Answer: Each member of Christ's body has different gifts, according to the grace given us, (verse 6).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
All gifts, talents, abilities, etc., come from the grace of God--His goodness and kindness towards us. God shows this grace--this kindness--to ALL of His created ones. The difference now for a child of God is that all gifts from God are to be used not just individually for the good of one portion (one's self), but used for the good of the whole--the body. The different gifts are to be used harmoniously in the body of Christ, for the glory of the Giver of them, to do the good works that have been planned for us from the beginning:
Ephesians 2:8-10: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Failure to use our differing gifts brings to mind the teachings of Jesus in His "Parable of the Talents" in Matthew 25:14-30, as well as His separating of "The Sheep and the Goats" in Matthew 25:31-46.
Again, the credit for the gifts/talents/abilities we possess AND the ability to properly use them harmoniously within the body--the church--belongs to the Giver and not to those who have been gifted. Our attitude at all times should be, as we have studied, that of Christ, Who did and said all that He did and said, because His Father gave Him all that He should say and do:
John 5:19: "Jesus gave them this answer: ‘I tell you the Truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.'"
John 8:28-29: "So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the One I claim to be and that I do nothing on My Own but speak just what the Father has taught Me. The One Who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.'"
John 14:31: [Jesus said,] "but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me."
