The Holy Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an impersonal force. He is a person equal in every way with the Father and the Son. All the divine attributes ascribed to the Father and the Son are equally ascribed to the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual gifts are tools given by God for doing the work of the ministry. Different people are given different gifts to handle different tasks. Spiritual gifts are God’s provision for the Holy Spirit to minister to people, through people. Without spiritual gifts people can minister one to another only in the flesh.

Think of the greatest Christian you know. Now consider this: God has called you to do what this person cannot do. Your God has given you a special endowment that suits you perfectly for your special position on the Team. The Christian who knows he has the gift of Serving will not belittle himself because he is not a pastor. He can accept himself knowing his Lord has given him a special endowment that suits him perfectly for this special position on the Team. The Christian who knows that her gift is Administration, and is functioning effectively in her capacity, will not think herself unworthy or unnecessary because she is not a Teacher.