Abilities. Another heavenly treasure is that of abilities. We understand from Romans, Chapter 12, I Corinthians, Chapter 12, and Ephesians, Chapter Four that the Holy Spirit gives one or more abilities to each member of the Body of Christ. The abilities, such as wisdom, knowledge, discernment, the working of miracles, teaching, giving, helping, and so forth are the tools we are to use to complete and perfect the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. All of these talents are found in Christ, and He shares them with us and directs us in the use of them.

The conquering saints have been given the nations as their inheritance. The saints will rule, bless, judge, and teach the nations of the earth, as Christ guides and enables them. Think of the various abilities that will be needed as the whole earth is brought into subjection to Christ!

The Lord has given to each of us one or more talents. These talents are the "money" of the Kingdom of God. If we are faithful in what has been assigned to us we will receive more talents, more abilities, when the Lord returns from Heaven.

The earthly counterpart of spiritual abilities is human abilities. We have been born with various artistic, intellectual, mechanical, physical, and social skills. They are the abilities that are natural to us, that we learn to practice relatively easily and joyously.

We call such fleshly and soulish abilities talents after the "talents" of Matthew, Chapter 25. However there is no relationship between our earthly abilities and those given us by the Holy Spirit at the time of our baptism by the Spirit into the Body of Christ.

The Holy Spirit can anoint our natural abilities if He chooses to do so. Yet the fact remains that our natural abilities are of our adamic nature.

For example, the ability to perform music is of our adamic nature. The Holy Spirit may or may not anoint the music we perform. Music is not one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in the New Testament.

Perhaps the majority of Christian churches lean heavily on music as part of the Divine service. While music is an incalculable good both in and out of the assembling of the saints, it must be kept in mind that music is a human ability and operates in the soul.

The workings of the Holy Spirit are found only among the holy servants of the Lord; but "Christian" music can be performed by any sinner. Music often is employed in the churches as a substitute for the Presence of the Holy Spirit.

We can choose to nurture our natural abilities, using them to provide security, pleasure, and achievement in this world. Meanwhile the Kingdom abilities that were given us by the Holy Spirit may lie dormant. We may not even know what our Kingdom abilities are, in numerous instances, if we are not presenting our body as a living sacrifice to the Lord.

If we use our Kingdom talents faithfully the Lord will add to them and we will have more ability with which to serve the Lord. Outer darkness is the destination of the Christian who does not put his Kingdom talents to use.

God may call any of us, as He did Moses, into a line of work unfamiliar to us, that is not natural to us, in which we are insecure. We now are in a position in which we no longer can rely on our proven abilities.

Moses felt he could not speak well enough to be God's spokesman, so God gave Aaron to Moses to bolster his confidence. In the end it was Moses who became the lawgiver of Israel, the spokesman of the Lord. Aaron, the eloquent, the fashioner of the golden calf, became the first high priest. God knows what He is doing.

We can choose to spend our life using the earthly treasure of our own abilities to obtain security and pleasure, or we can present our body a living sacrifice and prove God's will for our life, learning to use the abilities given us by the Holy Spirit. The latter are the "talents" for which we shall be held accountable by the Lord.

To be continued.