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Did Abraham conjure up his own faith...
...or did God gift him faith as a part of the covenant of promise?
Romans 4:13-25
13For*the promise to Abraham and his offspring*that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.*14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.*15For*the law brings wrath, but*where there is no law*there is no transgression.
16That is why it depends on faith,*in order that the promise may rest on grace and*be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham,*who is the father of us all,*17as it is written,*“I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed,*who gives life to the dead and calls into existence*the things that do not exist.*18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told,*“So shall your offspring be.”*19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was*as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered*the barrenness*of Sarah’s womb.*20No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,*21fully convinced that*God was able to do what he had promised.*22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”*23But*the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,*24but for ours also. It will be counted to us*who believe in*him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,*25who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised*for our justification.
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Faith is a gift from God, not something we have in ourselves to turn us to Him.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
"Christianity does not require more work but more trust." Pr. Jonathan Fisk
"Bearing fruit does not make you a branch. A branch is a branch because it grows from the vine." Pr. Jonathan Fisk
"A Christian's life is not defined by what the Christian does. It is defined by Christ and what He has done for us." Pr. Rolf David Preus
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
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Originally Posted by
Lämmchen
Faith is a gift from God, not something we have in ourselves to turn us to Him.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Does this mean that our bad decisions that make us suffer till we get sick and tired of being sick and tired are because God didnt give us faith? I dont think so
Isaiah 40:31
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Originally Posted by
psalms 91
Does this mean that our bad decisions that make us suffer till we get sick and tired of being sick and tired are because God didnt give us faith? I dont think so
I didn't say that. There's nothing in the verse that states anything about that.
"Christianity does not require more work but more trust." Pr. Jonathan Fisk
"Bearing fruit does not make you a branch. A branch is a branch because it grows from the vine." Pr. Jonathan Fisk
"A Christian's life is not defined by what the Christian does. It is defined by Christ and what He has done for us." Pr. Rolf David Preus
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
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Originally Posted by
Lämmchen
I didn't say that. There's nothing in the verse that states anything about that.
If I cant be saved unless God gives the faith what does it say then? To me it is saying that we are all given faith and it is our rejection of that that causes our suffering until we reach a point where we accept the saviour
Isaiah 40:31
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
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Originally Posted by
psalms 91
If I cant be saved unless God gives the faith what does it say then? To me it is saying that we are all given faith and it is our rejection of that that causes our suffering until we reach a point where we accept the saviour
To me it is saying that we cannot escape the sinfulness of our nature on our own.
How anyone can read the Bible and NOT get that most basic of concepts from it is really surprising.
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Originally Posted by
psalms 91
If I cant be saved unless God gives the faith what does it say then? To me it is saying that we are all given faith and it is our rejection of that that causes our suffering until we reach a point where we accept the saviour
Are you saying that lack of faith causes cancer and genetic disease which brings suffering?
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Ephesians 2:8
For by Grace you have been Saved, through the Faith—
and this is not from yourselves,
Of God the Gift—
This means that God gave us the Faith which Christ discipled to His Apostles...
It means that you did not generate the Grace of God, the Faith of God, nor the Salvation of God...
Salvation by God's Grace through the practice of the Faith Christ discipled is the Gift of God...
Our entry into the Faith of Christ begins with our response to the Gospel of Christ:
"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven [Christ] is at hand!"
Your response to this call is yours alone...
And you will answer for it...
Arsenios

Originally Posted by
psalms 91
Does this mean that our bad decisions that make us suffer till we get sick and tired of being sick and tired are because God didnt give us faith? I dont think so
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Originally Posted by
MennoSota
Are you saying that lack of faith causes cancer and genetic disease which brings suffering?
What is the root cause of suffering?
Isaiah 40:31
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Originally Posted by
psalms 91
What is the root cause of suffering?
The fall.
"Christianity does not require more work but more trust." Pr. Jonathan Fisk
"Bearing fruit does not make you a branch. A branch is a branch because it grows from the vine." Pr. Jonathan Fisk
"A Christian's life is not defined by what the Christian does. It is defined by Christ and what He has done for us." Pr. Rolf David Preus
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
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