1 Corinthians 12:4 - 6 "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. (6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all."
Let me ask you a question, does God owe equality to all humanity, is God obligated to offer the same gifts to all mankind? I hope to answer this question in this article, however I cannot make anyone believe anything, because only God can change the heart of a person and give increase. The word “diversities” means - a distinction or (concretely) variety: - difference, (per Strongs) and W. E. Vines defines it this way - divers kinds. – or varying types. People can believe anything they want, but the scriptures are non-negotiable. God said, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20 Meaning the bible is not “of human interpretation”, It is God’s voice to us and must be believed as written. Jesus said, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3 So let us look at the words “diversities of gifts”, the gifts God is speaking of are given by God thru the Holy Spirit. We see an example of some of these in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” However, anything given a human by God is given thru the Holy Spirit meaning all gifts of God are spiritual gifts. Salvation is a gift, it is not taken, earned, and no one is entitled to receive salvation. God said of salvation, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8 Since it is a “gift of God” it is therefore given as a spiritual gift from God thru the Holy Spirit. God also said that grace is a part of our salvation which is defined as a gracious gift by God acting out of His own grace. People want to believe that God must be equal to all mankind or God is bias toward one people over another, but that is not true, God owes no person anything. Therefore, God has the Sovereign right to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor as He chooses. “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Romans 9:21 God chose Israel as His chosen Nation; God was not bias because He has the right to choose as He will’s. Just as God has the right to choose to whom He wants to receive His spiritual gifts. Therefore, God is diverse in His distribution of spiritual gifts because He has that right. Even I as a man have the right to give gifts as I choose, I can give none or as many as I choose and to whom I choose. People also say that “God gives all people the same grace and what we do with it is up to us” but this is also wrong. God gives grace as a gift, and He gives to each person as He chooses. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Rom. 12:3 Paul also wrote these words, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” Eph. 4:7 Both grace and faith is given as God has chosen to give it and it is given thru the power of the Holy Spirit as God has chosen. Paul also wrote these words in our text scripture, “…it is the same God which worketh all in all." While the godhead works “as there are diversities of operations” It is the Triune God that works all the works together. It does not matter what people believe, all that matter is what God has taught you because our true belief in the bible is also a gift from God just as our salvation, church membership, our spiritual growth, our work for the Lord, if it is God involved it is a spiritual gift from God given as He has chosen thru the Holy Spirit’s has distribution. No human soul has any right to receive anything of God because God owes no person anything. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote these words about His life in the ministry “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul recognized that all He was as a Christian was a gift of God’s grace, and “but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God” even though he labored more than all others it was still God’s grace and power. Life as a Christian is all about the gift of grace by God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the love and work of Jesus Christ. We all need the humility of the Apostle Paul, but that to is a gift from God.
