Dr. Mike Jones

Q: How do we distinguish the difference between talents, natural abilities, and Spiritual Gifts? And what is the difference between Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Fruit?

A:The bottom line is that all we have is from God, so in that sense, they are all gifts from God. However, Scripture appears to set apart spiritual gifts as something different from talents and natural abilities. Perhaps we could say that talents are natural abilities, which seem to be hereditary, and they seem to run in family genes. Unbelievers, as well as Believers, have talents. Perhaps we could say that natural abilities are either talents or gifts that have been learned through conditioning from the socio-economic environment we live in or training we have received. Again, both Believers and unbelievers have natural abilities. Spiritual gifts, however, are bestowed on a person, when he/she becomes connected to God through Jesus Christ by answering a divine call and participates in God’s divine plan. Only Believers have spiritual gifts.

In my conclusion: spiritual gifts are a special divine call by Holy God to a Believer to do something for Him, such as teaching, administration, encouraging, giving, showing mercy, etc. Spiritual fruit covers the areas of developing our character traits, winning souls, worship/praising God, etc. Both, however, are works of the Holy Spirit. See 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 on spiritual gifts; and Galatians 5:16-26 on the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit and spiritual gifts are two distinct workings of the Holy Spirit.

 Hope this helps!