Faith is a gift from God

[Stewardofthemystery]

We know “Gods grace”, or “Gods favor” is a gift, but what about faith?

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Faith is also shown as a gift from God…

Romans 12:6
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

1 Corinthians 12:7-9
King James Version
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;”

So truly a man can receive nothing except it be given to him from heaven-John 3:27

Peace

[A Freeman]

Consider also:

1 John 2:1-5
2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2:2 And he is the atonement for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, IF we keep His Commandments.
2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth NOT His Commandments, is a LIAR, and the truth is NOT in him.
2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1 John 3:4-12
3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also The Law: for sin is the transgression of The Law.
3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our (past) sins; and in him is no sin.
3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he (Christ) is righteous.
3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the Beginning. For THIS purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever DOETH NOT righteousness is NOT of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the Beginning (Alpha), that we should love one another.
3:12 Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

1 John 5:2-4
5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and KEEP His Commandments.
5:3 For THIS is the love of God, that we KEEP His Commandments: and His Commandments are NOT grievous.
5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our Faith.

[Brightfame52]

It must be given to believe the Gospel !

The Truth of the Gospel is so repugnant to the natural man, that it must by special distinguishing Grace be given to us to believe it, it must be of particular Election or Choice of God, of which others, or the rest are not given .

Lk 8:10

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Lets remember that the Gospel Paul preached and the others was a Mystery 1 Cor 2:7

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery [ Wisdom of God 1 Cor 1:24], even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1 Cor 4:1

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

This is the stewardship of the Gospel Paul means here.

1 Tim 3:9

Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

The Mystery of the Faith here is the Doctrines of the Gospel.

Now it must be given to us to believe those things, while it is not given to others to believe them.

Phil 1:29

For unto you [in distinction of others] it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Its not given to all men to believe on Christ !

Jn 6:65

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Those who teach that God has given all men the ability to believe on Christ for Salvation are out right liars and deceivers ! 6

[Brightfame52]

It must be a honest heart to believe on Christ.


It must be a honest heart to believe on Christ. Lk 8:15

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

It must be an honest and good heart that brings forth the fruit of Faith.

Now this scripture more than any other should enlighten us to the fact that this heart, is not the heart we have by nature. Its nothing good about our heart given in our fleshly birth. The heart we have by nature is descrbibed here Jer 17:9

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Its evil Gen 6:5

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen 8:21

And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Now the heart here in our text is described as an honest and good heart.

Now we know deceitfulness as Per Jer 17:9 is quite the opposite of honest !

The word honest here is the greek word kalos and means:

B.good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its ends, I. genuine, approved

Its an heart given in new birth , its constituted as to answer the purpose for which that class of things were created.

Remember how it is stated in Rom 5:19

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

That word made is kathistēmi and means:

D.to constitute, to render, make, cause to be

To be constituted Righteous. That means to compose; form,to create .

In New Birth a New Heart is given to answer a purpose, which comes through being made Righteous by the Obedience of One. So we are given a New Heart Ezk 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Then Jesus says its not only a Honest Heart, but a Good Heart. The word good agathos means:

I. of good constitution or nature

Again this speaks to the New Nature and Heart given in New Birth, a New Constitution.

It is this Heart Jesus says Lk 8:15

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

That word keep means:

C. to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of

The same as Heb 3:6

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

The if is contingent upon whether or not they received the Word of God into a honest and good heart, if they did, they will have patience

Heb 10:36

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

So it takes from the outset, a Honest and Good Heart given in New Birth to believe on Christ. And no man has this type of Heart by Nature. If you say we do, you do lie and speak against the Truth !

[Revelations won]

Dear Stewardofthemystery,


While faith is one of the gifts of God, we have the full responsibility of building and exercising it.

Failing to develop it and putting forth that required to make it powerful is like going to the gym and simply watching others build their muscles. Does that do anything for our muscle growth?

[Brightfame52]

Faith is believing God's Promise !

Faith is believing God's Promise ! Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Gd Rom 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God or promise of God !

Faith takes God at His Word of Promise, for its not a condition one must meet or do before God acts out His Spoken or declared promise, for instance, God's declared promise to Abraham and Sarah was that they together shall bring forth a son in their old age, to be named Isaac; Now this bringing Isaac into existence for His Purpose was something determined by God from old, even from His Eternal Counsels from before the foundation, but now it was revealed by Him to them Gen 18:9-15

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

And notice Vs 12 That was a laugh of unbelief ! However this promise was of Grace, and God's word of promise would effect Faith in Her, and it is written later this Heb 11:11

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

This means that She eventually believed through Grace Acts 18:27, but her first natural reaction was unbelief, and not only her, but Abraham also, observe earlier when he first heard the promise before Gen 17:15-17

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

That also was initially a sneer of unbelief !

But after God gives Faith, She Judges Him Faithful who promised. You see, God's word of promise that He would give them a Son in their advanced years was not conditioned on their Faith in believing Him or not, but Faith is given in accordance with the Promise, then Faith given by God through His word of promise and the Spirit's application, then she embraces the Promise, the declared Truth of God; and God's Truth and Faithfulness to His People is in no way contingent upon their Faith in Him to perform His promise or purpose. A similar point is made here 2 Tim 2:13

13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

You see, even if Sarah believe not at first God's Promise that she in her very advanced age would bare Abraham a son, that could not prevent God from performing His Promise to her. True Faith is born out of God keeping His word of Promise, and God's promise is not contingent or based upon what we believe or don't believe, but God will give Faith so we can rest in His Faithfulness !

