Faith # 5

[Brightfame52]

Faith is the Gift of God !

Eph 2:8

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

No matter how much scripture indicates that Faith, along with all Salvation blessings is the Gift of God, and not of ourselves yet the antichrist followers still want opportunity to boast of themselves, of what they did, but scripture testimony states different, Faith, yes even the act of believing, is God's Gift to His Elect, that they may acknowledge the Truth, we have the above Eph 2:8, then we have Phil 1:29

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

What can be more plainer than what Paul says to believers, that it was given to them to believe ! Their believing is an evidence that it had been given to them, lest it was not given. Its only given to Christ's Sheep Jn 10:26

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

Also the word given in Phil 1:29 is the greek word charizomai from which it comes from charis which is the word grace, and so believers believe because of Grace, not because of themselves Acts 18:27

And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

The word through, the prep dia means:

ii.on account of

A.the ground or reason by which something is or is not done

Credit is given to Grace as to why one believes on Christ! They believed on account of Grace.

Paul said he was what he was, to include being a believer as well as an apostle, by the Grace of God 1 Cor 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Paul is just saying what all scripture says, he was a believer/ apostle on account of the Grace of God given or bestowed upon him!

Also more scripture corroboration that Faith is not of us but the Gift of God Acts 5:31

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 11:18

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

The words here give in Acts 5:31 and granted in Acts 11:18, its the greek word didōmi and means they are caused to repent, the giving or granting repentance is what causes them to repent !

Repentance is put in their minds, in fact thats what Heb 10:16 means by this:

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put or give my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

That word put is the same greek word didōmi and so here we see the force of the word as the giving denotes an Sovereign act of God putting His Laws into their Hearts, the spiritual laws of Faith and Repentance!

Its the fulfillment of the Covenant blessings Ezk 36:27

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

That's God giving and or granting repentance Acts 5:31;11:18 !

Now, one may say, but thats speaking of repentance and not Faith ! My answer is that is true, however, Faith and Repentance are Twins joined at the hip, because repentance leads to and effects acknowledgement of the Truth 2 Tim 2:25

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give [ didōmi] them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Thats the number one priority of repentance, to lead to the acknowledging of the Truth, a persuasion of Faith !

Its a turning from darkness of false religion and false beliefs to the Light of the Gospel and the Truth it reveals Acts 26:18

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Thats their call from or out of darkness to marvelous light 1 Pet 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Thats the turning spoken of in above Acts 26:18 ! Its a Gift of the Spirit 2 Thess 2:13 ; Gal 5:22 !

But I know the antichrist followers will find a way to ignore this scripture proof that Faith, believing on Christ, is not of ourselves, but it is given as a Gift of God, to everyone that is believing! 8

 

[Brightfame52]

That ye may know that ye have eternal life !

1 Jn 5:13

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

It was given to believe on His Name as stated in Phil 1:29

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

To those of us who Truly believe, it was given to us to believe as an evidence to know that God has given us Eternal Life, which Life was in His Son Jn 1:4, in other words believing on Christ is given to be proof positive that God did quicken us together with His Son when He raised Him up from the dead Eph 2:1-6

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

This quickening with Christ is outside of any Gospel Obedience, we were totally passive therein and included the whole Body of Christ for which He died, but there comes a time when each member must be quickened individually as proof that they were part of the Body that was quickened together with Christ, when He was quickened from the dead, and that is what believing on Him signifies, and that quickening is a consequence of having Eternal Life Legally imputed !

 

[Brightfame52]

Must be spiritually minded to believe on Christ !

Rom 8:6

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Before anyone can believe on Christ in a conversion sense, they would have to be first made spiritually minded, given a mind that is spiritually capacitated, and not blinded.

Jn 12:39-40

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Rom 11:17

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

2 Cor 3:14

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

2 Cor 4:4

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Col 1:21

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

See a mind that is not spiritually minded is a mine that is alienated from God by wicked works, such a mind is at enmity to embracing Christ !

A spiritual mind is one that is under the govenment and influence of the Holy Spirit versus one such as this Eph 2:2-3

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Secondly to believe on Christ in the sense of conversion, requires a Mind that will yield subjection / obedience to Christ, which the carnal mind cannot do Rom 8:7

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The Law of God here is not limited to or even in this context speaking of the mosaic law, but law and commands of God in general. Its the greek word nomos, without the definite article and it means :

I.anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command
A.
of any law whatsoever
i.
a law or rule producing a state approved of God

Now to believe on Christ in a conversion sense is a command. What did Paul say to the Jailor when asked the question, what must I do to be saved ? Paul replied "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"

Now understand something here, the word believe here is an Imperative in the greek, which is :

The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding. Thus, Jesus' phrase, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mk.1:15) is not at all an "invitation," but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers.

Now, this required obedience, it is not possible to be rendered by the carnal mind, for it is not subject to the Law of God and cannot be states Paul.

So that leaves us with no alternative but to relaize that one has to be spiritually minded to believe on Christ in a matter of conversion and obedience and that produces life and peace ! Rom 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Thats Spiritually minded believing, when its done through the Power of the Holy Ghost / Spirit! 9

 

[Psalty]

You post a lot of scripture, but it is never in context, or exegited.

No matter how much scripture indicates that Faith, along with all Salvation blessings is the Gift of God, and not of ourselves yet the antichrist followers still want opportunity to boast of themselves, of what they did, but scripture testimony states different, Faith, yes even the act of believing, is God's Gift to His Elect, that they may acknowledge the Truth, we have the above Eph 2:8

You have misunderstood both the greek and Paul.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
— Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB95
Grace saves you through faith. “It” is neuter and therefore the pronoun cannot link to faith in the feminine. “It is the gift of God” probably has the referent as salvation = “have been saved”.
You can still hold to your Calvinism with other verses im sure, but dont keep repeating this as it is not correct in the GK.

 

[Brightfame52]

You have misunderstood both the greek and Paul.

No I havent

 

[Psalty]

No I havent

I just explained how you have wrongly interpreted the english due to an error of not understanding the greak.

Your point about faith being from God may be correct, but Ephesians 2 does not say so. In fact it cant say so. The greek requires the opposite of what you conclude.