Faith

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Why all men dont have Faith ?

In addition to the previous 2 reasons as to why all men dont believe, another is because all have not been ordained to eternal life, because as many as are do believe saith the scripture Acts 13:48

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

These would be Christs Sheep whom He gives Eternal Life Jn 10:26-28

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 36

 

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Man naturally cant believe on or in Christ so Paul writes Phil 1:29

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

In similar speech Christ said in John Jn 6:64-65

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

 

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Must be in Christ to believe !

The reason for this is because we must be in Christ to bear fruit,

Jn 15:4-5

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Thats because Faith is a fruit of the Spirit of Christ Gal 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 

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Faith is a spiritual blessing found in Christ even though worldly men want to attribute it to the flesh.

Eph 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Faith is found in Christ because its the fruit of is Spirit Gal 5:22

 

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Men naturally when it comes to spiritually believing on God, or in Christ, dont have that kind of Faith, no in fact naturally all men are locked in unbelief and disobedience. Paul writing to the Romans writes Rom 11:32

32 For God hath concluded them all[jew and gentile] in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The word concluded here is the word sygkleiō:

1. to shut up together, enclose
   1. of a shoal of fishes in a net
2. to shut up on all sides, shut up completely
   
   so to deliver one up to the power of a person or thing that he is completely shut in, as it were, without means of escape:
   
   So man naturally is under the power of unbelief and disobedience, and God put them their. The wise man once wrote Ecc 3:14
   
   I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
   
   Now according to Paul in Rom 11:32 who concluded men into unbelief ? 36

 

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Its ensured that Gods Elect will be given Faith to believe.

Paul writing to the believers in Thessalonian writes 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

As a result of having been chosen from the beginning, there's an effectual work of the Spirit unto them unto belief of the Truth, which is also Faith, for Paul even uses the the same greek noun for Faith but here translated belief of the truth !

 

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Everyone who has been chosen of God in Christ before the foundation[Eph 1:4] will be in due time recipient of the Spirits sanctifying work so that He sets them apart unto belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13. Thats why Paul calls it also the Faith of Gods Elect that acknowledges the Truth Titus 1:1

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Acknowledging the Truth and Belief of the Truth are the same, so all of Gods Elect will in Gods time acknowledge the truth.

 

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The Chosen of God before the world began and before the elect had being, they had been by the preordination appointed to believe Acts 13:48

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 36

 

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Peter writing to believers wrote 1 Pet 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Peter calls them Elect unto obedience, or Faith. Again being elect ensures Faith or Obedience.

 

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Christs own words denotes that the elect or Hs Sheep will be given Faith so that they in Faith come to Him Jn 6:37

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

All that the Father giveth Christ denotes election, His Sheep, and its promised they shall come to Him, denotes Faith in Christ.36

 

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That no man can come to Christ/believe in Christ except of an intervention by the Father as stated in Jn 6:44 and implied in Jn 6:65, is a testification that its solely by the Power of the Spirit that causes one to believe, by birthing Faith in us. So the ability to believe in Christ is from God. 37

 

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Gods Power causes us to believe in Jesus, the truths of His Gospel Isa 53:1

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

Eph 1:19

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

1 Tim 3:16

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.[Christ being believed on in the world is a Mystery of Godliness]

1 Pet 1:21

21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Eph 1:12

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 37

 

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Faith to believe in Christ is given by the victorious Christ to His People He won the victory for, by His Suretyship obedience for them. 1 Jn 5:4

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Plainly Faith cometh from being born of God, its fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22. Being born of God is from the obedience of Christ and His victory, and He giveth them He died for the victory by giving them new birth 1 Cor 15:57

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This victory which brings Faith, we overcome Rev 12:11

11 And they overcame[victory] him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

This connects Faith, by which the born of God receive victory 1 Jn 5:4 with the blood of the Lamb ! He giveth us the victory/Faith !

 

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To believe on Christ is an evidenced that one is in a saved blessed state already Jn 20:29

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

It is an evidence of a work of God in them when they have been persuaded of spiritual things they have not seen.

 

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Faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, Eph 2 8; but it is also the procuration of Christ’s blood, and is certainly put in the hearts of the redeemed by the Holy Spirit, on the account of the Father’s election and Christ’s redemption, Titus i. 1; therefore it is called "the faith of God’s elect, obtained through the righteousness of God our Saviour," 2 Peter 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

The them would be the Elect See 1 Pet 1:2

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The sanctification of the Spirit is the Spirit putting Faith/Obedience into the hearts of the redeemed chosen. 37

 

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Faith to believe on Christ is one of the Mysteries of Godliness 1 Tim 3:16

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Man cannot naturally believe on Christ for Salvation ! 38

 

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It requires mercy to believe in Christ and the True God, its not something man can do naturally. The reason why it is necessary is because we are imprisoned in unbelief. Paul makes that clear here Rom 11:32

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The word concluded means to be shut up in, bound to, even imprisoned. Mercy is needed when the circumstances have become hopeless. For a person to say they believed by their own freewill is a denial of the need for mercy, yet that's what it takes to be released from unbelief/disobedience.

 

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There is simply is no other way to come to believe on Christ apart from God having mercy Rom 11:30

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

They came to believe because they obtained mercy from God. Paul believed in Christ because he obtained mercy for being in unbelief 1 Tim 1:13

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 38

 

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Mercy on a person imprisoned in unbelief is the mercy of the regenerating and renewing work of the Spirit, giving that unbeliever spiritual life and faith to reverse their unbelief Titus 3:5-6

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

This is part of Christs work as Saviour of His People, to renew them by the work of the Spirit, for its Mercy needed and applied !

 

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If we believe that Jesus Christ died for everyone, then thats not Faith in Christ. The Christ in scripture is the One who laid down His Life for His Sheep Jn 10:11,15

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Jesus Christ of scripture only died for His People Matt 1:21, a people the Father has chosen before the foundation of the world. Believing in a christ that died for everyone, and of course knowing everyone wont be saved, changes the whole dynamic of the Cross and Faith in His Blood.