I have mentioned the importance of spiritual gifts to the health of the church on several occasions. (See Related Posts) The most critical passage may be in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he asserts that every believer is given a gift by the Holy Spirit. I have lamented the fact that many believers haven’t a clue what their gift is. This unfortunate situation may well explain why the church is in such a sorry state. The Scripture is clear that spiritual gifts are given for the building and maturing the Body of Christ. Human effort will not accomplish what only God can do through His empowerment of believers.
Beginning with the assumption that spiritual gifts are
necessary for the health of Christ’s body, it follows that a clear
understanding of those gifts is essential. First, we have to see that the gifts
come from God. In Ephesians, Paul says that Christ
gave gifts to the church; in Corinthians
it is the Holy Spirit who distributes the gifts. This is not a
contradiction because we understand that although we speak of God being three
in one, He is one in purpose. Spiritual gifts clearly come from God.
Second, we learn that it is God who determines what gifts
each believer is granted. In
Romans, Paul says some have one gift and some another; the passage
in Ephesians is worded similarly. It is most clearly stated in the
Corinthian passage: “But in all these things one and the same
Spirit is at work, distributing
to each one individually just as he wishes.” God knows best what each local
assembly needs to fulfill its purpose, so He provides the spiritual power to
accomplish His will.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, we see that spiritual
gifts are not given for the benefit of the receiver; they are meant to benefit
the whole body. To the Ephesians Paul
says gifts are: “for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all reach the unity of
the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of
the maturity of the fullness of Christ.”
Paul told the Corinthians that each individual member should be concerned
with the health of the whole body. He
also chided the Corinthians for making the gifts a matter of personal
pride.
Now I come to a question for which I may not have an answer.
Is there something unique about a spiritual gift, or is it the same thing as a
natural talent? I have taught for many years that there is a stark difference
between spiritual gifts and talents. Spiritual gifts are supernatural; talents
are natural. Spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit by His choice at His
time; talents come from genetics and experience. Spiritual gifts are empowered
from within our spirit; talents are soulish, earthly-powered.
This distinction may not make sense to someone who doesn’t
understand the difference between soul and spirit. The New Testament makes it
abundantly clear to me that spirit and soul are not just different entities;
they are opposed to one another. At one point, Paul
says they are opposed to one another. He
told the Corinthians that only spiritual works would stand the test of
eternity; fleshly, soulish works would be burned up. James
called earthly, soulish wisdom demonic while praising the wisdom from above
(spiritual) as, “first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and
good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy.” The contrast couldn’t be more
plain.
If this difference between soul and spirit carries through
to our giftedness, spiritual gifts and natural talents cannot be the same
thing. This difference is easy to see with the so-called miraculous gifts. Paul’s
list of gifts in 1 Corinthians lists several: a word of wisdom, a word of
knowledge, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing
of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. His
list in Romans may seem more like natural talents: service, teaching,
exhortation, giving, leading, and showing mercy. However, these gifts are also,
“apportioned by God.”
I admit, there are those who believe that miraculous gifts
have ceased to exist. They draw this conclusion from one
passage in First Corinthians which they believe predicts the cessation of
miracles at the conclusion of the canon of Scripture. There are others who
believe that even with the complete revelation of the written Word, there are
still occasions for the proper use of supernatural gifts in the church. These
people are generally called charismatics, which is curious since that term is a
direct transliteration of the word Paul used to describe the gifts of the Holy
Spirit which introduces his three-chapter treatise on spiritual things.
It is also curious that churches with a “charismatic”
leaning are among
the few bodies that are growing these days. This is especially true in
Central and South America. I believe that may have something to do with the
fact that those opposing Christianity there are steeped in spiritist type
religions. It may take a strong spiritual footing to defend the faith and defeat
the enemy in those regions. Those of us north of the border may have grown
complacent, forgetting that our battle is also spiritual in nature, if not as
obviously so. Remember
Paul’s claim: “Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against… the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Recently I heard a sermon extolling the gifted work of
church members who were swinging hammers or creating spreadsheets. I tried to
imagine spiritual nail pounding or number crunching. I have to admit that any
natural talent applied to Christian ministry with proper intent may have
spiritual consequences. I struggle to see the use of hammers or pencils as
supernatural though. I will have to lean on the idea that we are commanded to
do all things to the glory of God, and that if one is led by the Spirit to pound
that nail or crunch that number, their gifting might be considered “spiritual”
in that context.
My primary spiritual gift is teaching, and when I am doing
it at the Spirit’s prompting, I feel a unique stirring deep within me. I may have to
allow that God could give a carpenter or accountant that same experience and
qualify their gift as spiritual. The bottom line remains: each believer has a
gift from God, and they are commanded to discover it and put it to its proper
use. If you are not doing that, you had better have a good excuse ready when
you meet the Giver of good and perfect gifts one day.
Related Posts: Music for
the Soul; The Christian Parody Part
One; Part
Two; Part
Three; How
can we Bless God; Despising
the Downpayment
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