God Meant It Unto Good
The effectiveness of a gift depends on the quality of the person possessing it and how it is used.
G.W. North emphasizes that God's original creation was deemed 'good', but due to sin, much of it has been misused for evil purposes. He explains that while everything was created with a purpose for good, the fall of man has led to a distortion of that purpose, resulting in the potential for both good and evil. North highlights that the effectiveness of spiritual gifts is contingent upon the character and intentions of the person using them, as misuse can lead to carnal outcomes. Ultimately, he calls for a return to the original intent of creation and the proper use of gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
Text
As an illustration of this we may refer to the natural Creation. In the beginning God created all things after the counsel of His own will. At the conclusion of each day of creative energy, He saw and said with approval that 'it was good'. However, as we all know only too well, much of what was created originally good is now fallen into such wrong and sinful usage, that it is now an instrument unto evil. All could still be good if still used as God designed, but history has proved that use determines effects. Because of sin and the human element involved, that which was created originally perfect and powerful for good only, is now potentially instrumental for either good or evil.
When God finally made Man, and placed him over all creation, it was complete and pronounced by Him to be 'very good'. But when man by sin became fleshly instead of spiritual, he became less than 'very good'; on the contrary he became very evil. In consequence, as may be expected, the gifts he possessed also became less than 'good' in use also, and were soon employed for evil, fleshly purposes.
So it is also with the Spirituals now. Once bestowed, what matters most about a gift is the life of the person possessing it and the way it is used. Its power and effectiveness will depend entirely upon the quality of the person. It will be discovered that ultimately only the proper use of the gift will warrant the literal description 'spiritual'. Because in the beginning it was bestowed by the Holy Ghost, its classification may be 'Spiritual', but sadly enough, in common with many other things also originally given by Him, its function may be quite carnal. In this case both the benign intent of the Giver and the good effects its user may hope to achieve are nullified.
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Original Intent
- A. Creation was 'good' according to God's will
- B. Man was created 'very good' and placed over creation
- II. The Fall of Man
- A. Sin made man 'very evil'
- B. Gifts became 'less than good' in use
- III. The Spirituals
- A. Gifts depend on the quality of the person possessing them
- B. Proper use determines the effectiveness of the gift
Key Quotes
“'it was good'” — G.W. North
“Because in the beginning it was bestowed by the Holy Ghost, its classification may be 'Spiritual', but sadly enough, in common with many other things also originally given by Him, its function may be quite carnal.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We must use our gifts properly to honor God and achieve good effects.
- The quality of our life and character determines the effectiveness of our gifts.
- Using our gifts for fleshly purposes nullifies the benign intent of the Giver.