we earned it, but because of grace. Fasting and prayer don’t qualify us for anointing; they simply bring our hearts closer to God so that His Spirit can move freely through us. Jesus is the perfect example of the fivefold ministry—apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher—and His characteristics shaped everything He did. He was passionate, compassionate, loving, forgiving, interruptible, truthful, and full of authority. Because of who He was, He healed, delivered, restored, taught, and commanded the world around Him. That same supernatural power is not found in the natural man but in the Holy Spirit working within us. Though we are not perfect, God still chooses to use us because of grace. As His followers, we are called to extend His work in every area of influence He assigns to us—from the local to the global—living out His character and continuing His ministry in the world today.