God does not grant Faith

[Devorim]

You were given the Scriptures that teach that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You simply disregarded then, so you are not really interested in what the Bible has to say about saving faith.

Faith does not come pre-packaged. The whole purpose of the preaching of the Gospel is to generate faith. Go back and read my posts and learn.

Thank you.

 

[FreeGrace2]

Yes -- I do ask questions, but admittedly, I sit on some questions and ask some questions. My problem is that I spent so much time in a faulty church that it is taking lots of time to get all the questions to the surface.

Throughout our first years away from that church, my husband and I learned how to debate each other and did it regularly re many issues. It was good for both of us. Debate is a delight and used often between us, but we have only had one argument in our nearly-28 years of marriage. G-d is good!!

I am curious as to why you don't type "God", but "G-d". When I see a "G" and a "d" with a hyphen between, I am reminded of a bad swear word.

One thing: I take no one's word for anything, whether here or where I worship. I hear or read what people say, then I study it for myself and draw my conclusions from the Bible as best I can. Many things people say/write point me in a direction, then I can proceed from there.

This is good. I love what the Bereans did, in Acts 17:11. They didn't take Paul's word for it either. Instead, they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he said was true.

Which is why I always include verses that plainly say what I believe. Sometimes, Scriptures do need some explanation. In that case, we need to make sure what we think they mean isn't contradicted by another verse.

 

[sdowney717]

Thank you.

Romans 10


16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

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

18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:

“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”[k]
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:

“I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation,
I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”[l]
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:

“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”[m]
21 But to Israel he says:

“All day long I have stretched out My hands
To a disobedient and contrary people.”[n]


Read it in context.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing come by the word of God.
'Word' here is 'rhema' in Greek, so it is a directed spoken alive word of God, from the Father in heaven, directed to a person, that would be God's spoken words to them from God into their heart giving them faith.

It is like this here what Christ says in Joihn 5, pay attention the the 'hear' of this verse.

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man

So they will hear Christ in their spirit man newly born. First comes the hearing, and then comes the believing from v24.

It is never believing first and then hearing.
Those who are of God hear God speak. If you are not of God then you will not hear God speak, because God is not speaking to you.

Now back to Romans 10
Have they all believed? no they have not.
Have they heard? Paul says the gospel was preached throughout the world, so yes they heard the gospel, but not all did believe. Why? because they were not of God or they would hear, which means to harken to the message and not be disobedient. So to them the sound of the gospel was mere foolish talk. Why? because they had no faith to believe. Why? because they were not of God so did not hear, that is harken to the message.

Jesus tells us why they do not believe in Him
John 6

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”


Back to Romans 10:20,

I was found by those who did not seek ME, and made manifest to those who did not ask for ME. Meaning they were monergistically born again, since no one seeks for God. If someone does not seek for God or Christ, then how can they believe the message unless God gives to them the new heart first.

I am telling you that that Christ's words in John 5 and 6 must agree with Paul's teaching in Romans 10, and they do.

 

[Skala]

This can be PROVEN by the fact that EVERYONE has it?

2 Thess 3:2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.

As you can see, the Bible clearly states that not all have faith. Yet you say all have faith. Someone is wrong and it isn't the Bible.

Thus, IF He were to grant it it would be at birth.

A bit of a non sequitur don't you think?

 

[Ron Gurley]

Let's DEFINE: "spirit-led FAITH/BELIEF"

(SAVING spirit-led) "Faith" (/ Belief) without (following spiritual good) "works" is "dead" (judged to be spiritully useless.) ...a paraphrase of James.

FAITH and WORKS go hand -in- hand! James 2: 22

Believers are SAVED UNTO "good works"....Ephesians 2.

Only their "works" will be JUDGED...NOT their spiritual POSITION in the "Body of Christ"

2 Corinthians 5: 1-15 (NIV) + 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)
10 For we (BELIEVERS) must all appear before the "judgment (bema = awards platform) seat of Christ",
that each one may receive what is due him for the things done (WORKS) while in the BODY, whether good or bad....

