Recognizing and exercising spiritual gifts is a confusing and difficult issue for many believers.  At one end of the spectrum are Christians who may attend a church for many years without ever recognizing any spiritual gift. That causes passivity in the church and can lead to a disabled body of believers—one with severed limbs and missing organs (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:14–25; Ephesians 4:11–13).

At the other end of the spectrum are professing Christians who presumptuously try to exercise gifts they don’t possess. The havoc caused by such people is readily apparent in many charismatic churches—the abundance of self-appointed apostles and female preachers is a prime example.

In the following audio clip, John MacArthur discusses the truth about spiritual gifts.

If you are a new creature in Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you and has uniquely gifted you to serve the church. The Strange Fire conference will provide much needed clarity to those still struggling with identifying and exercising their spiritual gifts. More media from the conference can be viewed here.