Jesus gave us instructions throughout His written word, the Bible, on how to live and what our focus should be on. I like to think of the BIBLE as an acronym, (Basic instructions Before Leaving Earth).

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There are important stages in the Christian life. The terms that are used to describe these moments are justification, sanctification, and glorification.  These three words describe, in order, the Christian journey from new birth to resurrection.

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Salvation (Justification)  - the moment someone is declared righteous, by God's grace, through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is the moment that seals your place in God's eternal kingdom.  After this point in time, you can be rest assured that after you die, you will immediately be in Heaven for eternity. Again, this is a gift from God, and it can never be taken away! (John 10:28-29)

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The ABCs of salvation break this process into three simple steps.

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A - Admit  that you are a sinner and have fallen short of God's standards. This involves recognizing that everyone has made mistakes and needs forgiveness.  (Rom 3:23, Rom 6:23, 1 John 1:9)

B - Believe  that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, and that He rose again.  (1 Cor 15:3-4, John 3:16, Rom 5:8)

C - Confessing  your faith involves publicly declaring your belief in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. This can be done through prayer and by sharing your faith with others.  (Matt 16:24, Rom 10:9-10)

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Serving and Loving Others (Sanctification) - this is the ongoing, progressive work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life in order to conform them closer to the image of Christ.  This process includes growth in the love for God, and living in obedience to His word. Simply put, I think John Mark Comer states it best in one of his books. He says, "Be with Jesus. Become like Him. Do as He did". A big part of this is is loving and serving others. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He replied,  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-39 ESV)

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So how do we practice sanctification? The best way is by praying to God daily, reading His word daily, and doing our best to use our spiritual gifts and talents to serve Him and further His Kingdom. On a personal note, I like to start a new chronological Bible reading plan each year in the  YouVersion App. You'll never run out plans, as there are thousands offered.

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Our entrance into eternity!  (Glorification) 

​This is the final stage where believers are perfectly conformed to the image of the glorified Christ through a future resurrection and transformation, resulting in a complete removal of sin and corruption from their bodies, souls, and spirits.  The following scriptures explain this process in detail. (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)

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So now that we have the knowledge of how to be saved, and afterwards, how we should grow, the question becomes, "What should the mission be? And how do I make my unique contributions to this effort? 

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The Great Commission 

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Just prior to His ascension into Heaven, Jesus left instructions for us in Matthew 28:16-20. He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

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Does this mean that we are each supposed to be door to door evangelists? On the contrary, while some have the gift of evangelism, others have different gifts and talents. However, all of them were created and given to us with the intention that we use them to support the 'Great Commission'. All believers in Jesus Christ are called to be the salt and the light of the world. In other words, Christians are meant to have a positive, preserving, and illuminating impact on the world. Like salt that preserves and flavors food, believers should preserve what is good in culture and "season" it with God's values. Like light that dispels darkness, believers should illuminate the truth of God's kingdom and guide others toward it through their good works and testimony of Jesus Christ.  (Matthew 5:13-16)

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Different Parts of the Same Body 

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The apostle Paul describes how we are all different parts of the same body. All the parts of the body work together to support one another, as the body of Christ.  (1 Cor 12:12-27)​

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Spiritual Gifts and Talents 

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Paul further illustrates this in the book of Romans.  He explains that just as different parts of the body each have a different function, so we all have different giftings that we should use to serve Christ and His kingdom.  If your gift is service, then serve. If it's teaching, then teach.  (Rom 12:3-8)

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How Do You Determine What Your Spiritual Gifts and Talents Are?

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First, let's discuss the difference between the two. A talent can be either 'natural' or 'learned'. People, whether they are believers or not, are all born with unique physical talents. These talents are often genetic, however, they are all ultimately given by God, as He created all of us. Psalm 139:13-16 describes how God knitted and intricately wove each person in their mother's womb.  Examples of natural talents are dispositions to be successful at a sport, to do math, to play an instrument, or to sing. This doesn't mean that they are an expert at birth. It merely means they have a greater chance of success at something if they are born with a 'natural talent' or disposition to it.  

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Learned talents are are things we've gained through experience and practice.  For example, I worked the latter part of my career as an Intelligence Analyst.  I had to be trained on the TTPs, or Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures of an analyst, as well as all of the tools at our disposal. I learned this talent through formal training, and then through experience on the job. Natural talents also have the potential to be learned. For example, while some people are born with a disposition towards playing the guitar, I definitely was not one of them. I struggled through years of practice just to learn the basics. And even now, while I don't see myself as a talented guitar player, I can successfully string a few chords together that might sound like a song you've heard before. I say "might".....no guarantees!  Haha!

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Spiritual gifts, unlike 'natural' talents, are NOT given at physical birth.  These are supernatural abilities given by the Holy Spirit at the time of a person's spiritual rebirth at their acceptance of Christ, otherwise known as JUSTIFICATION.  Examples of these are wisdom, giving, knowledge, faith, healing, teaching, encouragement, prophecy, mercy, serving, and leadership.  These are explained in the three scriptures (below).

(Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-13)

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While most of us have a good idea of what our talents are, many of us, especially new believers, may not be aware of their spiritual gifts.  I've listed several ways (below) that someone can use to discover their spiritual gifts. 

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1. Pray for the Holy Spirit's Guidance 
Ask God directly. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal your gifts and to give you wisdom about how to use them for God's glory.
 

2. Study Scripture
Review lists of the gifts. Read the biblical passages (above) in 1 Corinthians, Romans, and Ephesians, which list various spiritual gifts and their purposes. Understand the purpose.  Remember that spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to benefit the entire Church, not for personal gain. 

3. Engage in Service and Observation
Serve in various roles. Volunteer in different ministries and activities within your church and community to discover what you are naturally good at. 

Pay attention to what you enjoy. Your natural inclinations and the things you enjoy doing can reveal areas where God has gifted you. Look for patterns of success. Observe when you experience a sense of energy, joy, and effectiveness as you serve, as these can be indicators of your spiritual gifts. 

4. Seek Input from Others
Talk to trusted friends, family members, and mentors to see what spiritual gifts they observe in your life. Be open to affirmation. Others may be able to see your gifts more clearly than you can, providing valuable affirmation and guidance. 

5. Reflect and Meditate 
Meditate on scripture. Connect the biblical passages on gifts with your own life experiences and the needs of the kingdom of God. Trust God's work.

 

Just remember...... rest in the assurance that God is actively working through you and all of your  talents and gifts to accomplish His purposes. This is all part of the SANCTIFICATION process discussed earlier. 

 

Finally, continue to grow your gifts and talents, serving God, His Kingdom, as well as others. The goal is to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did. And why do we do this? So that God may be glorified through us. Continue in this process, until that great day when God sends his son, Jesus, out to retrieve His bride (the church) with the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. It is at this moment that you will receive GLORIFICATION. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

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