Is all faith equal?

[Nuteater]

First of all let me state that I would not be surprised if it rubs people the wrong way, and no, i'm not intentionally trying to come off as an elitist, rather it's something my OCD won't let me stop thinking about, so hopefully somebody here can offer a decent response.

Here is my proposed hierarchy:

Scenario 1: The person has had a direct personal experience with God, and is incapable of an honest denial of God's existence. Faith in god is undeniably genuine.

Scenario 2: The person does not start out as a Christian, or leaves but after much intellectualizing and/or personal anguish rejects the other choices and makes the classical "leap of faith". This person has no more evidence than the one in scenario 3, however being proactive rather than passive means that

Scenario 3: The belief of this person is just as genuine as that in scenario 2, however the fact they were raised that way means that effort was not needed to believe nor is it likely a choice was ever made to do so. Not considering alternatives also means that if they were raised in another religion they would likely show a similar aversion to Christianity.

Scenario 4: This person is nearing the end of his life, thinks the time is right to apply Pascal's wager, and currently trying to brainwash himself into believing.

Of course this is all moot if you reject human agency, and yes I acknowledge I have simplified it, but fire away!

 

[Tolworth John]

Where does Faith come from, is it all of man or is it a gift of God?

If it is something we do and have could it not then be called 'a work' that earns us salvation
Eph 2 v 8+9 tell us that God gives us faith.

 

[RaymondG]

No, all faith is not equal. But God has given everyone a measure of faith and Faith can be increase. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

 

[Nuteater]

Where does Faith come from, is it all of man or is it a gift of God?

If it is something we do and have could it not then be called 'a work' that earns us salvation
Eph 2 v 8+9 tell us that God gives us faith.

Okay, but that just begs more questions about what you are trying to say.

Are you implying that only the elect are capable of believing, or are you saying that god extends the capability to have genuine faith to all but are some resist the holy spirit?

If the former I will mention that this thought experiment was never intended to challenge Calvinism, rather I was kind of hoping an Arminian could find flaws in this.

Lastly, I still fail to see how accepting a gift from god as opposed to having unwillingly received it makes it any more of a work seeing as though man could not take the action without god's intervention in the first place.

 

[noam burde]

I assume you mean equal in the eyes of God.
is that what you mean?
if so. than no. thay are not all equal.

also, what do you mean by direct personal experience with God?.
what was your experience?

 

[Tolworth John]

Okay, but that just begs more questions about what you are trying to say.

Are you implying that only the elect are capable of believing, or are you saying that god extends the capability to have genuine faith to all but are some resist the holy spirit?

If the former I will mention that this thought experiment was never intended to challenge Calvinism, rather I was kind of hoping an Arminian could find flaws in this.

Lastly, I still fail to see how accepting a gift from god as opposed to having unwillingly received it makes it any more of a work seeing as though man could not take the action without god's intervention in the first place.

It all depends on whether one believes that faith comes from God or whether one believes that one can by ones own effort have faith in God.

 

[SPF]

According to Paul in Ephesians, faith itself is a gift from God. I don't see anything that says everyone is given faith in equal measure. Also, faith is generally understood to be a gift of the Holy Spirit, and the HS gives gifts as He wills and in measures as He wills. It is also possible to strengthen our gifts through proper use.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Matthew 20:1-16

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”