Natural And Supernatural Gifts
James 1:17 - 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.
Creative gifts
All gifts come from God and they are good. Each member of the Godhead plays a specific role in giving gifts to mankind.
The gifts of God the Father characterize basic motivations or inherent tendencies that define each individual person by reason of the Creators unique workmanship in their initial gifting.
The gifts of God the Father are placed within you when you were born. They are not spiritual gifts but creative gifts or talents. Each individual person is unique.
Psalm 139:13-16 - For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
You are the way God created you to be, so take those resources which God has placed within you and grow to be the person God planned you to be.
A person does not have to be born again to have creative gifts or natural talents. It is sad when we see wonderful people with extraordinary talents go to a lost eternity as these creative gifts of the Father do not earn you eternal life.
Examples are:
* Music artists with amazing talents
* People with extraordinary design skills
* Social workers and nurses who give themselves tirelessly for the sick, helpless, and poor
* Those who work towards upholding human rights and dignity
Spiritual gifts
In order to study the function in the gifts, one must have a good understanding of spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are used for the edification of the church and are tools that bring us into spiritual maturity.
Romans 12:6-8 - Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Ephesians 4:7-13 - But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He Ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, "he ascended"- What does it means that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 28-31 - There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Peter 4:10-11 - As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Exodus 35:29-35 - The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done. And Moses said to the children of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. "And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver-those who do every work and those who design artistic works.
Spiritual gifts are given to prepare God's people for service and for building up the body of Christ. They are God given abilities to serve the church effectively.
They are not something we earn or deserve. They are gifts of grace. God has graciously and undeservedly equipped each of us with the ability to minister to others within the body of Christ. This is the means He has chosen to edify the church.
Spiritual gifts cannot be earned or bought. The Holy Spirit purely and graciously gives them to us for His clearly defined purposes. They are to be used to serve the body of Christ. The church cannot function effectively without them.
All of the supernatural gifts work together and is needed to produce the full potential of the church. Since the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of grace, their use must be controlled by the rule of love which is the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit.
The Spirit gives us abilities to build up the whole body of Christ, which extends beyond the programs of a single church.
Each person should release their spiritual gift to help to build the body. This responsibility does not just belong to the five-fold ministers. Every member is gifted, and every member is responsible to edify the body with that gift. For the whole body to be fully edified, all the gifts are needed.
Stir up the gifts
2 Timothy 1:6 - Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
God has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell inside us. To stir up means to kindle afresh, or to keep in full flame. A fire that is neglected will soon die out. It must be stirred up. You need to stir up your relationship with the Holy Spirit and not let it die out.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 - Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.
We are taught in the Word to be continually filled with God’s Spirit. We must cultivate our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Keep your relationship with the Holy Spirit fresh and do not let your love grow cold.
The difference between creative gifts and spiritual gifts are:
* A creative gift is the result of genetics while a spiritual gift is the result of the power of the Holy Spirit
* A creative gift can be possessed by Christians or non-Christians whereas spiritual gifts are only possessed by Christians
* Spiritual gifts are used for God’s glory and to minister to others while creative gifts can be used entirely for non-spiritual purposes
* While creative gifts are natural, spiritual gifts are supernatural
* Creative gifts are received at birth and are natural endowments whereas spiritual gifts are received at the time of the new birth
Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
Both spiritual gifts and creative gifts must be employed in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in the desires of the flesh in order to please God and bring positive results.
