Glaring Faults

One striking, salient, yet deplorable fact about, the churches to whom the fullest, richest gifts were bestowed is this: the people who possessed these spiritual gifts (even the highest gift of prophecy) were by no means spiritually faultless.

The gifts were mixed with human infirmity, and that sometime of the most reprehensible kind. These supernaturally gifted church members were not automatons, even though endowed by the Spirit. They carried with them all their human foibles and weaknesses.

Inspiration is one thing, infallibility and sanctification yet another thing. The gifts possessed by the saints were subject to frequent misuse; disorder, vanity, false ambition, exalted self-esteem, overweening egotism, personal superiority.

It is hard for the neophyte who is being introduced to the leadership of the church for the first time to understand this. But it is always tragically true and the sooner the initiate learns the hard lesson, the sooner he can continue in the love and admonition of the Lord. Some of the greatest saints have the most glaring faults. They all have feet of clay. None is perfect, imperfections mar every great life with the exception only of that of the blessed Lord Jesus.

W A Cristwell, The Holy Spirit in Today’s World