John Robert Stevens
You can be thankful for everything in your life when you know that the Lord is in it all.†
- John Robert Stevens

The Beliefs of John Robert Stevens

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are described in I Corinthians 12, and include healing, miracles, prophecy, and tongues. Just as with the five-fold gift ministries, the gifts of the Spirit are given for the maturing of the Body of Christ. While some theologians have stated that God has rescinded the gifts of the Spirit, Stevens argued that since the Church is not yet perfected, the gifts of the Spirit are still very much necessary for all of Christianity. The Scripture states that when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away (I Corinthians 13:8-10). Since the perfect has not yet come, we still need these gifts.

The gifts of the Spirit operate in a church, not because the church is perfect, but because the church needs perfection; it needs to discern spirits and problems, to bring revelation, to bring deliverance. The gifts are never a badge of final holiness and yielding, but are a means to that end.1

Stevens contended for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). He stated that if we believe in the teachings of the Bible in concept, we must also believe to see them working as a practical reality. If someone believes the promises of God in theory only, then that is no faith at all.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The promises are unchanging; the Lord has not rescinded one promise. He has made a perfect faith for us and committed it to us, and we can walk in it today.2

Stevens taught that moving in the gifts is not the result of mechanics or actions, but is a direct result of pursuing the Lord and becoming more aware of Him. Stevens encouraged believers to pursue the gifts, but to first pursue love because love is the motivation for all of them. When love takes over, it becomes the governing factor in everything. God intends that each believer come into the full maturity of Christ. Therefore, He has given these gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Citations

1. Stevens, John Robert: “Quicken The Mortal”, Authority Over Futility, pp. 7-8: Copyright © 1976 by John Robert Stevens & The Living Word.*

2. Stevens, John Robert: “Uncover the Doubt—Recover the Faith!”, A Jaunt Through Jude, p. 4: Copyright © 1978 by John Robert Stevens & The Living Word.*

References

Stevens, John Robert: “When Love Takes Over”, This Week, February 27, 1977: John Robert Stevens, 1977. 77012602R

Stevens, John Robert: “Varieties—in Gifts, in Members, in Ministries”, This Week, June 16, 1974: John Robert Stevens, 1974. 74051005R

Stevens, John Robert: “The Basis for this Walk”, This Week, August 1, 1971: The Living Word, 1971. L8TW71-08-01

Stevens, John Robert: “How to Appropriate God’s Power”, This Week, July 1, 1973: John Robert Stevens, 1973. L8TW73-07-01

Stevens, John Robert: “What Is a Walk with God?”, This Week, August 1, 1976: John Robert Stevens, 1976. 76063002R

Stevens mentioned the gifts of the Holy Spirit 212 times in his written materials.
The term gifts appears 1,606 times in Stevens’ written materials.