Kenneth Copeland Ministries: Pursuit Of His PresenceSample

Make the Distinction

by Kenneth Copeland

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.... There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.... For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith.” 1 Corinthians 12:1-9

“I know I’m supposed to use my faith to be healed. But wait a minute. I went to a miracle service the other night, and I saw a great many people get healed who’d never exercised that kind of faith. Why can’t I just get my blessings that way? Why do I have to work so hard?”

Have you ever heard someone say something like that? It’s a very good question, one that often leaves many people confused during times of great outpouring like we’re experiencing in the Church right now.

Even ministers can get drawn off course when they step into a meeting and God simply drops the gift of faith upon them. Suddenly they find themselves operating in power beyond anything they’ve ever experienced and they say to themselves, I didn’t do anything to exercise that kind of faith. God just sovereignly gave it to me. So I suppose I should quit trying to develop faith and just let God give it as He wills.

The reason people start thinking that way is because they fail to make the distinction between the kind of faith God gives every believer, and the special manifestation of faith that is described in 1 Corinthians 12.

It is a glorious thing when the gifts of the Spirit begin to flow. It is marvelous when God moves in on the scene with His own faith and, by the operation of His own Spirit, accomplishes things that none of us are developed enough in faith to accomplish. But never lose sight of this fact: Those special manifestations of faith were not given to us to live by each day. It’s our own faith that is to be developed and used for that purpose.

Why then does God sometimes choose to meet those day-to-day type needs, such as the need for healing, through the ministry gifts? I wondered that myself some years ago. I saw it happen in Kathryn Kuhlman’s ministry, so I asked the Lord about it.

Miss Kuhlman is My nursery attendant, He explained. I have sick spiritual babies all over the world. They don’t know to walk in the Word. They don’t know what you know about living by faith. Some of them are so lazy they will never know it. But I want them well anyway.

So learn to make the distinction between the faith you are developing and the gift of faith. Both are needed. You’re not developing your faith just for yourself. The Master is training you to help with the little ones who are coming into the kingdom of God in this end-time outpouring by the thousands.

Speak the Word

“I walk by faith and not by sight. I allow God to move in my life by faith.” —2 Corinthians 5:7

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