Faith is a Gift, not just an action.

I think I know where MB is going to go with this. He may say that faith comes from hearing. The Calvinist heartily agrees with that. However, the Calvinist believes that the sinner is unable to hear accompanied by faith because he is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and unable to respond (Romans 8:7; 1 Corinthians 2:14) unless the Holy Spirit makes him capable of responding. This is done through illumination/regeneration. This is a point in which Calvinism and Arminianism clash.

 

you have to do something to get it. You have to listen.
MB

 

“Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!”
Acts 28:28



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His faith was that Jesus was the son of God and that he could heal his servant's son.

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Amen! No Calvinist disagrees with that. The gospel did go forth to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected it. But then we are back to what I wrote in post #21. While the gospel went forth to the nations, that did not change individual sinfulness and the inability to appropriate spiritual truth without the Holy Spirit making the individual capable of hearing (with faith). I know we disagree about this but stating it plainly helps keep the conversation from going in circles.

 

Just making sure because there are three types. You could possibly say 4.
1. God gifted.
2. Natural.
3. Developed. (From hearing/studying The Word)

 

Kinda like racism and the color of your own skin. You don't make the choice, God does it for you. So if you just happen to be the bad spiritual color....... oh well.

 

You can go to the tanning bed or do like Michael Jackson.

 

what? too much,

 

Brother, please do not get upset with me, but I tend to look at MB's comments the way I made them 20 years ago. Taken at face value, it does seem that Synergists are advocating a works-based salvation when they make statements like, "you have to do something to get it". But as Dr. James White is fond of saying, "They are guilty of a happy inconsistency." On the one hand, Synergists will say that salvation is all of God. On the other, they will say that they have the free will to believe or not. Obviously, common sense dictates that you cannot have it both ways, thus the "happy inconsistency".

 

Thank you for your nasty remarks. They show what your true character is.
.MB

 

Thank you for your nasty remarks. Like reform's remarks they show what kind of Christian you are.
MB

 

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#4.

 

Nasty? My intent was to be gracious. Honesty prevents me from ignoring our differences. However, while I believe you are in error I am thankful that you claim to be in Christ. If that counts as nasty then I am (gladly) guilty as charged.

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Why not use

2 Peter 1:1 NLT
This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

?

Doesn't it better express your point?

Then we can argue about what the word given means . . .

 

If faith is an action, it makes it works,

We do not believe with out minds, like a math problem we figure out, we believe with our hearts .It is not an action,

 

Apart from the gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9), faith is nowhere referred to as a gift.