What is the Gift of the Spirit?
In one sense, we can speak of the gift of the Spirit as the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It was then that He came to do His great work, which He continues to do. When we talk about the gift of the Spirit, we refer to the moment we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and were given the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
When we believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, the gift of the Spirit is the act of the Spirit coming into our lives to permanently indwell us. Every one of us, if we believe in Christ, has the Holy Spirit indwelling us.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gifts given for the use of service; He sovereignly bestows the gifts on those who have already received the gift of the Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is the permanent indwelling of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit are the sovereign abilities given to men.
The Graces of the Spirit
The graces of the Spirit are distinguishable from the gifts of the Spirit. Again, the gifts of the Spirit are the sovereign abilities that are bestowed upon us for Christian service. The graces of the Holy Spirit are those virtues that are produced within our individual lives by the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. They are all graces of the Spirit.