Do I own my faith?

[Bible2]

His_disciple3 said in post 8:

 

. . .  the elect needs to obtain salvation . . .

 

That's right, if you mean the as-yet-unsaved elect, for election is different than salvation. The elect are elected (chosen) even before they get saved (Romans 11:28, Acts 13:48b, Ephesians 1:4, Romans 9:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). During their lifetime, the elect are eventually granted God's miraculous gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8, John 6:65; 1 Corinthians 3:5b, Romans 12:3b, Hebrews 12:2) because they are elect (Acts 13:48b). Also, while the elect can't become nonelect, after they become initially saved, they need to be careful not to wrongly employ their free will in such a way that they will ultimately lose their salvation (e.g. Hebrews 10:26-29, Matthew 25:26,30, Hebrews 6:4-8).

 

His_disciple3 said in post 8:

 

. . . we shouldn't think of ourselves more highly than others . . .

 

That's right, even if by "we" you mean the elect, as opposed to the nonelect.

 

For while the Bible doesn't say by what criteria God determined which people to create as elect vessels of his mercy, and which people to create as nonelect vessels of his wrath (Romans 9:21-23), God's criteria weren't based on any differences between individual people (Romans 3:9-12), just as, for example, King David's criteria for determining which Moabites to kill and which to keep alive weren't based on any differences between the individual people (2 Samuel 8:2), and just as a potter's criteria for determining which part of a lump of clay to make a vessel unto honor, and which part of that same lump of clay to make another vessel unto dishonor, aren't based on any differences between the two parts of that same lump of clay (Romans 9:21).

 

Also, every believer can know he or she is elect (chosen), because faith comes only to the elect (Acts 13:48b) wholly by God's grace as a miraculous gift from God (Ephesians 2:8, John 6:65; 1 Corinthians 3:5b, Romans 12:3b, Hebrews 12:2). The nonelect can't ever believe in Jesus, even when they are shown the truth (John 8:42-47, John 10:26, Matthew 13:38-42), not because they are any worse than the elect (Romans 3:9-12), but simply because God didn't choose to show them his mercy (Romans 9:15-22). The elect are shown God's mercy and grace, not based on any prior good works on their part (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9), but because God chose (elected) them before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13), before they had done anything at all (Romans 9:11-24).

[Openly Curious]

Scripture states in the book of Romans 12:3  "that God hath dealt to "every man" a measure of faith.  That means every single person born into this world has faith.  Whether they ever use that measure of faith or not they nevertheless have it in meaure given them by God.  It is solely up to each individual to exercise and put to practice the faith they have within or not act on it,  but every person has faith of their own and the ability not to believe or to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved if they but call upon the name of the Lord and be saved to the uttermost.

 

 

Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

[Bible2]

Openly Curious said in post 12:

 

Scripture states in the book of Romans 12:3  "that God hath dealt to "every man" a measure of faith.  That means every single person born into this world has faith.

 

Romans 12:3b means every person in the church at Rome ("every man that is among you": Romans 12:3a) at the time of Paul the apostle in the 1st century AD had been dealt God's miraculous gift of faith (1 Corinthians 3:5b, Ephesians 2:8, John 6:65, Hebrews 12:2). Romans 12:3 doesn't mean every man in the world has faith, "for all men have not faith" (2 Thessalonians 3:2).

[Openly Curious]

Every person has faith but not every man has faith toward God.

[1to3]

All are given a measure of faith, what we do with it or not makes the difference.

 

Faith needs to be cultivated by having a relationship with God.

Like a small mustard seed it grows more and more as it is tended to and cared for.

The more we place our faith/faithfulness and trust in God, the more He can work through us.

 

Romans 2,3,4

…2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is,

that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me

I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment,

as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,…

 

Matthew 13:31 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.

 

 

Luke 13:19
It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches."

 

Matthew 13:31
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.

