Faith

[OneLight]

This has been running around my mind lately and I wanted to present it for discussion.

The diversities of gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit as He wills are:

1. word of wisdom
   
   
2. word of knowledge
   
   
3. faith
   
   
4. gifts of healings
   
   
5. working of miracles
   
   
6. prophecy
   
   
7. discerning of spirits
   
   
8. different kinds of tongues
   
   
9. interpretation of tongues
   
   

We are then told to earnestly desire the best gifts.

Though they are all important, faith seems to be the most important. Without faith, one would not be able to operate fully within the gift(s) they are given. Doubt would overshadow them and deminish their ability to function.

Thoughts?

[nebula]

The way I've come to understand things, there seems to be a special impartation of faith.

I have faced situations where I was basically trying to force myself to have faith for something. I have also faced situations where I just "knew" the promise given in a verse or passage of Scripture was going to come to pass. I considered that to b the gift of faith.

Does that make sense?

[Joshua-777]

I think that the gift of faith and faith are different. Romans 12:3 says to each is given a different measure of faith, but the context of the gifts is not everyone would recieve it, not everyone will recieve prophecy, or tongues, or gifts of healings, so in context not everyone will recieve the gift of faith.

I believe the gift of faith is where God gives you unshakable faith in a situation.

For example, when I lived in WV, My wife and I needed a car and I was missing work because of it. It was a time of alot of stress, so we prayed about it, and a peace entered me. I believed God would provide and nothing could shake that faith. That week, someone at my church came up and gave us a car, they said the Lord told them to give it to us. Prayer answered. I've had a few simular situations like this. I think it's the gift of faith.

Also out of that list of gifts Paul mentions prophecy as being the most important gift.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

[Believer112]

I would like to have the gift of faith. With this faith you probably wouldn't have unbelief or doubt creep in.

[Believer112]

1 Corinthians 1

Thanksgiving

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Corinthian church must have been special because they didn't lack any spiritual gift. Maybe thats the way it's supposed to be for us today but religion has drummed down the power of the cross to unbelief.

[Guest]

Faith

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15

And Joy

Rejoice evermore. Ephesians 5:16

And Love

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalms 42:1

And Prayer

Pray without ceasing. Ephesians 5:17

And Thanksgiving

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Ephesians 5:18

All Intersect At The Cross (I Think)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3

____________

What A Wonderful Thread

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Ephesians 5:19

Thank You Beloved

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:3

Love, Your Brother Joe

[methinkshe]

1 Corinthians 1

Thanksgiving

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Corinthian church must have been special because they didn't lack any spiritual gift. Maybe thats the way it's supposed to be for us today but religion has drummed down the power of the cross to unbelief.

I think you have quoted a key verse, here.

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed."

It seems to me that we are to understand from this that all spiritual gifts are available to all Believers in and through the indwelling Christ. They cannot be separated from the Giver. Therefore, if we are indwelt by the Giver, necessarily we have all the gifts. They are all expressions of Jesus, revealed in and through the whole Body ministry ("as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed") in various ways and at different times and in different situations and places by individual members of the Body as the Spirit leads.

Here is a link to an excellent Bible Study on the subject. At least, I found it very helpful.

http://www.christinyou.net/pages/chrsmata.html

[Fez]

I think that the gift of faith and faith are different. Romans 12:3 says to each is given a different measure of faith, but the context of the gifts is not everyone would recieve it, not everyone will recieve prophecy, or tongues, or gifts of healings, so in context not everyone will recieve the gift of faith.

I believe the gift of faith is where God gives you unshakable faith in a situation.

For example, when I lived in WV, My wife and I needed a car and I was missing work because of it. It was a time of alot of stress, so we prayed about it, and a peace entered me. I believed God would provide and nothing could shake that faith. That week, someone at my church came up and gave us a car, they said the Lord told them to give it to us. Prayer answered. I've had a few simular situations like this. I think it's the gift of faith.

Also out of that list of gifts Paul mentions prophecy as being the most important gift.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

I agree with Joshua in that "saving" faith may be different from the "gift of faith". Without faith we cannot be saved, cannot accept Jesus. Is it possible that the "gift" Paul speaks of is that of a "different" faith, the same but different if you get what I mean?

Sort of like "I have faith and believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, through whom all things are possible"

to,

I know the above to be true, but do I have the "faith" to heal this person in the name of Jesus.

He told those who believed in Him and had seen Him preform miracles, "If you had the faith of a mustard seed you could move mountains" (my words).

[nebula]

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed."

It seems to me that we are to understand from this that all spiritual gifts are available to all Believers in and through the indwelling Christ.

Question - is the "you" in the verse singular or plural?

[OneLight]

Faith that we have in Christ for salvation IS different then the gift of faith. Yet, when we are given a gift, we must have the faith to actively use it. I believe this faith goes beyond the faith one needs for salvation, or we would not function in the Spirit, but in the flesh. Think back to when you were first saved. Nobody has enough faith to operate in the Spirit at that point. As we matured in Him, He gave us understanding and our faith grew. Faith in Him is what draws us closer to Him. The gift of faith operating in the Spirit has to be one of the most powerful gift there is, since all gifts operate in a faith that we never knew before, as His Spirit moves through us, given at a special time as He wills. I believe that the gift of faith is given along with all other gifts, making 1 Cor 12:31a clearer in my mind. "But earnestly desire the best[d] gifts.", where we are told to seek a plural, not a singular. When one receives the gift of prophecy, along with the gift of faith to operate the gift of prophecy, it becomes plural.