Where does faith come from?

[Cturtle]

Isn't faith a gift of God? We can't work it up ourselves.

As
I was reading and praying today, God brought these verses to my memory and sight.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another Faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit......

Anyway you see it written that we all at the time of salvation have a measure of faith, otherwise we would not believe in God, and have received the gift of salvation. Bu in many places in the Bible, faith is compared to a mustard seed (mt 17:20, ect...) so that when we begin to renew our minds to the Word of God, our faith will grow stronger and will be extended to more areas.

In the verses above, it says that faith is one of the spiritual gifts. And some people have a greater or stronger measure of faith when they are born again. Those are the ones that are the catalyst for others to grab ahold of. Others springboard off of their faith, to develop strength of their own. The ones that have the gift of faith are the kindling for others to build their fires off of
Hope this makes sense?

Blessings my friend!

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Isn't faith a gift of God? We can't work it up ourselves.

Penion look at Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Praying in the spirit is a blessed way to aid in building your faith just as meditating on His written word.

Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Are we to just hear His word once ? No constantly keeping His word before our eyes and in our mouths.

If Faith was one size fits all - every single person born again would be spiritual giants and there would be no lack or need or sickness in them.

When faith begins to develope in you and grow you begin to see through faith or through your spiritual eyes. It is when we can see in our spirits what Faith is believing for - we receive the desired answer. Faith brings things from the spiritual realm unto the natural realm.

Jesus said believe ye have - this is seeing it so strong in the spirit By Faith that nothing or any one can take it away. Faith must be built up to acomplish this task.

Just as there is many things we need to be doing daily to build our faith - there are many things that will actually work against your faith that most do daily as well. It has never been nor will it ever be - faith believes in God and that is all there is to it. Faith is a Life Style.

The Just shall live by Faith.......... this means day in and day out - it does not mean - well i think I better go get some faith for this situation. Faith is staying the same constantly and consecutively the same in His word and ways, meaning nothing wavering from His word or ways. Tragedy strikes - you dont have to go build up your faith for it is always being built up and you walk by faith and greet every situation by faith and nothing sways you off of your faith. You stay calm in trust of Gods word.

As our knowledge in Christ and Gods word increases so should our Faith.
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. Proverbs 24:5

God Bless Penion
Jim

 

[Penion]

Penion look at Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Praying in the spirit is a blessed way to aid in building your faith just as meditating on His written word.

Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Are we to just hear His word once ? No constantly keeping His word before our eyes and in our mouths.

If Faith was one size fits all - every single person born again would be spiritual giants and there would be no lack or need or sickness in them.

When faith begins to develope in you and grow you begin to see through faith or through your spiritual eyes. It is when we can see in our spirits what Faith is believing for - we receive the desired answer. Faith brings things from the spiritual realm unto the natural realm.

Jesus said believe ye have - this is seeing it so strong in the spirit By Faith that nothing or any one can take it away. Faith must be built up to acomplish this task.

Just as there is many things we need to be doing daily to build our faith - there are many things that will actually work against your faith that most do daily as well. It has never been nor will it ever be - faith believes in God and that is all there is to it. Faith is a Life Style.

The Just shall live by Faith.......... this means day in and day out - it does not mean - well i think I better go get some faith for this situation. Faith is staying the same constantly and consecutively the same in His word and ways, meaning nothing wavering from His word or ways. Tragedy strikes - you dont have to go build up your faith for it is always being built up and you walk by faith and greet every situation by faith and nothing sways you off of your faith. You stay calm in trust of Gods word.

As our knowledge in Christ and Gods word increases so should our Faith.
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. Proverbs 24:5

God Bless Penion
Jim

 

[Penion]

Hi Jim!

We can't have faith at all without being saved by God. This is His gift to us. Ephesians 2. An unsaved person cannot work up any faith acceptable to Him.

 

[Penion]

As
I was reading and praying today, God brought these verses to my memory and sight.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another Faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit......

Anyway you see it written that we all at the time of salvation have a measure of faith, otherwise we would not believe in God, and have received the gift of salvation. Bu in many places in the Bible, faith is compared to a mustard seed (mt 17:20, ect...) so that when we begin to renew our minds to the Word of God, our faith will grow stronger and will be extended to more areas.

In the verses above, it says that faith is one of the spiritual gifts. And some people have a greater or stronger measure of faith when they are born again. Those are the ones that are the catalyst for others to grab ahold of. Others springboard off of their faith, to develop strength of their own. The ones that have the gift of faith are the kindling for others to build their fires off of
Hope this makes sense?

Blessings my friend!

Cturtle,

I have clarified my original post. Please let me know what you think. See Reply #24

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Hi Jim!

We can't have faith at all without being saved by God. This is His gift to us. Ephesians 2. An unsaved person cannot work up any faith acceptable to Him.

Hi Penion ,
Every body uses faith every single day of their lives. We put faith in so many things each and every day of our lives.

