The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts

Chapter 2 — Spiritual Gifts in Modern Christendom

MANKIND TODAY IS PASSING from an age of science to an age of superstition. We saw almost numberless exhibitions of this after World War 1, especially in Roman Catholic Europe. Not only were there visions and miracles in large numbers, but men claiming to be Elijah, and even God the Father, appeared in various places and secured large followings. One of these wonder mongers was a Catholic girl in Bavaria who claimed to see drops of blood and sweat on a Catholic image of Christ. This matter was extensively advertised, and thousands were deceived. There was a great upsurge of spiritualism then as there is now, not the least in England. We see this same thing in Protestant circles today. True spiritual gifts are given as a protection against the false, and it is this fact which leads us to present what is here given. FSG 16.1

This chapter is written in a spirit of disappointment and not of criticism. Adventists believe that the Lord has children in all churches. We only wish there were many more and that all would heed the message of God. We wish, too, that the spiritual manifestations were larger today among us and in the various denominations. There must be no jealousy and no throwing of stones by the people of one church toward another. In this we may learn a lesson from Moses of old. When the Lord in the wilderness desired to pour out His Spirit upon the elders, and called them up to the sanctuary, two of these seventy remained at home. As they nonetheless began to prophesy in their tents, Joshua wanted to forbid them, but Moses replied, “Envy me for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” Numbers 11:29. The earnest prayer for greater spiritual power among all God’s children expressed in this verse is, we believe, the prayer of all sincere followers of Jesus everywhere. FSG 16.2

However, when we become acquainted with the various Christian bodies in America and overseas, we find to our sorrow a dearth of spiritual gifts. We see machinery in abundance brotherhoods, men’s clubs, ladies’ aid societies. There is no poverty of activities, but there is a great lack of genuine godliness. It is true, as Bishop Leonard said in his book Decisive Days, that “there are few churches not overburdened and literally weighted down with the mechanics of organization” so that the pastor is often compelled to make spiritual things secondary. The absence of the gifts of God’s Spirit, and especially the gift of prophecy, in modern Christianity is one of the greatest religious tragedies of our time. FSG 17.1

Spiritual gifts include every manifestation of divine grace. Beyond all question, the greatest gift is the endowment to preach the Word of God with power to the salvation of souls. But when we speak of spiritual gifts in this chapter, we refer to three outstanding blessings which the Holy Ghost bestows upon the church. The first of these is the gift of healing; the second, the gift of tongues; and the third, and we think the greatest, the Spirit of prophecy. These three are set forth in the New Testament as special gifts of God’s Spirit. If we seek to discover what there is of these heavenly visitations in modern Christianity, we find that they are extremely rare. This sad fact is especially true of the visions and revelations of the Spirit of prophecy, the cap sheaf glory of the true church. FSG 17.2