Spiritual Gifts, 7

 ~ Differentiation of the Spiritual Gift Categories ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

How Do The Spiritual Grace Gift Categories Differ? 

SOURCE Grace Gifts  ~  The Source Grace Gifts are all about Relationships.  They have to do with spirituality and are commanded of all believers.

SERVING & SPEAKING Grace Gifts  ~  The middle two categories, Serving and Speaking Grace Gifts both have to with Relevance.  In contrast to the Source Gifts they are not necessarily a direct measure of spirituality. 

SIGN Grace Gifts  ~  The fourth category, Sign Grace Gifts, is related to Revelation.  They are closely aligned with those without the believing community and tend to be based on specific task assignments. 

Note  ~  In future posts in this series we will look at specific grace gifts. 

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Spiritual Gifts, 5

 ~ Grace Gifts Overview ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

Grace Gift Listing  ~  While this is not a complete list of grace gifts it is a somewhat useful list for discussion purposes. 

Grace Gifts ~ “…the grace of life…” (1 Peter 3:7).

First Birth: LIFE                                     

~~ General Grace Gifts: NATURAL ABILITIES                  

~~~~ Physical                                                                  

~~~~ Intellectual                                                             

~~~~ Emotional                                      

~~~~ Social                                                                     

~~~~ Financial

~~~~ Artistic 

Second Birth: LOVE

~~ Spiritual Grace Gifts; SPIRITUAL GIFTS

~~~~ Source

~~~~ Sign

~~~~ Speaking

~~~~ Serving

Closing Comments  ~  In our next post we will look a little closer at the Spiritual Gifts sub-categories. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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God Given Grace Gifts

~ Natural Abilities & Spiritual Gifts ~  

Are “natural abilities” and “spiritual gifts” the same? No! In some ways they are similar, but in other ways there are significant differences. 

Same Source ~ Both natural abilities and spiritual gifts are given to us by God. 

Same Characteristic ~ Both natural abilities and spiritual gifts are inherent capacities—as opposed to learned skills. However, use of either improves your gifts. 

Different Time of Reception ~ Natural abilities are innately possessed from the time of physical birth (our human birth). Spiritual gifts are innately possessed from the time of spiritual birth (“born again”). Natural abilities are received at the time of conception—spiritual gifts are received at the time of conversion. 

Different Possession ~ Both those born naturally and those who are born again have natural abilities. Only twice-born persons have spiritual gifts. 

Different Purpose ~ Natural abilities are life-oriented. Spiritual gifts are ministry-oriented. Natural abilities are given to us by God primarily for functioning in the world. Spiritual gifts combined with natural abilities are given to us by God for functioning in the church. Natural abilities are related to our life in general. Spiritual gifts are related to our ministry. 

KEY CONCEPT ~ The word translated “gift” in Scripture possesses a root of “grace.” In reality a more accurate term for spiritual gifts would be “grace gifts.” This is true also of natural abilities—both natural abilities and spiritual gifts are literally grace gifts from God. Both are given to us—we cannot earn them or buy them. They are items of grace in that they are not earned in any way by us. Realizing this truth should remove any feelings of either superiority or inferiority. “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). 

OVERVIEW ~ Does everyone have spiritual gifts? Yes, every born-again person has received spiritual gifts (plural) at the time of their second birth. Not all gifts are of the same strength. Many will have one or more very strong gifts. Like natural abilities, we all have varying degrees of spiritual gifts but in different measures.    

Since Jesus Christ is your role model and He demonstrated a proficiency in all the spiritual gifts, I believe it is appropriate to seek to grow all your spiritual gifts while you minister in areas of your strongest ones. Regarding spiritual gifts and spiritual empowerment, your Lord told you to rely on the Holy Spirit for spiritual enablement (Mark 13:11).

It is important to recognize that while natural talents and spiritual gifts are often closely related, there are other times when the two are quite divergent. As an example, a friend of mine who was a nationally-recognized theologian and great preacher told me, “I am not a good speaker (natural talent) but I am a gifted preacher (spiritual gift).”  

THE BOTTOM LINE ~ The important thing is not which spiritual gifts you possess in strength—He determines that. What matters is what you do with these grace gifts you have been given—you determine that.           

ADDITIONAL COMMENT:  There is more information about spiritual gifts and natural abilities in the book Thy Will Be Done On Earth (see the TWBDOE tab at the top of this page for more information). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW