It is a Gift of God

I left you yesterday with the necessity of writing this entry today when I said, "The faith that the Bible references is not something we drum up. It is something given by God. No, it isn't given to everyone. It is given as He chooses." "Oh? Really?" you might say. "Let's see you argue that idea with any real substance." Okay, let's do.

First, the perception begins with the certainty that faith is something we muster up. It's something that we bring to the table. It's something that we provide and God recognizes and then justifies. That's a nice concept. Is there any reason to think it's not true? Is there any reason to think that faith is given rather than developed?

The first and easiest spot to look is Rom 12:3 where Paul says, "God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Conclude what you will about how, when, who, or any other question, whatever else Paul is saying here he is definitely saying that God allots faith. Faith is a gift. Now, most people, seeing this, would likely conclude, "Oh, well, okay. Then faith is given to all people and we decide what to do with it." The first problem with this is that Paul isn't writing to "all people". He's writing to the saints in Rome (Rom 1:7). Then there is a logical problem. We know that justification is by faith. So consider the logical syllogism:

1) We are justified by faith.
2) All humans have faith.
3) Therefore, all humans are justified.

That is a perfectly logical syllogism, but we know it's not true. Still, we need to be more sure of this. Certainly the Bible isn't silent on the subject, is it? No, indeed. The Bible has much to say. We know, for instance, that Jesus is "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb 12:2). He is the one who begins and completes our faith. In Acts 13:48 we read "... as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." The obvious implication is that those who were not appointed did not believe (did not have faith). 2 Tim 2:25 says that God grants (or doesn't grant) repentance to people. Paul also says, "It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake" (Phil 1:29). We all get that. We are being given the privilege of suffering for Christ. Don't miss, however, the first mention. We are granted "not only to believe", but to suffer. Believing is a gift, a grant. Of course, there's always the ever-popular Eph 2:8-9. Most who make the claim I'm making go here first. I'm going here last because it's only a piece of the puzzle. Paul says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." In normal Greek and English usage, a prepositional phrase references the thing before it. The "not of yourselves", then, would suggest that "faith" is in mind. Faith is not of yourself -- it is a gift of God. Some are inclined to argue. "No, no, the real reference is to salvation." So, faith is not a gift, but salvation is. The argument leaves me flat because there is a missing component in the sentence that is skipped. Three pieces make up the first phrase: Grace, salvation, and faith. Something there is "not of yourselves". They argue it's salvation. So we conclude that faith ... and grace are something we produce. Wait ... no ... that's not right. It seems to me that the "not of yourselves" is referencing the entire previous statement: "By grace you have been saved through faith." So grace, salvation, and faith are "not of yourselves". This is buttressed with the next statement: "Not a result of works, so that no one may boast." No matter how you cut it, if I provide the faith and the faith is the key ingredient, I have something to boast about. But, if God provides the faith, we have nothing left to boast about.

One other relevant passage came up in my examination of the question. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for him and his team:

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one (2 Thess 3:1-3).

We saw in Rom 12 that God allotted to each a measure of faith. Now we see the reverse: "Not all have faith." Paul goes on to say that "the Lord is faithful" and that "He will establish you and guard you".

We are really reticent to think that we have nothing at all to do with our own salvation. Most people think "If you're good enough you'll get to heaven." "Good enough" doesn't work. We Christians realize that we're not good enough and we need a Savior. But we're still unwilling to give up our own contribution. Surely we contribute something. "I know! We contribute faith! Yeah! We exercise our own free will and we muster up the faith that is required and that's our small but extremely significant part in our own salvation. That's right!" Both logic and the Word seem to disagree. While we are certainly required to exercise the faith given to us, it would appear that even that faith that we are to exercise is a gift from God, not something that we produce. Or, in the words of the author of the hymn, Rock of Ages, "Nothing in my hand I bring; Only to Thy cross I cling."