How are we to reckon ourselves as being dead to sin?

[Johann]

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

You nailed it--would you say faith is a gift?

 

[ChristisGod]

You nailed it--would you say faith is a gift?

I already showed how the Greek must agree in number, gender and case with its antecedent. Touto( this) DPro-NNS and pisteos(faith)- N-GFS and doron (gift )N-NNS. So this does not line up with faith in Ephesians 2:8. They are not in agreement in number, gender and case. Greek Basics 101.

Salvation , Grace and This are each in the nominative case therefore are in agreement. Faith is in the genitive case and grace genitive. below is how the verse breaks down in the Greek.

For saved (nominative) you are by grace (dative) through faith (genitive), and this (nominative) not from yourselves (genitive); the gift (nominative) of God ‘it is’.

This basic N.T. Greek lesson affirms what I have stated above it accurate and true in Ephesians 2:8

Lesson 3

hope this helps !!!

 

[Lizbeth]

To believers right ?

Think of this if Salvific Faith is given only by God then the gospel is not for everyone and Jesus did not die for the sins of the whole world that whosoever believes in Him may have eternal life.

If thats the case and faith is given by God to certain individuals/sinners then God is actually showing partiality. God then would love some sinners more than others since He gave some sinners faith and not others- that is showing favoritism and that is not a loving God who desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. It makes God unjust and unloving. If God desired all to be saved the solution is very simple then give everyone saving faith so all will be saved. But we know that is not the case for not all will be saved.

hope this helps !!!

Remember Abraham was chosen and called out of his land and people , by God. That is parallel to how we are called out of the world into faith and kingdom of God. At that point Abraham began to have a living relationship with the Lord, like believers began to be able to, after Jesus died on the cross and arose at that time in history. And the word of God says, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. So while God is WILLING Himself that none would perish, it seems He doesn't violate other people's free will generally (though I wonder if there are exceptions in His mercy when He will override someone's will either for their good or for His purposes....eg, the scripture that says He holds the hearts of kings in His hands....he will cause people to do what HE wills at times).

 

[Ritajanice]

You nailed it--would you say faith is a gift?

Yes, Faith is most definitely a gift from God.that is my belief.

 

[Johann]

That's what Calvinists teach and it is total nonsense. Check John 1:12-13. For the New Birth (which is a work of the Holy Spirit) to take place BEFORE a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ would mean that gift of the Holy Spirit was given to an UNBELIEVER! Do you see the absurdity?

So, in a sense, you just admitted regeneration precedes faith-"New birth to take place Before a sinner believes?"-We can be born from above BEFORE we believe?

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

John 6:29
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Romans 9:13
As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

Romans 9:15-16
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

Romans 9:11
(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),

1 Corinthians 4:7
For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Acts 13:48
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

• Romans 8:29-30
• For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Ephesians 2:1
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

James 1:17-18
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Romans 2:4
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Romans 9:22-23
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

John 6:39-40
This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:65
And He said, 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.'

Romans 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Corinthians 12:9
to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 1:5
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

2 Thessalonians 3:2
and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 12:2
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

[amigo de christo]

Yes indeed the simple message stands . Believe ye on CHRIST JESUS
for there is no other name whereby one may be saved .
Now lift those hands up and let all that has breath praise and thank and thank and praise the glorious Lord .

 

[ChristisGod]

Remember Abraham was chosen and called out of his land and people , by God. That is parallel to how we are called out of the world into faith and kingdom of God. At that point Abraham began to have a living relationship with the Lord, like believers began to be able to, after Jesus died on the cross and arose at that time in history. And the word of God says, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. So while God is WILLING Himself that none would perish, it seems He doesn't violate other people's free will generally (though I wonder if there are exceptions in His mercy when He will override someone's will either for their good or for His purposes....eg, the scripture that says He holds the hearts of kings in His hands....he will cause people to do what HE wills at times).

Nowhere in all of Scripture do we read Abraham's faith came from God. Everywhere we read its Abraham's faith, he believed God and it was considered righteous. God calls and man responds in faith or they are not saved. God calls everyone to be saved and elieve in Christ through the gospel but not all will be saved, not all will believe the gospel. That is one man to believe and receive the gospel. God doesn't cause mans beliefs otherwise all would be saved. Or you have a god who is unjust and only gives some faith and not others. Responding to God in faith is mans responsibility as God does not believe for you. We read everywhere throughout scripture the call to believe the gospel and that responsibility is solely on man. When a person rejects the gospel that is on him, not God. If God gives saving faith then God is not loving to everyone and shows partiality. Love requires the ability and free will to love in return. Love is not coerced or forced. If any man is willing let him come is what Scripture teaches. We have the freedom of the will to choose to love God, believe in Him and receive the gospel of our salvation.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

To believers right ?

