Everyone has been give the measure of faith, according to:
For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.
Yet there is the gift of faith, mentioned in , which not everyone has, but everyone can receive it at least once in one's lifetime, which is a distinct measure of faith to believe in a certain thing which shall come to pass, and who declares it to the Body and thereby increases the faith of others toward that God-promised thing.
God has given to every man a measure of faith to profit with all.
".........according as God has dealt to every man a measure of faith....."
What a lot of people do not have saved or not is a clear understanding of what faith"IS".
That all men have faith in accordance with what faith "is" is beyond dispute and zip have endeavoured to prove it so in pas posts here.
Those of the world then who mock and reject the faith of some who's faith is not in the world but in God,do but undermine their own and in the very things they have put their faith in.
Faith in God is not of this world though it is the SAME faith but it's aim and rest is now in God.but it works or came by the same principles of how faith works all the time.whether it be in God or no.
Faith is a gift of God in any event.
For even as" He sends the rain on the just and the unjust,"even as the tares rejoice when it rains as the wheat does..So then has he given to all men a measure of faith.
"If I be lifted up said Jesus (on the cross)I will draw ALL men unto me"
For God so loved the world...means NONE are excluded.That does not mean that all will come. It means no one has any excuse.and they have closed their ears to the Gospel and hardened their hearts too many times.
When I say that faith is automatic on understanding the Word of God. You are right it is often stolen by the birds that live in the tree.falls on hard ground etc.
But by the grace of God it is rare that a person only hears the gospel once.in truth someone once said what right have we to hear it more? When others have yet to hear it?
Be that as it may,understanding may well come slower than we think.
What I'm saying is when that understanding does come by the grace and operation of the Holy Spirit.you do mot have to search for faith,it is as it were automatic as a flower opens up its petals to the sun.
We are man is created to operate and live by faith. A thing many in the world do not understand and mock,as I have said before,even as man is created for light and the truth.and neither prospers or profits in any way walking in darkness and believing or speaking lies.
We;man ,was created to walk with God in the cool of the evening" as it were.
as the eye then responds to light so then does faith rise in response to our understanding of God's Word.
For "faith in God comes by hearing and understanding the Word of God"
That does not mean we are then giants of faith.for are we not babe's in Christ? When we first believed? Understanding but the milk of the Word of God and then continuing to desire the sincere milk of the word as new born babe's in Christ.
are we not then called to stronger food?The meat and our faith to grow from something as small as mustard seed and onto perfection as of a great tree?
From "little children to "ye fathers"
The great need in the Church today is a lack of meat. For if we go to list of Paul in Hebrews as to what he considered milk. Then those are the subjects most preached on.and very little of what he called meat.
Thus when the Lord asked when he comes will he" find faith" There will be so little of real faith that it brings out the question will he find faith? Much like his question will ye also leave? To his disciples.
If the Bride is to be ready for the coming of the
There is simple faith or trust and then there is God given Faith.
Faith is not just simply belieivng in God or Jesus was risen.
Gerald you said.........
But as soon as you understand what God is saying the faith is already there .
That is not 100 percent correct. The devil our enemy comes immediately to steal - kill and destroy for the word sake. This means he comes to remove or hinder or polute the word you just received or understood. Nothing has grown yet. It has not taken root yet.
If all we had to do is understand something God said and faith is automatically there then we would all be spiritual giants ware faith is concerned.
You are dividing faith like it is many different types of faith. It is ONE faith but different levels of growth or development.
Blessings
jim
Jim, Who can deny that birds living in the tree tops come and steal the word out of the heart of som as soon as it is spoken.?
and others it falls on stony ground etc .
But I would doubt if any man does not hear the gospel preached more than once . Though as someone rightly said ,why should a man here it many times when others not at all?
But "God is patient not willign that any should perish bu that all should come to a knowldge of the truth "
and it si often the case a person hears the gospel often before it sinks in or is not stolen or the person takes it seriously.
I once had a conversation with a young Moslem who i asked did he not believe that Jesus was a true prophet of God? He said yes" I then asked him did he not know that Jesus taught that if a man looks at a woman with lust in his heart he ahs commited adultery already ? To his credit(?) he allowed the word to sink into his heart and illuminate it and his face fell , and he said "But that means we are all guilty"! I replied "you said it" he then ruined himself by seekign to justify himself and said "but its the womens fault"
Man always excuses himself and to justifies himself, blames another . Adam blamed God , Eve blamed the serpent .
The truth is that man was created for the light. and for the truth and to walk with God "in the cool of the evening "as it were .
He neither prospers or profits from lying or believing a lie or walking in darkness.
But as a flower responds to the sun and opens up its petals so does a man respond or can to God and the gospel .
When I say God has given to every man a measure of faith ,I mean it as .
I mean according to what faith "IS" all men have a measure of it and need not go lookign for it or obtain it ;and accordign to what faith IS then man faith IN GOD comes by the same way "understanding ".
For even as "God sends the rain on the just and the unjust" then both the tares and the wheat rejoice when it rains . When Jesus said "If I be lifted up (on the cross) I will draw ALL men unto me" There is no exception . ALL means all .Even as God so loved the world means all are included . But that does not eman all will come or all will repsond to that love .
So all men have faith accordign to what faith IS , Its just that the majority of the people have their faith in 'gods' that are not , in the world , in themselves/works and thier religions .Even as caine was in his .
Those then who mock a mans faith in God do then but undermine thier own and eevn as our faith in God goes form sdtrength to strength and is assured ,theirs is continy=ually undermined and the very things they have put thier faith in are turnign t
With respect to you,
@geralduk, care should be taken in the way we express ourselves too, to avoid any possible misunderstanding: however, if the words, highlighted above, express your understanding concerning this subject, then I respectfully disagree with you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris
With the written word there is always the chance of misunderstandings as there is no imidiate way or responding to correct any or elucidate further .Thus time elapsed has a way of allowing a small misunderstanding or error to grow .
I do no mind so much if people misunderstand me or even think I am wrong .I am not infallible. though some foolishly claim they are .
But if you disagree with me as to that "high calling" if not for your sake but for any others reading can you explain why you do not agree?
I will attempt to preempt some objections .
To be BORN from on high cannot be our "high calling" as we are not only already "begotten again......." by the will of the father by the Spirit through the Son.
How then are we called to a high calling if we then have already answered? Pauls mention of our high calling is then following our new creation.
To be BORNagain qualifies us to " run the race" not win the prize.
The world is not qualified to run at all.
Paul says we must run lawfully to win the prize . We are not BORNgain by works of the law .
Paul says I have run the race , he did not presume as far as I can tell that he had won the prize . is that for another to judge?
John the Baptist claimed only to be a "friend of the Groom" . In a wedding you have the bride and groom and friends of both.
Yet Jesus claimed he was the greatest born of women .
If John saw the groom on the isle of Patmos on the Lords day . What manner then the Bride?
Then I say the church has reduced not only the gospel to being but BORNagain. as the be all and end all of our so great a Salvation .
But has also reduced the "High calling " to something much lower in keeping with its present experience.
But please if you will, explain why you disagree.
If only to correct me if needs must . But also for others .
in Christ
gerald
