I am a gifted man. Does that sound arrogant? I promise you that it’s not. Actually I’m just repeating what the Bible says about all of those who are in Christ. If you are a “Believer”, you could (and actually should) say the same of yourself. Even if you’ve never recognized a spiritual gift within you, I can assure you that you’ve got them.
The Apostle Paul said that we should eagerly pursue “spiritual gifts”, and he goes on to explain that these gifts are to allow each of us to fulfill our unique role within the Body of Christ. This means that our motivation in desiring this giftedness should not be to glorify ourselves, but to serve. Therefore it is important that we go beyond pursuing, identifying, and deploying our spiritual gifts, to also find the context in which the Lord is calling us to use what He’s given us.
Not many years ago, I would have denied possessing any special gifts, but as I’ve pursued a deeper and more personal relationship with the Lord, I’ve come to realize that He has actually given me many wonderful gifts. While some might view that as a prideful statement, I would submit that the quality of a gift is a direct reflection of the Giver, and that it does not necessarily reflect anything about receiver (other than the fact that they are the object of the Givers affection). I know that I’ve not done anything that warrants the good things that God has given me; it is simply a manifestation of His generosity toward me.
While some might claim that God has been more generous with some than others, I doubt that is true. I believe that there are many people who never realize what their gifts are, and thus never walk in the fulfillment of them. I also believe that we judge some gifts as more valuable than others, but that in God’s view, they are all vital to the fulfillment of His purpose. Because God is no respecter of persons, I believe that He’s given all of His children good gifts. In light of that, it seems that the only grateful response is to use whatever He has given us to glorify His name, and to serve His people.
The danger in recognizing our spiritual gifts is that we can begin to see them as God’s stamp of approval. As we become skilled at moving within our area of gifting, we can mistake that ability as Gods reward to us for faithful service, instead of His purely unmerited favor. The Bible says that the spiritual gifts are “without repentance”, meaning that even if they’re not used for His glory, He doesn’t take them back.
This also means that giftedness and holiness are not necessarily connected, or proportional. It seems to me that we in the church are overly impressed by giftedness and largely uninterested in holiness; yet scripture tells us that “without holiness, no one will see the Lord”. I once heard a minister say that the church doesn’t suffer from a lack of giftedness; it just suffers from a lack of money. I’d submit that what the church truly lacks is holiness (and the genuine fruit it produces), and that without it, money and giftedness will only hasten our downfall.
In my own walk, I can see that the realization of my spiritual gifts has not made my heart any more pure. The flesh continues to war with the Spirit for control of my soul. God may give me the ability to discern something in the spiritual realm (which is simply a manifestation of giftedness), but the power is not in the discernment, it is in what I choose to do with it, which is greatly affected by what is in my heart.
If I have bitterness, envy or strife with someone, I may use that discernment to gossip, or cause factions. If I am insecure, I may use this discernment to try to puff myself up, or to promote my own agenda…, but if my heart is sold out to the purposes of God, I will ask Him what to do with this discernment, and seek to advance His purposes through it.
The Lord reminded me of the story where Ham found his father (Noah) drunk, and naked in his tent, and of how Ham’s brothers walked into the tent backwards, so as to cover their father, and bring no shame upon him. I felt like the Lord said that Ham wasn’t cursed for discerning the error of Noah’s ways, or even for telling his brothers about it, but because his heart did not seek to honor his father, or protect his family.
I was convicted by that example, because I know that I have often been “accurate” in my discernment (i.e. giftedness), but have responded in ways that have not been protective of the Body of Christ or glorifying to the Lord (i.e. holiness). Giftedness was never meant to be a substitute for holiness, or to be applied separately.
It is not my intent to in any way discourage the seeking and fulfillment of spiritual gifts. As a matter of fact, I believe that the scripture mandates it, and that it is an essential element for us to reach our destiny as children of God. I don’t believe that the church has even begun to scratch the surface of what Christ has attained for us, and that the great storehouses of heaven remain jammed with unopened gifts. But I also believe that these gifts will only be effective to the degree that our hearts are submitted to the Lord, and that above all things that must be our priority.
