The Gifts Of God # 2

 The Gifts Of God # 2

4. The gift of SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true." (1 John 5:20). What is communicated to the saint when he is born again, is wholly spiritual and exactly suited for taking in the Scriptural knowledge of Christ. It is not an entirely new faculty which is then imparted, but rather the renewing of the original one. It consists of an internal illumination, a divine light that shines in our hearts, enabling us to discern the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6).

5. The gift of FAITH. The salvation of God does not actually become ours until we believe in, rest upon, and receive Christ as a personal Saviour. But as we cannot see without both sight and light, neither can we believe until life and faith are divinely communicated to us. Since salvation is by grace, it is superfluous to add that it is "not of yourselves." But because "faith" is our act, it was necessary - so that the excellency of it should not be arrogated by the creature, but ascribed unto God - to point out that faith is not of ourselves. God must give me faith before I believe.

6. The gift of REPENTANCE. While it is the bound duty of every sinner to repent (Acts 17:30) -for ought he not to cease from and abhor his rebellion against God? Yet he is so completely under the blinding power of sin that a miracle of grace is necessary before he will do so. A broken and a contrite spirit, are of God's providing. It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates the understanding to perceive the heinousness of sin, the heart to loath it, and the will to repudiate it.

Faith and repentance are the first evidence of spiritual life.

7. The gift of GRACE. "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given to you by Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:4). Grace is used there in its widest sense, including all the benefits of Christ's merits and mediation, providential or spiritual, temporal or eternal. It includes regenerating, sanctifying, preserving grace, as well as every particular grace of the new nature - faith, hope and love. Therefore we have no cause to be proud or boastful. Whatever grace we have to resist the devil, patiently bear affliction, or overcome the world - is from Him. Whatever obedience we perform, or devotion we render Him, or sacrifice we make - is of His grace. Therefore must we confess, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You, only what comes from Your own hand." (1 Chronicles 29:14).

~A. W. Pink~

(The End)