Seek the Giver, Not Just the Gifts

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Were Meant to Reveal Jesus, Not Elevate Us

If God never used you to perform another miracle, would you still pursue Him with everything you have?

If you never received another prophetic word, would you still seek His voice? If nobody ever recognized your calling, your anointing, or the gifts God placed inside you, would you still serve Him?

These are questions I believe every Spirit-filled believer needs to ask.

One of the greatest dangers facing the Church today is not necessarily that we have stopped believing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It's that sometimes we become so fascinated with the gifts that we forget the One who gave them.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I believe God still heals, still speaks, and still gives prophecy, discernment, tongues, words of knowledge, and other spiritual gifts. Scripture even tells us to desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1).

But there is a difference between desiring what God gives us and desiring God Himself.

The gifts are not the destination. Jesus is.

The Gifts Were Never Meant to Elevate Us

1 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV) says:

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."

Notice that Paul doesn't say spiritual gifts are given so everyone will recognize how anointed we are. He doesn't say they're given to build our reputation or establish our importance.

They're given for the benefit of others.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are intended to strengthen the Church, encourage believers, reveal God's character, and ultimately glorify Jesus Christ.

Yet sometimes we begin treating spiritual gifts as though they establish our importance in God's Kingdom.

We compare anointings. We measure spirituality by manifestations. We become more concerned with how God is using us than with how much we are becoming like Him.

But here's something we need to understand.

The greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life is not how impressive you appear before people. It's how much your life is becoming like Jesus.

When the Flesh Begins Seeking Spiritual Things

Philippians 3:19–20 warns about those whose minds are focused on earthly things and reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven.

This raises an important question.

Can someone seek something spiritual for a fleshly reason?

Absolutely.

Someone might desire prophecy because they want recognition. Someone might seek words of knowledge because they want information about other people's lives. Someone might desire healing gifts because they want crowds gathering around them.

The activity may appear spiritual, but the motive can still be fleshly.

Jesus tells us in John 16:14 that the Holy Spirit glorifies Him.

Think about that.

If the Holy Spirit's purpose is to glorify Jesus, why would we use His gifts to glorify ourselves?

The gifts were never meant to satisfy our earthly ambitions. They were given to accomplish God's purposes.

Simon Wanted the Power. Moses Wanted the Presence.

In Acts chapter 8, we meet Simon, a man who had practiced sorcery before encountering the ministry of Philip.

When Simon witnessed the Holy Spirit being received through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money for that same ability.

He wanted the power.

Peter immediately rebuked him, saying:

"Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." — Acts 8:21 (KJV)

Simon saw something spiritual, but his desire was centered on obtaining the ability to exercise that power.

This is where we must be careful. Witchcraft and divination seek spiritual power or knowledge through means God forbids, often for influence or control. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are different because they operate according to God's will, not ours.

The Holy Spirit is not a power we control. He is God, and we surrender to Him.

Now compare Simon with Moses.

Moses had witnessed extraordinary miracles. He had seen the burning bush, the plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea parting, manna from heaven, and water coming from a rock.

He knew what the power of God looked like.

Yet in Exodus 33, after Israel's rebellion, Moses was faced with the possibility of continuing toward the promised land without God's presence dwelling among the people as before.

And what did Moses say?

"If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." — Exodus 33:15 (KJV)

What a powerful contrast!

Simon wanted what God's power could do. Moses wanted God Himself.

Moses understood that even the promised land wasn't worth pursuing without the presence of the One who made the promise.

And I wonder how many Christians today are so busy chasing the promises, the miracles, and the manifestations that they have forgotten to simply pursue His presence.

Spiritual Activity Is Not the Same as Knowing Jesus

In Matthew 7:22–23, Jesus gives a sobering warning.

He describes people who will point to prophecy, casting out demons, and wonderful works performed in His name.

Yet Jesus tells them:

"I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Notice what these people emphasized.

What they had done.

But Jesus emphasized the relationship they never had with Him.

This passage isn't condemning spiritual gifts. It's warning us that impressive religious activity is not proof of a genuine relationship with Christ.

Do we want to be known for what we do in Jesus' name, or do we want to be known by Jesus Himself?

That's a question worth examining.

The Gifts Must Operate Through Love

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul explains that even extraordinary spiritual activity means nothing without love.

You can possess spiritual knowledge and still lack compassion. You can speak about the things of God and still fail to demonstrate His character.

This is why the fruit of the Spirit matters just as much as our desire for spiritual gifts.

The gifts reveal the Spirit's activity, while the fruit reveals His work in our character.

Prophecy should strengthen and encourage people, not elevate the person prophesying.

Discernment should help protect, restore, and guide people, not become an opportunity to expose their struggles or demonstrate how much we know.

Healing should reveal God's compassion and bring glory to Jesus, not make someone famous.

The gifts are meant to reveal Jesus, not elevate us.

Would Jesus Still Be Enough?

In Luke 10, the disciples returned rejoicing because even demons were subject to them through Jesus' name.

But Jesus redirected their excitement.

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." — Luke 10:20 (KJV)

Jesus reminded them that their greatest joy wasn't the spiritual authority they had received.

It was that they belonged to God.

And perhaps that's something the Church needs to remember today.

We should rejoice when God heals. We should celebrate when He speaks, delivers, restores, and moves powerfully among His people.

But our greatest joy should never be what God does through us.

It should be that we belong to Him.

So let me ask you one final question.

If God never used you in another visible spiritual manifestation, would Jesus still be enough?

Would you still worship Him? Would you still obey Him? Would you still serve Him if nobody ever recognized your calling?

I don't want a Church that's afraid of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I want a Church that eagerly desires everything God has for us.

But even more than that, I want a Church that loves the Giver more than anything He could ever give.

A Church where prophecy points to Jesus, healing glorifies Jesus, discernment protects His people, and every gift operates through love.

A Church where nobody is competing to be the most anointed person in the room because everyone understands that Jesus is the most important person in the room.

Like Moses, may our hearts cry out:

Lord, if Your presence doesn't go with us, we don't want to go.

Seek the Giver above the gifts.

Because when the Giver has our hearts, the gifts can fulfill their purpose.

The gifts were never meant to replace Jesus. They were meant to reveal Him.

Pastor Scott