Is Faith a Gift from God?

Ephesians 2:8

for by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;

Grace means salvation comes through Faith which is an unmeritorious gift that is not inherently part of natural man; a spiritually dead man to the True God, True Gospel and The True Jesus Christ.

Adam & Eve hid themselves from The True God after eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and just like Adam & Eve, Natural Man, Adam’s descendants, do not come to the True God so his evil deeds will not be revealed.

When one comes Luke 18:13 to The True God through Jesus Christ by God’s mercy, Romans 9:15, John 6:44, He will have the knowledge that his self righteousness is a filthy menstrual cloth. They will have the knowledge of a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ, His work on the cross and His imputed righteousness. They will come asking for mercy from God, the One who gives mercy to whom He wills. Romans 9:15,16,18

Matthew 1:21 Isaiah 64:6 Romans 3:10-12, 20 Psalms 14:1-3 Luke 18:13 Genesis 2:17 Genesis 3:7-8 John 3:20 2 Corinthians 4:6 John 3:3-8 Romans 3:9-27 Romans 4:3-8 Romans 9:11 Ephesians 1:4-11 Matthew 11:27 Romans 10:1-4

Ephesians 2:5 says we (called out ones by God) were dead until made alive by Christ. In other words, dead until generated from above John 3:3,5,8 or made alive and charged with the imputed righteousness of Christ Romans 4:3-8 and given faith through and because of the Faith of Jesus Christ Ephesians 2:8 as an unconditional gift of God according to the unconditional election of the ones loving God Romans 9:8-16 Romans 8:28-30

Ephesians 2:5

even we being dead in deviations, He made us alive together with Christ; by grace
you are having been saved,

In Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:21-26 it says we are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, The Word was God became flesh provided (for His people He promised to save), (as the perfect sinless substitutionary sacrifice for His people He represented, the ones His father gave to Him that He will give eternal life to and will not lose but will raise up in the last day), propitiation (appeasing God’s anger against them for their sin) through His shed blood, (without the shedding of blood no flesh will be forgiven) justification, declaring His people righteous based on His perfect imputed righteousness and His shed blood, redemption (the buying back of His people) all of which provided reconciliation or atonement to God conditioned on His work and person alone without any effort or contribution from the persons the Father gave to Him. This makes God a just God, a justifier and a Savior.

Isaiah 55:8-11 Isaiah 45:21 Romans 3:21-26 Hebrews 9:22 John 6:37-44 John 1:1-3, 14, 18 1 John 3:5 1 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 4:6-8 Matthew 1:21 2 Corinthians 5:19–21 Romans 8:33

Natural man thinks spiritual things are foolishness including the effectual and efficacious Cross of Christ, a sacrifice that demands, ensures and guarantees the salvation of the people for whom the Father gave him, therefore, the faith that saves cannot be our own because The Natural man is unable to discern spiritual things because they are spiritually discerned.

We obtained our faith in the Gospel of Christ (His shed blood and imputed perfect righteousness ) through and conditioned on the faith of Jesus Christ at the time of receiving from God, Christ’s righteousness imputed or charged to His unconditionally chosen people’s account when they were generated from above. Faith was given to His people He died on behalf of at the time of being generated from above by God with a new heart and a new spirit ( The Spirit of Christ) based on His work and person alone without any effort from the sinner. Ezekiel 11:19 Ezekiel 36:26 27

John 6:64-65 John 3:3-8. Romans 4:3-8. 1 John 5:4 Philippians 1:29 Acts 13:48 John 17:2-3 Romans 8:9

1 John 5:4

Because everything having been generated of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory overcoming the world, our faith.

Our Faith was generated of God

Christ is the Righteousness of God. He is Jehovah our Righteousness Jeremiah 23:6

Romans 4:6-8

Even as also David says of the blessing of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are they whose lawlessnesses have been remitted, and whose sins are covered;

8 blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

2 Peter 1:1

1 ¶ Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to the ones equally precious with us, having obtained faith in the righteousness of our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ:

Galatians 2:16

16 knowing that a man is not justified by works of Law, if not through faith of Jesus Christ (we also believed into Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith of Christ and not by works of Law, because all flesh will not be justified by works of Law). Psa. 123:2

Romans 3:21-26

But now apart from law a righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

22 even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ toward all and upon all the( ones) believing; for there is no difference,

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

24 being justified undeservedly by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness through the passing over of the sins that had taken place before, in the forbearance of God,

