Was Faith a Gift?

The Word of God says, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8

 

See post 81

 

So according to your understanding, God, Who is almighty, made a decision (to hide the truth from the wise and learned who depend on themselves) that goes against what He wants (as you put it, "it isn't God who doesn't want them to depend on Him").

Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus in Ephesians 1.9 that God had "made known to us the mystery of His will, according to the good pleasure which He purposed in Himself. (emphasis mine, of course).

And God said in Isaiah 46.9-11:

Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it."
​

Also, the apostle Paul says that it was God Who revealed Jesus Christ to Him (Galatians 1.15-16).

 

Thanks David....always learn from you.

Best regards

 

You must be drinking too much caffeine. :smilewinkgrin: I never said that carnal man could please God. His righteous deeds are like a filthy rag.(not to mention his unrighteous deeds) I said that the commandments could be kept, but are not kept because of man's love of sin. No one has to murder, steal , lie, or anything else in the commandments. Even the lost do not have to do what they do. It is a choice. They do it because they love it. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Sin is always a willful choice. That is what makes man so evil. By the way. Outwardly keeping the commandments does not make one subject to God, but being subject inwardly to God will cause one to keep the commandments.

 

Right ON! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

God hates the proud we must be meek and humble and trust in Him to receive the things of God. Men like to teach things that puff one up, instead of bringing them to their knees

Zephaniah 3:12
But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD.

Luke 10:21
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

God cuts out those of Israel His people for unbelief, not for not being chosen. We who are not apart of Israel was included with Israel His people when we heard the Gospel of our salvation having believed.

We all know this verse which is talking about Israel the one's who was there from the beginning. You was chosen before the foundation of the world, but the one's who was their from the beginning was also cut out for unbelief. Then it continues talking about non Israel, You also was included when you heard the Gospel of your salvation having believed.

The natural branches is Israel, and we are the wild branches non Israel crafted in to a tree of God's that has been there from the beginning before even the foundation of the world.

Romans 11:
Ingrafted Branches
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

The tree and those who are in it, is what God was talking about that was chosen from the beginning. See God is the gardener cutting out branches and grafting them back in, and those that have been cut out was for unbelief, and the one's grafted in was for faith, and the one's who was cut out can be grafting back in if they do not continue in their unbelief. Which brings us to this verse.

John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans.] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

 

Listen to it, brother... neither indeed CAN it be...

 

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom. 10:17; KJB)​

Listen to the song Inside by Jared Anderson

Today, two unknown Jehovah Witnesses came to my door. . .
I cannot remember the last time I received an evangelism visit from any unknown Baptists.

--BobinKy​

Read Romans 10 at Bible Gateway


...Bob