On the willingness to appropriate those things which are ours...on a number of occasions Jesus said in Matthew 13, speaking about the parables and also in Matthew 25 speaking of the parables of the talents, He said, "For unto everyone that has shall be given and he shall have abundance, but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." Does that in any way imply that we could have spiritual gifts but because of our unwillingness to use them Jesus would take them away?

Answer

Generally the principle could be used to apply to that. If you take it in its most general sense. It really isn't talking about the removal of gifts nearly as much as it's talking about the removal of rewards. That's the point of the parable. But if you were to take it in a general sense it could mean that if you fail to use your gift long enough, it would atrophy to the place where you just wouldn't use it. You wouldn't be able to use it. I'm sure that that's a possibility. But I think that that would only be from that passage in a very very general sense.