26 for a demonstration of His righteousness in the present time, for His being just and justifying the one that is of the faith of Jesus

1 Corinthians 2:14

But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man can’t generate faith in the True God, True Gospel or The True Jesus; only the false god, false gospel and false Jesus because he is spiritually dead. 2 Corinthians 11:4 He thinks spiritual things such as the effectual work of the Cross of Christ is foolishness 1 Corinthians 1:18 because he doesn’t have the spirit to be able to understand spiritual things. It requires the gift of the spirit by an act of God. John 3:3-8 John 6:37

The natural man, has a condition, a nature, inherited from the Garden of Eden that believes Jesus Christ died for everyone; and the cross wasn’t effectual in that it actually saves, in and of itself, until man performs through some sort of effort; some act of faith from within himself but scripture says no one is able to come if it is not given to him from The Father John 6:65 John 10:11

Natural man’s belief actually correlates to the bait the serpent supplied in the Garden of Eden “Dying you shall not die” “ you will be like God” “knowing Good and Evil”; but that was a lie and God’s word was proven true when He said “Dying you shall die” and we all became liars to put it in simple terms, and evil by nature running from The True God like Adam and Eve. Romans 3:13 Romans 3:14-18

Did Natural Man receive the delusion that the knowledge of good and evil would make him (a know it all) like God? Do you need the True God if you think you (know it all)? Do you need to read and listen to God’s word when you think you have it all figured out and (know it all)? Was the Serpent offering freedom from God through knowing ? Was he offering “Free Will”to choose ? Does Natural man have vain delusional pride inherited from the eating of the fruit in the Garden of Eden that hates The Totally Sovereign God that causes and controls all things for His glory and the benefit of His unconditionally chosen people from before the foundation of the world.

The Scripture says Natural Man doesn’t know the difference between good and evil. Proverbs 12:10 Psalms 14:1-3 Matthew 7:17-20

When God said “ Dying you shall die” it didn’t sound nice and contradicted the eye appeal of the fruit and didn’t feed Eve’s possible prideful desire to gain knowledge in accordance with the lie of the serpent. This desire to discover hidden knowledge is the exact reason Natural Man seeks out fortune tellers; which God forbids. Isaiah 8:19-20 Deuteronomy 18 They just don’t trust what God’s word says because it doesn’t agree with what they see, the sinful desires of their flesh and their own vain reasoning that falls short of God’s word and glory.

In reality , Natural man cannot produce faith in the The True God, The True Christ and The True Gospel because he doesn’t have the ability; he loves darkness instead of light. He actually spiritually died after eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan became natural man’s father. He doesn’t trust God’s word above all.

Romans 3:10-11-12

according as it is written, “There is not a righteous one, not even one!”

11 “There is not one understanding, there is not one seeking God.”

12 All turned aside; together they became worthless, not one is doing goodness, not so much as one!” LXX-Psa. 13:1-3

18 there is no fear of God before their
eyes.” LXX-Psa. 5:10; 139:4; 9:28; Isa. 59:7, 8; Psa. 35:2; MT-Psa. 14:1-3; 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; Isa. 59:7, 8; Psa. 36:1

John 3:3,5,8

Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, If one is not generated from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.

Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, If one is not generated out of water (God’s cleansing word) and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God

The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice; but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone having been generated from the Spirit.

The above verse reveals God Sovereignly makes alive or generates from above John 5:21 whomever He chooses and without the spirit they cannot see or enter the kingdom of God and have faith Ephesians 2:8. It is impossible to see the True God and to be saved without faith. Hebrews 11:6 Mark 16:16 Without Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is impossible to please God. We see in John 6:29 that belief (faith) is the work of God; not the work of man

In Acts 18:27 the verse says we believe through Grace. Grace means unmeritorious, undeservedly received by God and is not owed. If our faith was generated from our own effort or individual work, salvation would be given by debt and not by Grace.

Acts 13:48 tells us those who are ordained to eternal life believe. Belief in the Gospel must be granted and given by God to whom he chooses to mercy. Philippians 1:29 John 6:64-65 Romans 9:18

John 6:29

Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe into Him whom that One sent

Jesus reveals faith is God’s work not man’s work or from man’s effort or generation. John 3:34 says God the Father GAVE to the man Jesus the Spirit without limit which means he had faith in God the Father without limit; as a gift. No free will in this statement! Jesus said He came to do the will of the Father John 6:38

Philippians 1:29

because it was granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf,

Acts 18:27-28 Acts 13:48

And he having intended to go through into Achaia, having been encouraged, the brothers wrote to the disciples to welcome him; who, arriving, helped much the ones who were believing through grace.

