Faith - Up to God Entirely?

[Chris†opher Paul]

1. Does getting our faith have anything to do with our own decisions, or is it entirely a gift from God?

2. Does "keeping" this faith the we have rely entirely on God, or do we have something to do with it?

Thanks

 

[Screamin-GOD-Till-I-Die]

1.it depends on you i mean cuz look at other peopel who do not beleave in him its cuss they choose to

2. i didnt understand the ?

 

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by s0uljah
1. Does getting our faith have anything to do with our own decisions, or is it entirely a gift from God?

2. Does "keeping" this faith the we have rely entirely on God, or do we have something to do with it?

Thanks

s0uljah, I would like to commend you.  You are probably the most active thread poster on this MB.  Even though my behavior doesn't often represent it, I would like to say thank you for keeping things interesting and active.

On to your questions:

1. It is entirely a gift from God

2. I think it is important for us to pray without ceasing, study the Word, and actively strive to put into action the things that we know to be true.

God bless

 

[Screamin-GOD-Till-I-Die]

how is it a gift from god.....what about theist and the other billion people who dont beleave in god is it because they didnt have a gift or is it cuss its there choice?

 

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by Screamin-GOD-Till-I-Die
how is it a gift from god.....what about theist and the other billion people who dont beleave in god is it because they didnt have a gift or is it cuss its there choice?

They freely choose not to believe because they are fallen and have not been given the gift of faith.

God bless

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by Screamin-GOD-Till-I-Die
how is it a gift from god.....what about theist and the other billion people who dont beleave in god is it because they didnt have a gift or is it cuss its there choice?

It's a mutual thing, scream. God reveals himself to us, which we respond to with a tiny amount of belief, then as we experience Him and He reveals more of Himself, we respond with full-blown faith. As time goes by and we really get to know Him, it hardly seems like faith anymore, it's more like certainty.

But if we chose not to respond to him, we don't get faith, either.

So, for the millions of people that you talked about, they have to respond to God or they never experience faith, either.

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

So its a mutual thing. Interesting. So it doesnt just happen automatically? We have to cooperate with it?

 

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by lambslove
It's a mutual thing, scream. God reveals himself to us, which we respond to with a tiny amount of belief

And where did this "tiny amount of belief" come from?  A fallen creation?  So there was a measure of belief that was retained even after the Fall?

then as we experience Him and He reveals more of Himself, we respond with full-blown faith. As time goes by and we really get to know Him, it hardly seems like faith anymore, it's more like certainty.

But if we chose not to respond to him, we don't get faith, either.

So, for the millions of people that you talked about, they have to respond to God or they never experience faith, either.

So faith is a reward given to fallen humans for responding in faith?

God bless

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Can you all get your story straight for me. Is it cooperation or is it all God's doing?

 

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by s0uljah
Can you all get your story straight for me. Is it cooperation or is it all God's doing?

Whose "you all?"  Protestants?  Let me guess, because we're not all of the same belief as Catholics are, oops, that's right, there are some Catholics that believe differently than you, then our story isn't straight?

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Originally posted by Reformationist
Whose "you all?"  Protestants?  Let me guess, because we're not all of the same belief as Catholics are, oops, that's right, there are some Catholics that believe differently than you, then our story isn't straight?

You should know by now that Catholics must believe certain things. We may disagree on something trivial, but not something like salvation and grace, etc. If we disagreed, we couldnt be Catholic.

I'd just like to have a clear picture of your beliefs and you two just contradicted each other on this important point.

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by s0uljah
So its a mutual thing. Interesting. So it doesnt just happen automatically? We have to cooperate with it?

You're being kind of hostile again souljah. It's hard to talk to you when you are so automatically defensive/offensive.

He approaches us, we respond to Him. He gives us something to have faith in (Himself) and we chose to respond or ignore. He offers and we either accept or rebuff.

It's not that hard to understand.

But no one has ever come to faith in God without having some knowledge of God, and a reason to have faith in Him. Faith requires an understanding of God's character, that He is good and is able to do the things He has promised. You can't have faith in a stranger. You can only have faith in someone you know well. God offers that relationship and we either respond or deny.

It's like when you proposed to your wife. You probably asked her out first, then you got to know each other over time, experiencing each other's character, learning whether or not you could trust each other. At some point, you said to yourself, "I know her and I want to pledge myself to her." Likewise is faith in God. He "asks us out," if you will, and we either accept or decline. We get to know Him and eventually decide that we want to be with Him, and pledge ourselves to Him. Baptism is an act of betrothal, so to speak.

But it has to be mutual. God won't intrude into the life of someone who rejects Him.

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Not sure how you think that is a hostile question.

Anyway, once we accept, do we cooperate by continuing in this faith? Or is it all up to God from there?

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by s0uljah
Not sure how you think that is a hostile question.

Anyway, once we accept, do we cooperate by continuing in this faith? Or is it all up to God from there?

You keep wanting to make it all conditional, souljah.

God never lets go of those who love Him. Even when we hate Him, he still never turns His back on us. God has never gotten a divorce from anyone, to carry on the analogy.

Have you ever read the book of Hosea? That Gomer deserved to be abandoned if anyone ever did, yet Hosea kept taking her back, even when the things she did disgusted him. God was making an object lesson for us--even when we sin or do stupid things, once we are betrothed to Him, He will never divorce us.

 

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by s0uljah
I'd just like to have a clear picture of your beliefs and you two just contradicted each other on this important point.

So?  There's many things that lambslove and I disagree on.  That doesn't have anything to do with whether we are both saved.  And, it doesn't mean that just because you submit to the head of your church as do the other members of your church that you're right.

God bless

 

[sbbqb7n16]

It's a free gift if you ask for it. If your asking makes you a cooperator, then yes it is a mutual thing. If not, then no it's all God.

Kinda the same thing as salvation. You have to ask for it, but God does the work in you. If you consider that cooperation, then sure.

 

[ZiSunka]

And just because we disagree doesn't mean that either of us is wrong.

God gives us faith. We agree on that. It is a gift from God. It isn't something we do, it comes from Him, lest we should brag.

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by sbbqb7n16
It's a free gift if you ask for it. If your asking makes you a cooperator, then yes it is a mutual thing. If not, then no it's all God.

Kinda the same thing as salvation. You have to ask for it, but God does the work in you. If you consider that cooperation, then sure.

Right. Someone offers you a rolex watch and you take it. It's the one who earned the money to buy the rolex that did the great thing, not the one who accepted it. There has to be an acceptance, but there can't be an acceptance without an offer. Otherwise, it's stealing.

The one who makes the offer does the greater thing than the one who accepts.

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Ok, so once you get the rolex, it stays on your wrist, no matter what? Even if you don't want it anymore?

PS

Not trying to argue, I just want to understand how you all see things.

Thanks

 

[Jephunneh]

Faith comes by hearing the words of God.