Grace can only be had if it comes through faith.
Because salvation is the unmerited favor (grace) of God through faith, and that grace is a gift of God, would I be correct in assuming that you consider the faith as also a part of that gift of salvation?
Inorder to have faith one must believe. This is a choice we are not forced to believe. In order to believe we must accept it as belief.
Having to over come the inexpressible fear of heights, and, knowing that the ladder performed sufficiently in the past, I express belief. That expressing and acting upon belief is based upon knowledge and history.
Would this be an acceptable illustration of your statement?
Not so. Arminians like all who believe, must hear the gospel and the belief and faith come as a result of hearing the gospel.
Hearing brings the knowledge, but what (if you are agreeable with the illustration that I submitted) provides the historical context that causes action oriented belief?
Or is active belief departing the subject?
The faith that brings us grace however is not the results of seeing Christ but hearing about Him. Our faith is not what saves but the faith of Christ is all that justifies. Gal. 2:16 This is a gift. it's with in His righteousness that we wear.
Would you then agree that these all are gifts of God: faith, grace, salvation, justification, and righteousness?
Choice isn't the creator of faith. God is. While choice does not drive faith,we do not have faith in anything unless we choose to. Faith is hope. We do not hope for what we can see.Though faith and hope in action is placing trust in the object of our hope.
"Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen."
Faith that is saving faith is not merely hope. Faith has substance and evidence. Would you not consider this is like James states, "showing faith by my works works?"
I think you are correct in stating that faith is created by God.
No.Faith comes by the hearing of the gospel. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and regeneration comes as a result of faith hope and trust in the Lord.
See, this is where I personally have a disagreement and probably with most of the BB.
I do not consider that any part of work of salvation can begin without first the person becoming aware of the need of salvation through conviction. That conviction cannot occur without God first making the person alive to even sense the conviction. That this process of awareness and conviction are the birthing process of the new believer. As such the conception then is start of "regeneration" and regeneration not a one time act of God (except at the point - or appointment - of conception), but a continual flowing process in which a person from time to time becomes "renewed in the Spirit," until we are complete and clothed in His presence.
Illustration: A greater number of criminals are most angry they were caught, and the greatest number have no remorse for their crime nor the conviction that judgment placed upon them. However, there are a very few, who knowing they are guilty, are truly remorseful, and admit to the crime and the just penalty. Rather they look for a way to escape, and reason to vent their anger.
What was the difference in the two thieves? One had "Godly sorrow" the other did not. Godly sorrow can only be brought to a person in whom God has quickened. That is why the thief could both rebuke the other and express longing toward Christ.
What is it about this view in which you disagree, and why?