After we have received God’s grace, we must test everything under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, holding fast what is good and abstaining from every form of evil. Failing to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this way is “quenching the Spirit” (cf. I Thessalonians 5:19-22). 

“To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal” (I Corinthians 12:7), “for the perfecting of saints, as each fulfils his ministry, in building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). 

If we use the gifts of the Spirit in order to show off, or as a device for gaining a reputation, this is to misuse the gifts of the Spirit, and is of no benefit either to one’s self or to others (cf. I Corinthians 13:1-2).

If one is concerned simply to edify one’s self and not the Church, this too is undesirable (cf. I Corinthians 14:1-9). 

And as for making use of spiritual gifts in order to achieve fame or to commit sinful deeds, this is an even worse case of outraging the Spirit of grace, and it will lead to still more severe punishment (cf. Hebrews 10:26-31).

All gifts are not identical. 

The spiritual gifts received by the Church in Corinth were not the same as those in the Church at Ephesus, nor quite the same as those in the Church in Rome (cf. I Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:6-8). 

It can be said the spiritual gifts which an individual receives from God, are “one of one kind and one of another” (cf. I Corinthians 7:7). 

In each case, the Spirit “apportions to each one individually as He wills” for the benefit of all (cf. I Corinthians 12:7-10,11). 

And so, among every kind of spiritual gift, we must be eager for those gifts which build up the Church (cf. I Corinthians 14:12).

Broadly speaking, the gifts of the Spirit refer to God’s salvation accomplished through Christ. 

Each gift of grace which God bestows upon us in Christ may be regarded as a gift of the Spirit (cf. Romans 5:15). 

However, in a narrower sense, this expression refers to the varying capabilities and responsibilities which God gives to each in the process of building up the Church (cf. I Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 4:11-16).

(a) Being able to witness for the Lord (cf. Acts 1:8, 2:1-4).

(b) Having wisdom to be able to understand the will of the Lord (cf. Exodus 28:3, 31:3; Acts 6:3; Ephesians 5:15-18).

(c) Bringing forth in abundance the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and being filled with the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that come from the Holy Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23).

The Holy Spirit dwells within us, our body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, the place where God, through the Holy Spirit, may reside (cf. ICorinthians 6:19). 

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of purity, holiness and goodness. 

He cannot dwell in a heart that is unclean. 

We must rid our bodies and souls of every impurity. 

The Holy Spirit is at work within us in order that we might be “sanctified” (cf. I Peter 1:2; II Thessalonians 2:13).

Our ability to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart. 

For “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:3). 

The Holy Spirit has come to convict people in respect of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, to influence people to confess their sins, to repent, and to believe in the Lord Jesus, as well as enabling them to obtain spiritual life (cf. John 16:8, 3:5-8).

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. 

The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize people “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, so placing the Holy Spirit alongside the “Father and the Son” (cf. Matthew 28:19). 

The Holy Spirit is also called “the Comforter” or “the Advocate” (cf. John 14:16). 

He grants wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17), bears witness to Christ, and leads us into all truth (cf. John 15:26, 16:13). 

He is constantly with believers and intercedes for them (cf. John 14:16-18; Romans 8:26). 

Christ’s return is the hope of Christians throughout the ages, but nobody can know the actual time, nor can anyone calculate it. 

When the Lord Jesus was on earth He said, “Of that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). 

And so, until the Lord’s return, Christians should spend their time devoutly, waiting on alert, striving to do their best in everything, because when He comes He will judge them according to their conduct and their work here on earth (cf. Matthew 7:21-27, 25:31-46;ⅠCorinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 22:10-15).

 Yes. Christ will return to earth, as He Himself promised (cf. Matthew 16:27; John 14:1-3). 

When He returns:

(a) He will judge the living and the dead (cf.ⅡTimothy 4:1; ⅠPeter 4:5), and He will “judge each one according to his deeds”, and render to every man according to his works (cf.ⅠPeter 1:17; Romans 2:6). His judgment will begin with the household of God (cf.ⅠPeter 4:17; ⅡCorinthians 5:10), and He will judge the world in righteousness (cf. Acts 17:31).

(b) The Church will have been “made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (cf. Revelation 21:2).

(c) He will destroy Satan and all his angels, and “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (cf.ⅠCorinthians 15:24-26).

(d) The history of mankind will enter upon a fresh stage of a new heaven and a new earth. God Himself will dwell with men, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more for the former things shall have passed away (cf. Revelation 21:1-5). The whole of creation will be set free from its bondage to decay and enjoy the glorious liberty of the children of God (cf. Romans 8:19-22). For humankind “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

 No. On the third day after His death He rose from the dead. Because He is the Son of God, He is the Lord of life and could not be held fast by death (cf. Romans 1:3-4; Acts 2:24). 

After the Lord Jesus was raised to life, He appeared a number of times to the disciples (cf.ⅠCorinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 28:8-20; Mark 16:9-20; Luke 24:13-50; John 20:11-21:23). 

During the space of forty days He spoke to the disciples concerning the Kingdom of God (cf. Acts 1:3-5). 

Afterwards Jesus ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father (cf. Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3). 

Christ was raised for our justification, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (cf. Romans 4:25;ⅠCorinthians 15:20). He lives now forever to intercede for us (cf. Hebrews 7:25).

 The Lord Jesus was crucified by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, because the Jewish chief priests and Pharisees brought a false accusation against him. 

He was without sin, but He died in order to bear our sins, so that we having died to sin might live to righteousness (cf.ⅠPeter 2:24).

He came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (cf. Matthew 5:17). 

He made higher demands on His disciples (cf. Matthew 5:21-28), and He summarized the Law in these two commandments: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’, and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (cf. Matthew 22:37-40).