What Are Spiritual Gifts?
“Now about spiritual gifts I do not want you to be ignorant…”(I Corinthians 12:1)
1. Spiritual gifts are SPECIAL ABILITIES . . .
(Therefore, spiritual gifts are not the same as natural talents or skills.)
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SPIRITUAL GIFTS |
NATURAL TALENTS |
SKILLS |
|
Given by Holy Spirit |
Natural abilities |
Learned abilities |
|
Discovered after spiritual birth |
Present from natural birth |
Acquired with training |
|
God-given to all members of the church |
God-given to all members of humanity |
Developed by people over time |
Many people falsely believe that their gifts, abilities and skills will be obvious to them. The truth is that most of us probably have talents that we have not realized yet.
A Spiritual Gift is Spiritual and a Natural Gift is Natural. The Spiritual Gift is why you were born and a natural gift is how you do what you were born to do.
2. . . . that God gives to EVERY BELIEVER . . .
“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” —1 Corinthians 12:11.
- Everyone has a gift (I Corinthians 12:1)
- No one receives all of them (I Corinthians 12:27-30)
- We are to develop them (I Timothy 4:14)
- The gifts are permanent (Romans 11:29)
3. . . . to BUILD UP the church . . .
“. . . so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” —Ephesians 4:12-13
4. . . . and EQUIP THEM for ministry to the world.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” —1 Peter 4:10
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