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)...>>Judgment of the BELIEVER'S WORKS<<...SEE ALSO: Romans 14:1-23
1 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid,
which is Jesus Christ.(salvation)
12 If any man BUILDS on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 his WORK will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it (WORKS) to light.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's WORK.
14 If what he has BUILT survives, he will receive his REWARD.(CROWNS)
15 If it (WORK) is burned up, he will suffer LOSS;
he himself will be SAVED, but only as one escaping through the flames.(miraculous delivery)

FAITH / BELIEF...spirit-led BEFORE and AFTER salvation

WORKS...spirit-led BEFORE and AFTER salvation
...VERSUS...
Man's works on his own to commend himself to God

To me, "Belief" and "Faith" as used in the New Testament are almost identical in meaning and synonomous.

"Believe" occurs 152 times in 140 verses in the NASB...mostly in the NT.

G4103 pistos ~= faithful, believe, believing, true, faithfully, believer, sure
G4100 pisteuo = ~believe, commit unto, commit to (one's) trust, be committed unto, be put in trust with, be commited to one's trust, believer

John 1:12 (NASB)
...But as many as RECEIVED Him (spiritually!), to them He gave the right to become children of God ,
even to those who BELIEVE (G4100) in His NAME,...

Romans 10:9,13-15 (NASB)
...that IF you confess (agree with God) with your mouth (mind) Jesus as LORD, AND
BELIEVE (G4100) in your heart (spirit) that God (the Father) raised Him (God the Son) from the dead,
you will be SAVED (from eternal estrangement);
....for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not BELIEVED?
How will they BELIEVE in Him whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear without a preacher?
How will they preach unless they are sent?

"Faith" occurs 250 times in 232 verses in the NASB ...all but 4 verses in the NT.

G4102 pistis = ~faith, assurance, believe, belief, them that believe, fidelity

Hebrews 11 (NASB) ...Biblical examples of The Triumphs of FAITH...DEFINITION

1. Now FAITH is the (spiritual) assurance of things HOPED for,
the CONVICTION of things (+ truths) not seen.(nor proven!)
For by it (faith) the "men of old" (OT heroes) gained approval. ( AND mankind today gains salvation)

John 6: 28-29
28 Then they (disciples) asked him, "What must we do to do the WORKS God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to BELIEVE in the one he has sent." ...

John 3 ...extracts...Jesus to the inquiring Nicodemus
'You must be born again (spiritually).'
The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit....(NEED fulfilled...a NEW LIFE... CHANGED SPIRIT)
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (cruxified ?)
that everyone who BELIEVES in him may have eternal life.

I believe / rely on an excellent Bible scholar's statement:

"The CONDITION(S) for SALVATION...
Salvation is conditioned solely on FAITH / (BELIEF) in Jesus The Christ.
("repentance" may be a SYNONYM when understood to be a "re-thinking and a "turning around")
Nearly 200 times FAITH (or BELIEF) is stated as the single condition in the New Testament.
That FAITH must be placed in The Christ as one's substutute for and Savior from sin (/sins)...
There are some FALSE additions to FAITH...e.g. ritual water baptism, repentance by works, confession / purification, lordship, etc
REF: Ryrie Study Bible...expanded NASB...p. 2073

(Jesus to Mary the Magdelene?):.... "Your FAITH "has saved" YOU; go in peace."...

 

[Ron Gurley]

God spiritually CALLS/DRAWS ALL men. Each is given 2 gifts: spirit-led FAITH/BELIEF + spiritual "free will". Man is given a CHOICE: ACCEPT or REJECT God.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Spirit-led FAITH/BELIEF is far more than simple "mental assension"

Romans 14:23b (NASB)...and whatever is not from (spirit-led) faith is sin.