Penion you first said that faith is a gift from God and we can not build it up.
I explained how we Have Got to build it up. You then turn to we must be saved to have faith that pleases God..

I think I am missing something from what you are driving at. These go in several directions my friend. Could you explain to me what it is you are looking at ?
Thanks my Friend
Jim

 

[Abdicate]

@Penion, faith is a belief, nothing more. We all have it from our experience. What we have to grow in is the right kind of faith. For instance, you may not realize it, but aside from the question as a kid, when you open the refrigerator door, you expect the light to come on. You have faith, albeit based on your experiences, that the light will turn on. God's faith is to believe in Him and His ways - which are not natural to our experiences or flesh. Our flesh says "I am poor because I've not been given the chances others have" or "I'm sick because I wasn't careful with my diet" or "I'm sick because I was told it was genetic" or "I'm poor because I didn't tithe". All these have fleshly reasoning. God's faith is saying "I am rich in God's chances given to me" or "I'm healed because of grace" or "I am genetically sound". These are the "things" we don't see, but we are to declare in faith that they are. That's how everything God does occurs. It's a process, His process, and we have to learn to do it His way, then things really start happening!

As I type the movers are packing up my household belongings. The smell corrugated boxes is thick in the air. The sound of tape being yanked and placed over the openings is never ending. I have to find another house to live in when I arrive back to America. Now these are the facts. I declare we will have a house that only God could provide with the salary I have. All perfect gifts come from the Father. When I get the and settled, just watch for the thread declaring His goodness on my life for His glory.

 

[Penion]

Hi Penion ,
Every body uses faith every single day of their lives. We put faith in so many things each and every day of our lives.

Penion you first said that faith is a gift from God and we can not build it up.
I explained how we Have Got to build it up. You then turn to we must be saved to have faith that pleases God..

I think I am missing something from what you are driving at. These go in several directions my friend. Could you explain to me what it is you are looking at ?
Thanks my Friend
Jim

Hi Penion ,
Every body uses faith every single day of their lives. We put faith in so many things each and every day of our lives.

Penion you first said that faith is a gift from God and we can not build it up.
I explained how we Have Got to build it up. You then turn to we must be saved to have faith that pleases God..

I think I am missing something from what you are driving at. These go in several directions my friend. Could you explain to me what it is you are looking at ?
Thanks my Friend
Jim

Will someone please tell me what this scripture means:

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

 

[THALLON]

Will someone please tell me what this scripture means:

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

the context is...
..............so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast............
It may seem that God is gifting you faith by one reading,
but the reading to me is that God has gifted us salvation, not faith, in my opinion as an interpretation of this verse.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Will someone please tell me what this scripture means:

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

Through faith or by faith or we trust in God and what He said - that out of His Love and Mercy ( Grace ) we are saved which is a gift from God for we can NOT earn it what so ever and this is all done through faith in God and what he says.

 

[Cturtle]

Will someone please tell me what this scripture means:

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

Hi Penion,

I saw your response, so God led me to look at a couple of different translations....... and in the easy english Ephesians 2:8-9 it says....8)God has saved you only because He Himself is so very kind. He has saved you because you believe in Him. You could not save yourselves, but it is God's gift to you. 9) He has not saved you as a result of any good thing that you yourselves have done. So, nobody has any reason to say how good they themselves are.

So the gift like the others have said is salvation, because God loves us.
I pray this helps.
Blessings!

 

[Son of Jesus]

(1Co 12:4) Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
(1Co 12:5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
(1Co 12:6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
(1Co 12:7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
(1Co 12:8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
(1Co 12:9) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
(1Co 12:10) To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
(1Co 12:11) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

I have always thanked Jesus for gifting me with Faith. Ever since I was a child. I know many who haven't been gifted with faith, let alone mature into Fidelity. The Word "Pistis" actually means Fidelity, as a Wife to Her Husband. As the Church to Christ. We who have been called to the Marriage recognize this Free Gift, as of being "called". We who "build up" in this Gift as in being full of Fidelity to our Husband, are those who "remain faithful".

So both views are correct, it's just a progression of how we respond to that gift

For an illustration, consider the parable of the sower

Love in Christ

 

[Penion]

(1Co 12:4) Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
(1Co 12:5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
(1Co 12:6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
(1Co 12:7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
(1Co 12:8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
(1Co 12:9) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
(1Co 12:10) To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
(1Co 12:11) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

I have always thanked Jesus for gifting me with Faith. Ever since I was a child. I know many who haven't been gifted with faith, let alone mature into Fidelity. The Word "Pistis" actually means Fidelity, as a Wife to Her Husband. As the Church to Christ. We who have been called to the Marriage recognize this Free Gift, as of being "called". We who "build up" in this Gift as in being full of Fidelity to our Husband, are those who "remain faithful".