28 For he powerfully confuted the Jews publicly, proving through the Scriptures Jesus to be the Christ.

Acts 13:48

And hearing, the nations rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed

John 6:64-65

But there are some of you who are not believing. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they are, the ones not believing, and who is the one giving Him over.

65 And He said, Because of this, I have told you that no one is able to come to Me if it is not given to him from My Father

John 3:34

For the One whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

God GIVES to whom he wills and In Romans 9:11 we see God gives unconditionally to whom He chooses to call and have mercy ; irrespective of man’s will; but by only His mercy Romans 9:16

Romans 9:11

for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of the One calling,

Romans 9:16

16 So, then, it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of the One having mercy, of God

Romans 9:18

18 So, then, to whom He wills, He shows mercy; but to whom He wills, He hardens.

Romans 9-19-26

19 You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?

20 Nay, rather, O man, who are you, the one answering back to God? Shall the thing formed say to the One forming it, Why
did You make me like this? Isa. 29:16

21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honor, and one to dishonor?
Jer. 18:6

22 But if God, desiring to display wrath, and to make His power known, endured in much long-suffering vessels of wrath having been fitted out for destruction,

23 and that He make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy which He before prepared for glory,

24 whom He also called, not only us, of Jews, but also out of nations.

25 ¶ As also He says in Hosea, I will call the ones Not My People, My People! And the ones Not Being Loved, Being Loved! Hosea 2:23

26 “And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, You are Not My people, there they will be called, “Sons of the Living God

God acts unconditionally in election and reprobation for his purpose according to His will and gives mercy to whom He wills; irrespective of natural man’s will. God wants to show the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy which He prepared for glory.

In James 1:17 we see all good gifts come from God and Romans 9:11 and John 3:3-8 says He gives those good gifts unconditionally to whomever he chooses and all good gifts originate from the Holy Spirit since only God is good and God is Spirit. Only those the Father gives to Jesus and generates from above; come to Jesus John 6:37 Luke 18:19, John 4:24

In John 3:27 we see …a man is able to receive nothing, if it is not given to him from above.

John 3:27

John answered and said, A man is able to receive nothing if it is not given to him from Heaven.

Here, once again, we see God must give the gift of faith; since all good gifts come from God and faith is a good gift.

1 Corinthians 4:7

For who makes you to differ? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as not receiving it?

Here we have confirmation, once again, that God is the one that gives and from whom we receive. John 1;12-13 Since, it is unconditionally given, we have no reason to boast. Faith is an unconditional gift by God and given to whomever he wills to have mercy; irrespective of man’s will. God is the Potter; we are the clay. Romans 9:20-22. God has the right to make one vessel of mercy and make one vessel fitted out for destruction.

Natural man couldn’t care less about spiritual things and needs The Son of God to set him free from the family of Satan. John 8:36 John 8:44 The Bible says you only need 2-3 witnesses. 2 Corinthians 13:1, Deuteronomy 19:16

The multiple scriptures (witnesses) above should be more than sufficient to prove faith is an unconditional gift from God conditioned on the faith of Christ alone to whomever he wills.

If Faith wasn’t a complete gift from God without any effort from man conditioned solely on the work and imputed perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, Natural man could and would boast because Satan is his father.

God will not share his glory with an idol The “Free will” god that cannot save because He cannot interfere with Natural man’s Will Isaiah 45:20 Isaiah 42:8-9

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

13 ¶ But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, having been loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sancti- fication of the Spirit and belief of the truth,

14 to which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ

Matthew 11:27

All things were given over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and to whomever the Son purposes to reveal Him.

28 Come to Me, all those laboring and being burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am meek and lowly in heart, “and you will find rest to your souls.” Jer. 6:16

Acts 17:30

30 Indeed, therefore, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now strictly commands all men everywhere to repent

Acts 17:31

31 because He set a day in which “He is going to judge the inhabited earth in righ- teousness,” by a Man whom He appointed; having offered faith (proof) to all, having raised Him up from the dead. Psa. 9:8

All scripture from Literal Translation KJ3 by Jay P. Green SGPBooks.com Read KJ3 on line

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