The Spirit’s Will, the Believer’s Stewardship, and the Operation of Faith

Few topics in the Church are as misunderstood as the relationship between spiritual gifts, faith, and authority. Many believers assume that if the Holy Spirit distributes gifts “as He wills,” then everything depends on Him deciding in each moment when something happens. But Paul’s writings reveal a different truth: the Spirit entrusts gifts to believers, and believers must learn to operate them by faith, in love, and under authority.

When properly understood, it becomes clear that confusion never originates with the Holy Spirit. It comes from human immaturity and misunderstanding.

The Spirit’s Distribution: “As He Wills”

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:11,”But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”

The phrase “as He will” comes from the Greek verb boulētai (βούληται), meaning “to determine deliberately, to purpose, or to intend.” The Spirit is not making moment-to-moment decisions about whether to heal or speak through someone. He has already distributed gifts with deliberate intent and divine purpose.

The word “dividing” is diaireō (διαιρέω), which means “to distribute or apportion among.” Combined with boulētai, it shows that the Holy Spirit has carefully assigned different spiritual endowments to different members of the Body. It is a sovereign act of divine distribution, not an unpredictable burst of divine emotion.

The gifts originate in His will, but their operation depends on our cooperation. That is why Paul says later, “The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:32). The Spirit does not override human will. The Greek word hypotassō (ὑποτάσσω), translated “subject,” means “to place under authority or control.” The prophet, the person through whom the Spirit moves, retains self-control.

The Holy Spirit does not force, possess, or dominate. He inspires and empowers, but He entrusts believers with responsibility.

Why Paul Had to Correct the Corinthians

The Corinthian church proves that spiritual gifting does not equal spiritual maturity. Paul called them “carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:1–3), yet said they lacked no spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 1:7). The gifts were real, their use was chaotic.

If “as He wills” referred to the Spirit controlling every moment, then the disorder in Corinth would be the Spirit’s fault. But Paul says, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). The Spirit gives gifts; the believer’s flesh causes misuse.

That is why Paul teaches order: “Let all things be done decently and in order” (v.40). He does not tell them to stop using the gifts but to use them with wisdom, maturity, and love. The problem was not their power; it was their character.

Love: The Regulator of Power

Between chapters 12 and 14 sits chapter 13, the famous “love chapter.” Paul placed it there intentionally. Love (agapē) is the safeguard of spiritual power. Without love, gifts become performance. With love, gifts become ministry.

The Spirit distributes (diaireō) as He wills (boulētai), but love governs how the believer expresses what has been entrusted.

Faith: The Power That Activates

While gifts are given by the Spirit, they are activated by faith. Romans 12:3 says, “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” The Greek word pistis (πίστις) means “trust, confidence, conviction based on hearing.” Faith is the spiritual engine that makes the believer’s authority and the gifts functional.

Faith operates on the Word. The Spirit operates through faith. The two are never in conflict.

When Paul speaks of the gift of faith in 1 Corinthians 12:9, he uses the same word pistis, but here it refers to an extraordinary measure of faith, an empowerment beyond ordinary believing. It is when the Holy Spirit imparts supernatural confidence for a specific moment, not a general lifestyle of faith.

Every believer has faith; not every believer experiences the gift of faith. The gift of faith is a Spirit-charged surge for a specific purpose.

Authority: The Legal Right to Act

Faith believes, authority acts. Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19 KKV)

In the King James , the word power is poorly translated and is actually the Greek word exousia (ἐξουσία), meaning “delegated authority or legal right.” Authority is not a feeling; it is a position. When a believer speaks in Jesus’ name, they are exercising that delegated right.

Authority is constant. It does not depend on a special manifestation of the Spirit. It is rooted in identity, not emotion. The authority of the believer is what makes the exercise of gifts and faith legally valid in the spiritual realm.

Faith without authority lacks foundation. Authority without faith lacks activation. The two work together.

Gifts of Healings: Spirit-Directed Power

In 1 Corinthians 12:9, Paul also lists “gifts of healings” — charismata iamatōn (χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων). Both words are plural, showing variety, different gifts for different kinds of healings. These are special manifestations initiated by the Spirit for specific needs.

A believer can minister healing by faith and authority based on the Word of God. But when a gift of healing operates, it is a direct, supernatural manifestation beyond what normal faith produces. It is the Spirit confirming the Word with visible power.

The believer acts in faith and authority; the Spirit adds His manifestation.

Here is how it all fits:

•The Spirit distributes gifts (diaireō) as He wills (boulētai).

•The believer stewards them in obedience (hypotassō).

•Faith (pistis) believes and acts on the Word.

•Authority (exousia) gives that faith legal ground to function.

•The gifts of healings (charismata iamatōn) manifest as the Spirit confirms the Word.

•Love (agapē) keeps all of it aligned with God’s nature.

The Spirit does not replace your faith, and your faith does not replace the Spirit’s power. The believer’s faith and authority are the hands that hold what the Spirit has given.

Maturity Means Cooperation

The Corinthian church had power but lacked maturity. Paul’s correction was simple: cooperate with the Spirit you already have. The Spirit distributes the gifts once; the believer learns to operate them continually.

Faith receives. Authority acts. Love governs. The Spirit empowers.

This is what it means to walk as a mature vessel, a steward of what the Spirit willed, operating by faith, expressing it through love, and standing in the authority of Christ.