Spiritual gifts are like tools for the work of the Kingdom; and as with any tool, their effectiveness will largely depend on whose hands they are in. We must place our tools in the hand of the Master Builder, because unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. As a man who is aware that he has been given gifts, I pray that God would give me a heart that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
Presumption
Posted in Commentaries, tagged assumption, presume, presumption, sanctification on April 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
After working in the nuclear industry for nearly four decades, I have developed the habit of approaching issues in a scientific manner. As such, I tend to look for the elements that are known (i.e. proven, reliable), or in mathematical terms, constant; because it is the arrangement of these constants that facilitates the determination of variables (e.g. if A+B=C, then knowing A and C will allow me to solve for B).
Similarly, when developing a theory, it is important to identify the assumptions, because they play a significant role in the interpretation of experimental outcomes. Faulty assumptions result in the misinterpretation of data, which then leads to wrong conclusions.
Most of us would like to think that our assumptions are rooted in truth, but it would be more accurate to say that they are based on what we believe to be true. Jesus is the embodiment of truth (John 14:6), and our revelation of Him is partial at best (1Cor.13:9). Consequently, our presumptions about truth tend to be more entrenched in our personal experience (including what we’ve been taught) than in anything that might qualify as factual.
The idea that we somehow have an innate ability to discern the difference between what is right and what is wrong (i.e. good versus evil) is part of what the serpent promised Eve in the garden, and mankind has been eating of that fruit ever since.
Indeed, there is a way that seems right to a man (i.e. that he presumes to be right), but in the end it leads to death (Prov. 14:12). Scripture’s exhortations to God’s children are predicated on His direct involvement; I can do all things through Christ who strengths me (Phil.4:13), with God all things are possible (Matt.19:26), those who abide in vine will produce much fruit (John 15:5)… Jesus warned that apart from Him we could do “nothing” and I am convinced that He means absolutely nothing!
The concept of sanctification seems to imply that believers eventually mature to a point of being immune to the temptation of doing what is right in their own eyes, but nothing in scripture supports such a notion.
As a young child, riding in the back of my parent’s car, I didn’t pay attention to where we were going, because my father was driving, and I trusted that He knew the best way to get us there. Even as an adult, I would never have presumed to take the wheel of my father’s car. Why should it be different with my heavenly Father?
Minute by minute, we have to make a conscious effort to take every thought captive (2Cor. 10:5), to not lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5), to partake of the divine nature (2Pet.1:4), and to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt.4:4). Even with the best of intentions, we can effortlessly slip into presumption, and not even recognize that we’re doing it.
How often do we act or speak in Jesus’ name, without ever consulting Him on the matter? We presume that our knowledge of scripture qualifies us to handle an issue, and then wonder why our ministry doesn’t produce more real fruit. Peter presumed he was saving Jesus when he grabbed the sword in the garden, just as Saul presumed he was doing God’s work by persecuting Jesus’ followers. In both cases, God intervened on a personal level to stop them.
Ministers who have a sense of calling on their lives, or have been given a vision for their ministry, often begin to pursue the calling/vision instead of continuing to trust the Lord to guide them step by step to that destiny.
God gives someone an anointing to flow in a particular gift, and they presume that they are now empowered to dispense that blessing as they see fit; even to the point of marketing it, or offering to “impart” it for the right price.
Even simple prayers of petition can be laced with presumption, as we beseech God to do what we believe is needed, instead of seeking to understand His perspective and will for a given situation.
When we read 2Chron. 7:14 as a call to pray for our nation, we presume that we’ve already humbled ourselves, turned from our wicked ways, and sought His face. Praying for a hundred fold return on every seed planted presumes that we’ve planted nothing but “good” seed. Praying for God to send revival, send the fire, send… presumes that we’ve exhausted the resources He’s already sent (i.e. His Son and His Spirit) and that they were somehow insufficient to accomplish what He’s called us to.
If Jesus, a faultless son with intimate knowledge of His Father, refused to act without His Father’s guidance on a matter, than how can we presume to do otherwise? If we genuinely fear the Lord, we ought to fear speaking, and taking action, apart from Him.
Ultimately, it is the presumption that we know what is best for us, and/or what will make us “happy”, and/or what is needed in any given situation, that keeps us from experiencing the “exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask for, or imagine” (Eph.3:20).
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