Sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Spiritual Gifts, Part 1

20 snips
Apr 3, 2026
A deep dive into what spiritual gifts are and how they differ from natural talents. Discussion of the Spirit’s sovereign role in assigning gifts and the tension between desiring the best gifts and accepting God’s call. Exploration of love, the body metaphor for unity, why gifts should edify the church, and warnings against claiming or manufacturing gifts.
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INSIGHT

Gifts Are Spirit Given Not Natural Talents

  • Spiritual gifts are distinct spiritual endowments given only to the truly Christian for the church's benefit.
  • Martyn Lloyd-Jones cites Romans and 1 Corinthians to stress gifts are not natural talents but Spirit-given measures for the body of Christ.
INSIGHT

The Spirit Decides Who Receives Each Gift

  • The Holy Spirit alone decides which spiritual gift each Christian receives and distributes them 'severally as he will.'
  • Lloyd-Jones links this statement to 1 Corinthians 12 as the overriding doctrinal principle about gifts.
INSIGHT

Covet Better Gifts Means Seek Them Correctly

  • 'Covet earnestly the best gifts' and 'the Spirit decides' appear contradictory until you read the original phrasing and context.
  • Lloyd-Jones argues the phrase means 'I will show you a way according to excellence' to obtain better gifts rightly.
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