CAN A CHRISTIAN BE MORE GIFTED THAN GOD?

"MORE GIFTED THAN GOD?"

BACKGROUND 

Recently a popular preacher in Zimbabwe torched the storm of controversy and sparked debate by making a statement claiming that he is more gifted than God. 

He explained that he was saying it in attracting attention to his sermon in which he also explained that God is the giver of gifts and is not gifted. So, he said that he is more gifted than God on that basis seeking to provoke a reaction. 

This explanation alone shows that the statement in itself has a problem, and in this teaching we are going to be looking at whether or not a believer can be more gifted than God based on the scriptures, and whether we should make such claims.

THE MEANING OF BEING GIFTED

Being gifted for a human being means that one is endowed by God with above-average intelligence or superior talent for something, such as music, art, or math; and/or spiritual abilities such as faith, prophecy and healing miracles. 

So, by this meaning we see that God is the one who gives gifts to men, and men receive gifts from Him.

John 3:27 says, "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven."

James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

It is impossible for anyone to give someone what he does not have. In other words, God has all gifts that He gives to men. God cannot create anything that He is not. 

If God the Creator does not have a gift possessed by anyone of his creatures among mankind or angels, then He is not God and is not the Creator. It is without dispute that God is indeed God the Creator,  who created all things for His own pleasure.

Revelation 4:11 (NET) says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!”

This leads us to ask the question...

CAN GOD WHO GIVES GIFTS BE GIFTED?

It is important that we find out whether or not God can be said to be gifted before we go on to establish whether or not it is right for anyone to claim that he is more gifted than God. 

To establish the giftedness of God we need to first understand what the apostle Paul calls the Great Mystery of Godliness.

The Mystery of Godliness 

The mystery of godliness states that God manifested Himself in the flesh as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, justified (declared righteous) in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached among the Gentiles, and believed on in the world.  

1 Timothy 3:16 says, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

The mystery of godliness shows us that the one God of Israel was manifested in the flesh as Jesus the Christ of Nazareth.  Jesus is the Strong (Mighty) God, the Wise Guide (Wonderful Counselor - a title of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament), the Prince of Peace (a title for the Son), and the Father forever. 

Isaiah 9:6 (BBE) says, "For to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father for ever, Prince of Peace."

Jesus is the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When God appeared to Moses He introduced Himself as Yahweh (I am that I am) the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; and Yahweh (translated to Jehovah in English) is His eternal name. 

Exodus 3:14-15 says, "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."

Yahweh is the God who became flesh and dwelt among men in the New Testament.

John 1:14 (LITV) says, "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth."

The name Jesus in Hebrew is "Yahshua" (Yahweh is salvation). Jesus is Yahweh (also translated to Greek "Kurios" - the Lord in the New Testament). So, where the Bible says that Jesus is Lord, in Hebrew it actually reads "Yahshua is Yahweh."

Romans 10:9 (BBE) says, "Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation."

Jesus is the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; by which the twelve apostles baptized the saints in the early church as the Lord had commanded them. 

Matthew 28:19 (NET) says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38 says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

So, Jesus the Son of God is the physical or bodily man in whom the fullness of God the Father dwelt in the form of the Holy Spirit. He is the visible image of the God’s invisible essence.

Colossians 1:15 (LITV) says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation."

Hebrews 1:3 (LITV) says, "Who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence..."

Colossians 2:9 (LITV) says, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Jesus Christ in the form of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate gift of God to mankind and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are what we know as spiritual gifts. Once a person receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (the indwelling Christ), he becomes eligible to receive the other gifts of God freely. 

Luke 11.13 says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Acts 2.38 says, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 8:32 (LITV) says, "Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up on behalf of us all, how will He not freely give all things to us with Him?"

IS GOD GIFTED? AND CAN I BE MORE GIFTED THAN GOD?

Since we have established that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is God, we can go on to establish that God the Son is the most gifted of all men,  because the Father gifted His Son Jesus Christ by giving Him His Spirit without measure. This is why reason why Jesus is the greatest Man who ever lived. 

John 3:31, 34 (BBE) says, "He who comes from heaven is greater than all others: he who comes from earth is of the earth, and of the earth are his words: he who comes from heaven is over all... For he whom God has sent says God's words; and God does not give him the Spirit by measure."

Individual believers have not been given the Spirit without measure, but each one of us has been given a different mix of grace (manifestations of the Spirit) according to 'the measure' of the gift of Christ. That is why we have different gifts. We are not all the same. 

Ephesians 4:7 says, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."

Romans 2.6 says, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith."

1Cor 7.7 says, "For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that."

1Pet 4.10 says, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

While Christ operated in all gifts without measure, individual believers operate in limited gifts and together we become the full expression of the Holy Spirit as the body of Christ. We only become the full expression of God's Spirit without measure like Jesus Christ, when we come together as the assembly of the whole body of Christ. 

Zechariah 12:8 (LITV) says, "In that day Jehovah shall protect around those living in Jerusalem. And it will be, he who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God..."

Romans 12:4-5 (LITV) says, "For even as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, so we the many are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another."

So, for anyone (including myself) to say that "I am more gifted than God because He is not gifted," is not just wrong according to scriptures; but is a baseless and worthless statement fit for the dustbin. 

Such statements most likely come from the prideful inspiration of the antichrist, and regardless of who said, I will not be comfortable to associate or fellowship with such a person; and I will not recommend anyone else to do so. 

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (LITV) says, "Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, because that Day will not come unless first comes the falling away, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, the one opposing and exalting himself over everything being called God, or object of worship, so as for him "to sit in the temple of God" as God, setting forth himself, that he is God."

Some preachers have even tried to justify the "I am more gifted than God" statement saying that the speaker was speaking a deep truth which is not for spiritual babies, and that is not correct.  

The statement is a baseless lie, and if it has any depth, it is the deep things of satan which are NOT of God.

Revelation 2:24 (LITV) says, "But I say to you and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, and who did not know the deep things of Satan, as they say: I am not casting another burden on you."

Concerning the argument that it is just a statement to attract attention, the danger is that we can not justify blasphemous statements against God for any reason. This kind of marketing is not only unethical,  but is grossly mischievous. 

The undiluted Word of God has enough power to attract attention to itself in its simplicity without the need to add cunning words of human wisdom. 

The only thing we do when we add words of human wisdom to the message of the cross is to dilute and weaken the gospel, rendering it useless. 

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 (LITV) says, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to announce the gospel, not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be made of no effect. For the Word of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God."

1 Corinthians 2:1, 4-5 (LITV) says, "And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with excellency of word or wisdom, declaring to you the Testimony of God... And my word and my preaching was not in enticing words of human wisdom, but in proof of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."