Springs Article 2020-11 (1)
1 Corinthians 12:1-6
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
What is the difference between natural and spiritual gifts?
- All your gifts (special abilities) come from God and can/should be used for His glory
- God allocates gifts to everyone born into this world
- Your gift is your assignment from God!
- Natural gifts are special abilities you are born with. They reside in you, remain with you and you have comprehensive/permanent control over them
- The gifts of Christ are the spiritual callings (ministries) you receive when you got born-again in order to function as a member of the Body of Christ (the Church).
- Spiritual gifts are abilities you receive from and under the influence of the Holy Spirit. They operate as the Spirit wills and as you yield to the Spirit. You do not have comprehensive/permanent control over them.
- Usually, the gifts of Christ make use of your natural and spiritual gifts as tools for service.
- No human being is born without any natural gift and no true believer is born-again without any spiritual calling (ministry). However, some people have more gifts/callings than others
- All gifts can be developed (trained) to produce more results!
How does God distribute His gifts and callings to people?
- God distributes ‘gifts and calling’ according to His plan!
- Every human being is unique in God’s eyes
- Different parts of the body have different functions, but all work together to help the body
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
- God’s plan includes many people working together in different ways to achieve the divine will for righteous life on earth
- Your gifts are given to help you fulfill all the assignments that God has for you in this world
- God has a sovereign plan for your life!
- God’s plan for your life is good, acceptable and perfect
- Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 12:2
- Fulfilling God’s plan for your life is not automatic because you have free will
- Fulfilling God’s plan for your life requires your daily cooperation with God. It requires living a life of faith and obedience.
- Hebrews 11:6, James 2:14,26
- Anytime you’re not functioning in God’s plan for your life, something or someone suffers.
- Not functioning in God’s plan for your life is living selfishly!
Is God in control of everything that happens in this world?
- The answer is both YES and NO
- God determines the boundaries but man decides the path!
- God’s has a plan for your life and seeks to fulfill it in you. However, God does not predetermine your free will
- Your path in life is an interaction between God’s boundaries and your personal choices
- Your can choose to pursue your own plans rather than God’s plans but there are negative consequences whenever you drift out of God’s plan for your life
- God’s perfect will for your life in packaged within His plan for your life
- God’s permissive will is His flexibility to your decision to drift out of His plan for your life
- God’s circumstantial will is what He does to restore you ‘as close as possible’ to His plan after you have drifted and repented
- Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:9
- Please note that drifting from God’s plan for your life can have some irreversible consequences!