What is the difference between a natural talent and a spiritual gift? To offer an example we will use: a young secular woman who aptly puts to use a God-given strength...the ability to work with "difficult" teens and others who are suffering and undeserving, and who frequently fall or fall short of society's standards of acceptable behavior. Why would such ability, even though bestowed at birth, not be considered a spiritual gift? Such ability becomes a spiritual gift with special ability only when it meets Biblical criteria through a current God-given experience.
What I mean by this is prior to the experience the ability either lies dormant because it is unknown to the recipient, or it finds an expression through wrong motives or self-sufficiency. One passage of Scripture found in the New Testament clearly reveals spiritual giftedness is tied to proper motives and a divine dynamic of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 4:10-11). A spiritual gift is expressed with a servant motive, to minister to a local congregation or church. A spiritual gift is expressed with a steward motive, recognizing and managing this special ability not as one's own, but as God's. A spiritual gift is expressed as sacred worship, giving God the awe and credit due to Him. A spiritual gift is expressed as strengthened "by the strength that God supplies." If we look at self appraised man who thought himself to be "all that" would neither lean upon God's power, nor believe that "God works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Returning to our example of the young woman above, the Biblical criteria appear to be unmet. She shows no evidence of Biblical motives in exercising her ability; neither does she seem to rely on the Lord for its use. If she would, the spiritual gift normally attributed to her would be mercy. As it is she has a talent of mercy, but not the spiritual gift. Non-Christians have talents through common grace, present from birth. Many unbelievers play the piano well, paint beautifully, sculpture realistically, master languages easily, become eloquent speakers, and write effectively. But these are talents, not gifts. No unbeliever has a spiritual gift. Only believers are gifted spiritually. Talents have to do with techniques and methods; gifts have to do with spiritual abilities anointed by the Holy Spirit. Talents depend on natural power, whereas, gifts rely on spiritual endowment. Speaking of gifts, Peter urges, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives" (1 Peter 4:11).
Talents instruct, inspire, or entertain on a natural level. Gifts relate to the building up of the saints (or to evangelization). Something supernatural happens in the one who is ministering when a gift is exercised. Nothing supernatural happens in one who is performing when a talent is displayed. And though God may minister His grace, because He is sovereign, even through an unsaved person (who sings a song well, for example), that person has still only shown talent, not a gift. Talents and gifts are related. Literary, artistic, musical, or linguistic talents may be avenues through which the Holy Spirit will use a person's gifts. But writing, speaking, or vocal abilities are talents, not gifts. Though natural aptitudes are not spiritual gifts, the Spirit may choose to use our natural powers for the exercise of our God-given gifts. Gifts often build on a natural foundation. A person who is by nature a man of vision may be given the gift of faith.
A natural born teacher may be given the gift of teaching. Our natural facilities may well point to the direction in which our gifts will be used. The Holy Spirit may well express Himself through a man's natural powers. However, the possession of natural talent doesn't mean God will necessarily choose to use it. I have witnessed someone receive from the Holy Ghost a gift that they had no natural aptitude within that area at all. It's much like the young man who stuttered terribly and told his parents he was called of God to preach. Though he was ridiculed and threatened by his parents to withhold any financial help if he pursued it, he persisted till he became an effective young evangelist. The Holy Spirit may well assign a gift of preaching to someone without natural speaking ability. However, the Spirit may more likely give a gift of preaching to those who do have a talent for speaking. Caution must be exercised by such, lest we depend on our natural ability, instead of diligently developing our gift while remaining dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Someone might ask, "Is teaching a natural talent or a spiritual gift?" For a non-Christian it's a talent. But when that person becomes a Christian, the Spirit may intensify that talent with a supernatural power, heightened, and reinforced with a divine plus factor to which edifies the saints. Therefore, spiritual gifts by their supernatural source, nature, and purpose, are to be differentiated from natural talents, though often they may be interrelated.
Many offices are mentioned in the New Testament: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher. These offices pertain more to the person, whereas gifts relate to the endowments given the person by the Holy Spirit. Naturally, a person with an office should have the gift corresponding to that office; otherwise his office would be in name only. A divinely-appointed prophet would have the gift of prophecy, a teacher - the gift of teaching, an evangelist the gift of evangelism. However, a person could have the gift belonging to an office without having that office. A man could have the gift of prophecy without being a prophet officially. Summing this up, a believer would not hold a divinely-appointed office without possessing the corresponding gift. But it is likely that many Christians possess a gift without appointment to that office. The gifts of the Spirit differ from the fruit of the Spirit in many ways:
Gifts: have to do with service...
Fruit: have to do with character...
Gifts: is what a person has...
Fruit: is what a person is...
Gifts: are given from without...
Fruit: is produced within...
Gifts: not all will possess them all...
Fruit: every variety should be in all of us
Possession of gifts does not indicate godliness of life. Samson continued to perform feats long after he was out of touch with God. Judas, likely one of the seventy who cast out demons, became a betrayer (Luke 10:17). Though the Corinthian church excelled in gifts (1 Corinthians 1:7), their church was riddled with problems including divisions, fornication, and drunkenness at the Lord's Table. It is possible for a church to be endowed with an abundance of gifts, yet be full of envy, carnality, and discord. Because it's better to be godly than gifted, Paul positioned his love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) right in the middle of his long section dealing with gifts (12-14). We should all be exploring spiritual gifts, but never lose sight of the importance of developing in character above all. Amen!