Think of this if Salvific Faith is given only by God then the gospel is not for everyone and Jesus did not die for the sins of the whole world that whosoever believes in Him may have eternal life.

If thats the case and faith is given by God to certain individuals/sinners then God is actually showing partiality. God then would love some sinners more than others since He gave some sinners faith and not others- that is showing favoritism and that is not a loving God who desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. It makes God unjust and unloving. If God desired all to be saved the solution is very simple then give everyone saving faith so all will be saved. But we know that is not the case for not all will be saved.

hope this helps !!!

I have a question. How can saving Faith be outside of the Spirit of God? Posted it earlier about the passage that I can have all faith to move mountains, can give all my possessions to feed the poor, can give my body to be burned …but without love it is nothing. (If this work be of men it will come to nothing, but if it is a work of God no one can overthrow it.)
To me that says without His Spirit…
all Faith to move mountains is not saving faith. But nothing. the faith that comes by the Spirit of God being saving Faith. Similar to wisdom…there is wisdom that comes and is passed down by men and Wisdom that comes not of men but of God. One is earthly wisdom. One is from Heaven. Saying earthly wisdom has the ability to be “saving wisdom” is that the point or that Wisdom which comes from God saves His ways and thoughts being Higher than our own. You may say one has nothing to do with the other but I’m attempting to clarify the question…of how can one have all faith to move mountains and it profit them not? To me does not profit is having all faith to move mountains is not saving Faith ; but the Faith which comes from above “born of God” implies to me saving Faith is the Fruit of God… “fruit” being “born of God” “Saving Faith”

 

[Lizbeth]

So, in a sense, you just admitted regeneration precedes faith-"New birth to take place Before a sinner believes?"-We can be born from above BEFORE we believe?

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

John 6:29
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Romans 9:13
As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

Romans 9:15-16
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

Romans 9:11
(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),

1 Corinthians 4:7
For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Acts 13:48
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

• Romans 8:29-30
• For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Ephesians 2:1
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

James 1:17-18
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Romans 2:4
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Romans 9:22-23
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

John 6:39-40
This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:65
And He said, 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.'

Romans 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Corinthians 12:9
to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 1:5
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

2 Thessalonians 3:2
and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 12:2
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

All i can think of is where it says, "It's not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, sayeth the Lord." Everything is by His Spirit, not of our own. Faith to believe is concurrent with His Spirit entering our hearts because faith is from and through HIS Spirit, not from us. Being dead in sin, we can have no faith, until God gives it to us.

 

[ChristisGod]

Love and Sovereignty

What is knowable about God is based on what he has revealed about Himself in scripture. Any proposition or doctrine of Him being otherwise without becoming contrary to who He has revealed Himself to be is nothing but the evilest assault on the character and nature of God. It amounts to proposing that God can be contrary to Himself without changing. God is immutable and does not change.

God is sovereign and also love. Both sovereignty and love as they intersect in God have been revealed plainly to us by God. He has done this both through his word and his works. And he has sworn never to change.

God's sovereignty is never exercised in violation of his love. His love is very everlasting, for God is love. It has not the slightest shadow of variation, and it, not his sovereignty, is the basis upon which his moral standards rest. Any promotion of any doctrine that represents God as acting in a way that violates his love appealing to the fact that He is sovereign and so can do it is pure evil.

With God, might is not right. The fact that he can do something is not a justification for him doing it. The fact that God can damn everyone without a reason is not an argument for justifying teaching that he does as in the Calvinist doctrine of double predestination. All that he can do is restricted by the rule he values most - love.

If it will violate love, God will not and cannot do it for that would be contrary to His nature and character as a loving God. And if it will violate love then it is not right. God cannot make it right by doing it just because he is sovereign. If he does it just because he is sovereign then he would not be God again but something else.

God can do any and everything is what sovereignty stands for. God will only do what is loving is what righteousness stands for.

Righteousness is the foundation of his throne. In other words, righteousness is the constraint of his sovereign rule. Love is how God rules His creation. Sovereignty, Righteousness, Justice, Mercy and all the other attributes of God fall under the umbrella of His love.

What if God’s essence, his spirit, is more like light, an orb radiating all his characteristics from a core of some type of energy, say love?

Not only does this configuration fit scripture declaring that God is spirit (John 4:24), that he is light (1 John 1:5), and that he is love (1 John 4:8), but it also fits the living out of God’s image in the body of Jesus Christ. In him, we do not witness a love regulated by sovereignty, but a sovereignty regulated by love.

Thinking and living in these terms does not in any way shelve the idea of God’s sovereignty, but it does place it within the heart of God’s love. From love, he rules.

Therefore, instead of asking how an all-sovereign God exercises his love, we might ask how an all-loving God exercises his sovereignty. This, I think, is the better conversation. lisa meyers

hope this helps !!!

