2. Gifts, talents, and abilities
The second integral part of God’s
grace is His gifts, talents and abilities which He bestowed on humanity without
his or her input. It is through the grace of God who is Jesus Christ, God's
gift to man that we have been endowed with gifts, talents and abilities that
are unique to each individual, for to each one of us grace was given according
to the measure of Christ's gift. And according to John the Baptist, “A man can
receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (Ephesians
4:7; John 3:27).
Therefore, we are to learn not to
think beyond what is written that none of us may be puffed up on behalf of one
against the other. For it is written; “For who makes you differs from another?
And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if one did indeed receive
it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1
Corinthians 4:6-7).
Therefore, we have been duly
admonished by the apostle Paul saying; “For I say, through the grace given to
me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of
faith.
For as we have many members in
one body, but all the members do not have the same function so we, being many,
are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
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” (Romans 12:3-8).
We are to use this aspect of
God’s grace to honor and glorify Him, and minister them to others for the
benefit and common good of all. For we have been duly admonished saying; “Each
one should use whatever gift he/she has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.
If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in
all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
We have been instructed saying;
“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 healing 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” (1Peter
4:10; 1Corinthians 12:4-7).
And so the admonition is, “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. (Romans 12:6-8).
So the question is, are we using
this aspect of God's grace in the way it was intended! Or have we received it
in vain?
To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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