 

 

Mark 4:31
It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds,

 

Matthew 21:21
Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

 

Romans 12:3

For I say to every man that is among you, through the grace given unto me, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

[1to3]

Romans 1:17

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:22
even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to  and on all who believe. There is no difference;

 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 being justified  freely vy His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

 

25 whom God set forth to be a propriation by His blood,

through faith,

to demonstrate His righteousness,

because of His forebearance

God has passed over the sins that were previously committed,

26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness,

that He might be just and the justifier of the one who

has faith in Christ Jesus.

 

27 "where is the boasting then?

It is excluded.

By what law?

Of works?

No, but by the law of faith

 

 

Habakkuk 2:4
"See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness --

 

 

Hebrews 10: 36,37

For you have need of endurance

so that  after you have done the will of God,

you may receive the promise;

 

For yet a little while,

And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.

38Now the just shall live by faith;

but if anyone draws back,

My soul has no pleasure in him.

 

29But we are not of those

who draw back to perdition,

but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

 

 Hebrews ch11: 1 ,6

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

 

6: But without faith

it is impossible to please Him,

for he who comes to God

must believe that He is, and  that He is a rewarder of those

who diligently seek Him

[Openly Curious]

It is this simple regarding faith I believe.......

 

Mark 10:13-16 - And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them:  and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them,  Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not:  for of such is the kingdom of God.  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.  And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

 

Even from the smallest of a child they have faith.  We grow to adulthood but it takes the same childlike faith to humble ourselves in the sight of God.  I don't see the childlike faith we had as children as any more of a mystery than the faith of any of the great men and women of God I read about throughout the bible.  The prophet Samuel as a small boy had this childlike faith when he heard God calling out his name and Samuel thought it was Eli calling him so he went to him three different times in the same night until Eli perceived that it was the Lord calling him and he instructed him when he heard his name called again to say Speak Lord for your servant heareth.    From childhood we all have faith.  But that is hard for some to grasp I guess maybe because it's just to simple of a thing perhaps not spiritual enough to just accept.  I don't know.  I do know that as a child whenever they want something they will ask their parents in faith for what they want or need and if at all possible and if the thing is not bad they ask for then the parent of the child will get it for the child.  If the child ask for fish in faith then the parent want give their child a scorpion in place of the fish for that would be harmful.

[Willa]

1 Tim 4:2 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the Living God, WHO IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE. NKJV

1 Tim 2:2:3b-4 God our Savior, who desires ALL MEN to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. NKJV

2 Titus 2:11 NKJV For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

When a gift is given us it is ours to keep. So our faith, created and given by God, is now ours. It is up to us to act on that faith as led by the Holy Spirit, and to add to our faith other virtues and fruit and establish it by relying on God. 2 Peter 1

1 Peter 1:1 says we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. NKJV

Predestination is according to the foreknowledge of God for obedience. God prepared good works for us before the foundation of the world that we should walk in them. But whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I do not believe that God predestines anyone to hell. They choose to resist God's grace and call. They choose darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Stephen said that the Jews were stiff necked and had always resisted the Holy Spirit in Acts 7:51. So people today may also resist the Holy Spirit. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

[Openly Curious]

Well said Willa well said.

[Joshua-777]

1 Tim 4:2 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the Living God, WHO IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE. NKJV

1 Tim 2:2:3b-4 God our Savior, who desires ALL MEN to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. NKJV

2 Titus 2:11 NKJV For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

When a gift is given us it is ours to keep. So our faith, created and given by God, is now ours. It is up to us to act on that faith as led by the Holy Spirit, and to add to our faith other virtues and fruit and establish it by relying on God. 2 Peter 1

1 Peter 1:1 says we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. NKJV

Predestination is according to the foreknowledge of God for obedience. God prepared good works for us before the foundation of the world that we should walk in them. But whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I do not believe that God predestines anyone to hell. They choose to resist God's grace and call. They choose darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Stephen said that the Jews were stiff necked and had always resisted the Holy Spirit in Acts 7:51. So people today may also resist the Holy Spirit. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Well said.