 

[amigo de christo]

This man shall boast in GOD alone , in HIS CHRIST ALONE .
It was GOD who drew me to CHRIST , Changed me , gave the increase .
There simply is nothing good in me , BUT THE SPIRIT of GOD .
Let not the rich man boast in his wealth , nor the wise man in his wisdom
nor any man boast in himself . Boast IN the GLORIOUS LORD . The GOOD LORD giveth and the GOOD LORD takes away
Let all that has breath praise His name .

 

[amigo de christo]

All i can think of is where it says, "It's not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, sayeth the Lord." Everything is by His Spirit, not of our own. Faith to believe is concurrent with His Spirit entering our hearts because faith is from and through HIS Spirit, not from us. Being dead in sin, we can have no faith, until God gives it to us.

I had a dream years back dear sister .
in the dream i was in this huge mall . People were scattered around here and there .
Then the strong man appeared . And everyone took off running .
Some of us had ran into a corner area . I knew it was coming for us
so i had no fear of it i just went out to take it down and help the people .
As i grabbed hold of its arms and it held onto mine
It could not budge me , but i could not budge it either .
And inside of me i knew i could not hold it much longer .
THEN a voice came TO ME and said this , ITS NOT BY MIGHT , NOR BY POWER , by buy MY SPIRIT
and all of a sudden i threw that strong man around like a rag doll ,
yet not i but the SPIRIT of GODS GRACE . GOD was for sure revealing something to me in that dream .
We cant do a THING without him , HE alone is our strength .

 

[Lizbeth]

Nowhere in all of Scripture do we read Abraham's faith came from God. Everywhere we read its Abraham's faith, he believed God and it was considered righteous. God calls and man responds in faith or they are not saved. God calls everyone to be saved and elieve in Christ through the gospel but not all will be saved, not all will believe the gospel. That is one man to believe and receive the gospel. God doesn't cause mans beliefs otherwise all would be saved. Or you have a god who is unjust and only gives some faith and not others. Responding to God in faith is mans responsibility as God does not believe for you. We read everywhere throughout scripture the call to believe the gospel and that responsibility is solely on man. When a person rejects the gospel that is on him, not God. If God gives saving faith then God is not loving to everyone and shows partiality. Love requires the ability and free will to love in return. Love is not coerced or forced. If any man is willing let him come is what Scripture teaches. We have the freedom of the will to choose to love God, believe in Him and receive the gospel of our salvation.

No we don't read it explicitly. But it is a picture/type/shadow of the new covenant. "They (old testament saints) without us (new covenant saints) would not be made perfect." But God choosing Abraham certainly had to have made a difference. If the Lord hadn't spoken to Abraham and called him, he would have remained where he was, in darkness without faith and not having this living relationship with the Almighty.

 

[ChristisGod]

I have a question. How can saving Faith be outside of the Spirit of God? Posted it earlier about the passage that I can have all faith to move mountains, can give all my possessions to feed the poor, can give my body to be burned …but without love it is nothing.
To me that says without His Spirit…
all Faith to move mountains is not saving faith. But nothing. the faith that comes by the Spirit of God being saving Faith. Similar to wisdom…there is wisdom that comes and is passed down by men and Wisdom that comes not of men but of God. One is earthly wisdom. One is from Heaven. Saying earthly wisdom has the ability to be “saving wisdom” is that the point or that Wisdom which comes from God saves His ways and thoughts being Higher than our own. You may say one has nothing to do with the other but I’m attempting to clarify the question…of how can one have all faith to move mountains and it profit them not? To me does not profit is having all faith to move mountains is not saving Faith ; but the Faith which comes from above “born of God” implies to me saving Faith is the Fruit of God… “fruit” being “born of God” “Saving Faith”

God draws all men to Himself as Jesus said. When the Son of man is lifted up the Father will draw all men to Himself. ( John 12:32). The Holy Spirit will convict everyone is sin, righteousness and judgment is also what Jesus taught in John 16:8. So God acts first though the Holy Spirit to convict man of his sins then its up to man to respond in faith to the call of the gospel to be saved. Romans 10:9-15, 1 Corinthians 15:1-17, John 1:12-13, 20:31 and Ephesians 1:13 as a few of many examples. Man first believes and receives the gospel message by faith and then God regenerates them, gives them life, the new birth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit where we become saved and have eternal life. John 3:16-18 teaches us the same.

John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life;

John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 6:47
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.


hope this helps !!!

