Faith THE GIFT OF FAITH
God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Rom. 12:3.
I grew up in a preacher's home. My father used to borrow measuring cups from my mother's pantry--a big quart measuring cup, and little one-cup measure. He's take them to his evangelistic pulpit, and he would say, "Suppose that God gave me a measure of faith, and gave you a measure of faith. And suppose He gave you this size, and He gve me this other size. It wouldn't be fair, would it?" The Scripture says God has given to everyone the measure of faith! He has given us all enough faith to get started with. He has given us all the ability to believe in something not seen.
But this is not saving faith. In order to have saving faith, we have to have more than God gave each of us to begin with. This is well explained in that further comment found in Education, pages 253, 254: "Faith that enables us to receive God's gifts is in itself a gift, of which some measure is imparted to every human being. It grows as exercised in appropriating the word of God. In order to strengthen faith, we must often bring it in contact with the word."
Have you ever thought that the way to exercise faith was to ask God for hard answers? Have you ever though that the way to exercise faith was to make yourself claim promises, whether you really believed them or not? Have you ever heard that exercising faith is getting yourself into a tight spot and then waiting for God to bail you out? Not so. According to Scriptures, the exercise of faith has to do with getting often in contact with the Word of God. That's the way you exercise faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
As we come in contact with God's Word, what happens? We get in touch with a Person--the Man of the Bible. All through the Bible, in every book, there is the Man. His name is Jesus. As we get to know more about Him, we begin to experience a saving relationship with Him. Genuine faith comes from the faith relationship. There is no such thing as genuine faith without a relationship. Faith immediately involves two parties--one party trusting the other. As we come to know the love of Jesus through communion with Him in His Word, faith in Him springs up spontaneously.
God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Rom. 12:3.
I grew up in a preacher's home. My father used to borrow measuring cups from my mother's pantry--a big quart measuring cup, and little one-cup measure. He's take them to his evangelistic pulpit, and he would say, "Suppose that God gave me a measure of faith, and gave you a measure of faith. And suppose He gave you this size, and He gve me this other size. It wouldn't be fair, would it?" The Scripture says God has given to everyone the measure of faith! He has given us all enough faith to get started with. He has given us all the ability to believe in something not seen.
But this is not saving faith. In order to have saving faith, we have to have more than God gave each of us to begin with. This is well explained in that further comment found in Education, pages 253, 254: "Faith that enables us to receive God's gifts is in itself a gift, of which some measure is imparted to every human being. It grows as exercised in appropriating the word of God. In order to strengthen faith, we must often bring it in contact with the word."
Have you ever thought that the way to exercise faith was to ask God for hard answers? Have you ever though that the way to exercise faith was to make yourself claim promises, whether you really believed them or not? Have you ever heard that exercising faith is getting yourself into a tight spot and then waiting for God to bail you out? Not so. According to Scriptures, the exercise of faith has to do with getting often in contact with the Word of God. That's the way you exercise faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
As we come in contact with God's Word, what happens? We get in touch with a Person--the Man of the Bible. All through the Bible, in every book, there is the Man. His name is Jesus. As we get to know more about Him, we begin to experience a saving relationship with Him. Genuine faith comes from the faith relationship. There is no such thing as genuine faith without a relationship. Faith immediately involves two parties--one party trusting the other. As we come to know the love of Jesus through communion with Him in His Word, faith in Him springs up spontaneously.
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