Spiritual gifts are a popular topic of discussion among Evangelicals. Identifying, using and encouraging one another to contribute to the Body through spiritual gifts is often stressed and mandated. Paul certainly stressed the importance of diversity and intentionality in regards to spiritual gifts.
There is the danger that spiritual gifts can be diluted and misidentified as personality traits. However, there must be a higher way, for personality traits are of the flesh, inhibited by circumstance and ultimately death. Spiritual gifts on the other hand are of the Spirit, all united in perfection in the Body. Each member remains individually vital to the livelihood of the Body.
And so it is that there remains a distinction between spiritual gifts and personality traits. Ultimately as the Spirit dwells in us, our spiritual gifts become a part of our personhood while removing more and more of the flesh, which are our sinful natural tendencies.
Therefore, while remaining individually significant, we lose more of ourselves in order to gain Christ so that we may more fully be a part of the Body through the means of our spiritual gifts. The magnitude of importance cannot be fully realized until final perfection is achieved where the Body is fully united in the coming of Christ.
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