 

[Lizbeth]

I had a dream years back dear sister .
in the dream i was in this huge mall . People were scattered around here and there .
Then the strong man appeared . And everyone took off running .
Some of us had ran into a corner area . I knew it was coming for us
so i had no fear of it i just went out to take it down and help the people .
As i grabbed hold of its arms and it held onto mine
It could not budge me , but i could not budge it either .
And inside of me i knew i could not hold it much longer .
THEN a voice came TO ME and said this , ITS NOT BY MIGHT , NOR BY POWER , by buy MY SPIRIT
and all of a sudden i threw that strong man around like a rag doll ,
yet not i but the SPIRIT of GODS GRACE . GOD was for sure revealing something to me in that dream .
We cant do a THING without him , HE alone is our strength .

Amen, wonderful dream.....it's not by our own self effort and strength....we can do nothing without Him. The scripture that says we must first bind the strong man before we can plunder his house. On a personal level i believe it is talking about the strong man within us.

 

[ChristisGod]

No we don't read it explicitly. But it is a picture/type/shadow of the new covenant. "They (old testament saints) without us (new covenant saints) would not be made perfect." But God choosing Abraham certainly had to have made a difference. If the Lord hadn't spoken to Abraham and called him, he would have remained where he was, in darkness without faith and not having this living relationship with the Almighty.

They are all in the HALL of FAITH in Hebrews 11- the N.T. If faith was given by God would not the HALL of FAITH make that abundantly clear ?

Yes it would but what do we read in Hebrews 11: These were all commended for their faith,- just as Jesus taught.

Jesus never once taught that faith was given , granted or a gift .He said " YOUR FAITH " has saved and healed you. Not the faith I gave you healed you.

Luke 7:50
And he said to the woman, Thy faith ( not the faith I have given you )hath saved thee; go in peace.

Luke 8:48
"Daughter," said Jesus, "your faith (not the faith I have given you )has healed you. Go in peace."

Luke 17:19
Then Jesus said to him, "Rise and go; your faith( not the faith I have given you ) has made you well!"

Luke 18:42
"Receive your sight!" Jesus replied. "Your faith(not the faith I have give you ) has healed you."

Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Matthew 8:13
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Matthew 9:2
Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.

Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take courage, daughter," He said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was cured from that very hour.

Matthew 9:29
Then He touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you."

Matthew 15:28
"O woman," Jesus answered, "your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Mark 5:34
"Daughter," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction."

Mark 10:52
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

God calls and man responds in faith. Faith is not given by God to unbelievers. God saved unbelievers who respond to him in faith. That is the biblical picture from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22. And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

hope this helps !!!

 

[amigo de christo]

All i can think of is where it says, "It's not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, sayeth the Lord." Everything is by His Spirit, not of our own. Faith to believe is concurrent with His Spirit entering our hearts because faith is from and through HIS Spirit, not from us. Being dead in sin, we can have no faith, until God gives it to us.

Exactly , let all boast in the LORD . Let all praise His glorious name .
IT is HE alone and not we ourselves that both gave and giveth the increase . Let no man glory in any gift
as though he did not recieve it . GOD giveth . We must simply HEED HIS VOICE and let us learn those bibles well .
Now , let all that requires oxygene to sustain life , PRAISE THE GLORIOUS LORD . Yep that includes
the creatures of the deep too . Let all heaven n earth PRAISE the GLORIOUS LORD .
When one of the most dire wicked men are drawn to CHRIST for no other reason than THE MERCY OF GOD , OF HIS GRACE
i tell ya , that man GONNA SING TO THE LORD . F

 

[VictoryinJesus]

God draws all men to Himself as Jesus said. When the Son of man is lifted up the Father will draw all men to Himself. ( John 12:32). The Holy Spirit will convict everyone is sin, righteousness and judgment is also what Jesus taught in John 16:8. So God acts first though the Holy Spirit to convict man of his sins then its up to man to respond in faith to the call of the gospel to be saved. Romans 10:9-15, 1 Corinthians 15:1-17, John 1:12-13, 20:31 and Ephesians 1:13 as a few of many examples. Man first believes and receives the gospel message by faith and then God regenerates them, gives them life, the new birth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit where we become saved and have eternal life. John 3:16-18 teaches us the same.

John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life;

John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 6:47
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.


hope this helps !!!

Is saving Faith a fruit of the Spirit of God? Is saving Faith born (comes out from, sprouts, grows, bears fruit) of God? That is what I am asking? Does Faith a part of the fruit of the Spirt of God …save? Notice “a part of” the fruit where he said abide in the Vine? No? yes?

 

[ChristisGod]

Is saving Faith a fruit of the Spirit of God? Is saving Faith born (comes out from, sprouts, grows, bears fruit) of God? That is what I am asking? Does Faith a part of the fruit of the Spirt of God …save? Notice “a part of” the fruit where he said abide in the Vine? No? yes?

The fruit of the spirit only occurs in believers who are walking in the spirit who are filled with the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is post salvation.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

The fruit of the spirit only occurs in believers who are walking in the spirit who are filled with the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is post salvation.

Post saving? Then how is saving Faith outside or before saving?