[Brightfame52]

Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God ! 5


Rom 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God or the voice of God, or the voice of Christ, who is God. Now who is it specifically that hears the word or voice of God/ Christ ? The word for word Rhema means:

that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word any sound produced by the voice and having definite meaning
speech, discourse what one has said

a series of words joined together into a sentence (a declaration of one's mind made in words) an utterance
a saying of any sort as a message, a narrative 1c

concerning some occurrence

subject matter of speech, thing spoken of so far forth as it is a matter of narration
so far as it is a matter of command
a matter of dispute, case at law

In the original is reads:

ἄρα ἡ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ διὰ ῥήματος Χριστοῦ or Faith cometh by hearing the word or voice of the Christ, the living voice of Christ !

The ASV:

So belief [cometh] of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Now Jesus tells us Himself this mighty truth as to who specifically it is who is hearing His Voice Jn 18:37

37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jesus states that the ones of the Truth heareth His Voice, So exactly what does the Truth mean ? 6

[Brightfame52]

Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God ! 6


Jesus states that the ones of the Truth heareth His Voice Jn 18:37, So exactly what does the Truth mean ? Well Jesus here uses the prep ek which means away from, out of, out from the Truth indicating from the interior to the outward, so it is " he that is out from the truth, which I believe Jesus means by this the Spirit, for the Spirit is the Truth 1 Jn 5:6

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

See also Jn 14:17; 15:26;16:13

The definite article precedes truth , reading the Spirit is the Truth ! So Jesus is saying " The ones hearing my living voice or my words" are the ones out of the Spirit, which means of course born of the Spirit Jn 3:8

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

or having been born out of the Spirit, and of course the Spirit is the Truth !

So when Jesus does declare in Jn 10:16

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

He means His Sheep that have been born out of the Spirit of the Truth shall hear His voice, and of course such hearing is by which faith cometh by Rom 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So the Lord Jesus Christ without question teaches the necessity n of a Spiritual Birth in order to the Hearing of Faith, and man by nature, in the flesh cannot have or experience the hearing of faith, because only being in the flesh he hath not been born of the Spirit [God] !

Now this can be debated and denied until the world ends, but the Truth of it shall stand, and by the Grace of God I will proclaim it and defend it with scripture ! 6

[Brightfame52]

Them which shall believe on me through their word !


Jn 17:19-20

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Who are those that shall believe on Christ through their [ The Apostles word ? This shall believe is in the future tense, and the indicative mood. What does the future indicative mean ? The indicative means:

Indicative Mood

The indicative mood is a statement of fact or an actual occurrence from the writer's or speaker's perspective. It may be action occurring in past, present, or future time.
http://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm


This is a certain fact Jesus is stating, for believers in Him by their testimony is the Fruit that He ordained them to bear Jn 15:16

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

They were instruments in Christ's hand whereby a large harvest of souls should believe on Christ through their preaching and writing. Remember Paul said to the Corinthian Believers 1 Cor 3:5

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

Believers who come to Faith in Christ through the preaching and writings of the Apostles, they are their fruit , the fruit of their Labor Phil 1:22

22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

Even all subsequent believers on Christ after the Apostles died off, are still fruit of their Labour aforetime, since the scriptures and doctrines they taught and preached must be adhered to in the conversion of sinners Acts 2:42

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Now Jesus is speaking also of all them whom He died for and rose again, for they in Him as their Head did die and rise together with Him. They are those who even though they were not yet physically born and alive when they died and rose again with Him, and were made to sit with Him in the heavenlies Eph 2:6

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Note: This proves they were in Him before they believed !

This fact does therefore ensure that they shall be made alive, given Faith and Hearing, and they shall believe the Gospel of the Apostles, as it is Faithfully Preached, and that's why they shall believe on Him through their word ! 6

[Brightfame52]

hath everlasting life !


Jn 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Jesus is teaching us here that hearing and believing are evidential of having everlasting life experimentally , by New Birth, for one cannot spiritually hear and believe the Word. We know this by Jn 8:47

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Jn 18:37

37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

So understand the point, hearing and believing are evidences of possessing experimentally Everlasting Life by New Birth of the Spirit ! 6

[Brightfame52]

Out of Grace !


Faith that Believes in Christ, that rests in His finished work for God's People, God's Salvation to His Israel, this Faith originates in the Grace of God, its the Grace of the Spirit of God Zech 12:10

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look[with Faith or Hope] upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Its a Gift of Grace to put Faith in Christ, we believe through Grace Acts 18:27

And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through [on account of] grace:

That word through is the greek word dia and is translated on the account of Grace, the Grace of the Spirit !

For Faith is strictly of a Divine Source , and it cannot be found in the natural man of the flesh, and so as Paul teaches, it is not of ourselves, it is the Gift of God, the Gift of God's Grace which also is the Spirit !

Faith is the fruit of having been quickened to Life by the Spirit Gal 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Its been given to us that Truly believe, in order that we would truly believe, and so it was not an act of our so called freewill, but it has been granted to us on behalf of Christ to believe on Him Phil 1:29; And it was not just being given the ability to believe, to do when we will or not, but it is the actual conferment of Faith the act, hence it is given given to us to believe , in that its the result and effect of spiritual life communicated and the inner working of the Spirit of God, to will and do of His Good Pleasure ! 6