So both views are correct, it's just a progression of how we respond to that gift

For an illustration, consider the parable of the sower

Love in Christ

My faith is based on God's love and acceptance of me.

James Bryan Smith, in his Embracing the Love of God, wrote:

God’s love for us cannot be changed. Why? Because it is not based on anything we do. (Rom 8:38,39) We do not deserve God’s acceptance and love; it is a gift. I thought of God’s acceptance as something I could lose by my behavior. This is not logical, since I did not do anything to gain God’s acceptance in the first place. How can we lose something that we did not earn? God’s love and acceptance of us is constant and never changes. How do we come to know of this love? The Holy Spirit enters into us and whispers his love. (Rom 5:5) Flesh and blood, logic and reason, will never reveal God’s love to us. It is beyond our understanding; it must be revealed. How do we come to know such love? We must ask for it. We must pray that we will come to know and feel this love. God has promised that if we seek him with all of our heart, we will find him. (Jer 29:13) Nothing gives God more pleasure than filling his children with love and hearing them exclaim, “Abba, Daddy!” (Rom 8:14; Gal 4:6).

Blessings to all!

 

[Cturtle]

My faith is based on God's love and acceptance of me.

James Bryan Smith, in his Embracing the Love of God, wrote:

God’s love for us cannot be changed. Why? Because it is not based on anything we do. (Rom 8:38,39) We do not deserve God’s acceptance and love; it is a gift. I thought of God’s acceptance as something I could lose by my behavior. This is not logical, since I did not do anything to gain God’s acceptance in the first place. How can we lose something that we did not earn? God’s love and acceptance of us is constant and never changes. How do we come to know of this love? The Holy Spirit enters into us and whispers his love. (Rom 5:5) Flesh and blood, logic and reason, will never reveal God’s love to us. It is beyond our understanding; it must be revealed. How do we come to know such love? We must ask for it. We must pray that we will come to know and feel this love. God has promised that if we seek him with all of our heart, we will find him. (Jer 29:13) Nothing gives God more pleasure than filling his children with love and hearing them exclaim, “Abba, Daddy!” (Rom 8:14; Gal 4:6).

Blessings to all!

Thank you Penion for sharing this with us all! I really enjoyed reading it. As i was reading it, i realize that many people do not fully grasp this truth about God's love for us. And like was mentioned...Romans 8:38-9 is a great picture of it!
Blessings my friend!

 

[Abdicate]

Will someone please tell me what this scripture means:

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

Here's my two cents based on the words in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek.

For by the unearned favor of God, are you saved, (having deliverance, welfare, prosperity, and the victory), through the belief, based on evidence (faith), of what Jesus did for you, but it's not from your own anything (own understanding, own beliefs , own works, own trials, own hopes, own experiences), but it is only by the gift of God.

 

[CCW95A]

Faith is a "spiritual" force, and Jesus referred to "faith" as a servant that is sent out to do something for the one sending it out. The "spirit of faith" comes when it hears the Word of God.

2Co 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak,

What I have today is because of what I have said out of my mouth in days gone by, and what I am speaking out of my mouth today will cause me to have it tomorrow.

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:7 "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'?
Luke 17:8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'?

Faith always produces where it is sent out to do. When it returns (faith) it brings what you asked it to do. Afterward you feed your faith, and then send it out again!!!

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Faith is a "spiritual" force, and Jesus referred to "faith" as a servant that is sent out to do something for the one sending it out. The "spirit of faith" comes when it hears the Word of God.

2Co 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak,

What I have today is because of what I have said out of my mouth in days gone by, and what I am speaking out of my mouth today will cause me to have it tomorrow.

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:7 "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'?
Luke 17:8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'?

Faith always produces where it is sent out to do. When it returns (faith) it brings what you asked it to do. Afterward you feed your faith, and then send it out again!!!

Faith just like everything else dealing with God starts with a seed.

 

[Cturtle]

Faith is a "spiritual" force, and Jesus referred to "faith" as a servant that is sent out to do something for the one sending it out. The "spirit of faith" comes when it hears the Word of God.

2Co 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak,

What I have today is because of what I have said out of my mouth in days gone by, and what I am speaking out of my mouth today will cause me to have it tomorrow.

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:7 "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'?
Luke 17:8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'?

Faith always produces where it is sent out to do. When it returns (faith) it brings what you asked it to do. Afterward you feed your faith, and then send it out again!!!

My pastor was teaching on that the other day.....that faith is what Jesus was talking about obeying you. Great stuff!

Blessings of grace and peace be yours in abundance! Its good to see you

 

[Euphemia]

Isn't faith a gift of God? We can't work it up ourselves.

There is a gift of faith, but that isn't the faith that we are given by our Creator that empowers us to believe. Every single human being has faith to believe in something or someone, but when our faith is enlivened by the spirit of God to believe the truth when we hear it, that is true faith working the way it is supposed to.