Our Faith—god’s Gift

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. - Hebrews 11:32-34

    "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Hebrews 11:32-34

    Though faith in Christ is the gift of God, the operation of his grace in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is not a passive thing. Faith is not merely something God does for us. It is a grace given by which we live. It is an active, living principle of grace. It is something we exercise, not passively but actively, purposefully, intentionally.

    Our lungs are God’s creation and God’s gift. They function by God’s power. The air we breathe is God’s creation and gift. It sustains us in life by the operation of God. Yet, the lungs are ours. We exercise them. They take in the air by which we live through activity on our part.

    So it is with faith. It is God’s gift. God’s operation, and operates by God’s power. Yet it is our faith. It is that which we must exercise. In other words, we live in this world by faith, ever looking to God our Savior, resting in him, following him, serving him, and seeking to honor him.

    The exercise of faith is as prominent and essential in spiritual life as the beating of your heart is in natural life. Where faith is absent, grace is absent and life is absent. I do not suggest and the Scriptures do not teach that faith must be perfect or even strong. But where there is no faith toward God there is no life from God.

    Without question, all who born of God err greatly in many things and in many directions. This we know by painful experience, as well as by Divine Revelation. Still, if you have faith in Christ, even faith that is no more than “a grain of mustard seed” the mountain of your sin has been cast into the ocean of God’s forgetfulness by the blood of Christ; “and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matt. 17:20). If you have faith in Christ, you are born of God. You have passed from death into life by God’s almighty grace.

    Divinely Given

    Your faith in Christ is the gift of God. Faith is the heart’s persuasion that God is true, the hearts persuasion of God’s Truth (Christ). It is produced in us by the omnipotent power and grace of God the Holy Spirit by the preaching of the gospel (James 1:17-18; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).

    Divinely Sustained

    Not only do we believe by the gift of God, we continue to believe by the constant supply of God’s grace. Grace gave us faith; and grace keeps us in faith. Faith depends entirely upon God. Faith lives upon Christ by the unfailing supply of grace from the throne of grace, flowing to us through the blood of Christ.

    Divinely Activated

    This faith, given and sustained by God is activated and energized by him, too. Our Savior said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5); and we know it. If we turn to him, he must turn us. If we run after him, he must draw us. If we open to him, he must put his hand in our hearts and open the door himself. “Faith worketh.” – “Faith worketh by love.” – But all the work of faith is God working in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

    Divinely Increased

    It is God alone who causes our faith to grow and increase. Therefore, we pray, “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). – “Help, thou, mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Our heavenly Father causes all his children to grow in faith, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ by the instruction of his Word, the discipline of his grace, and the experience of his providence.

    Divinely Focused

    As it is God who gives us faith, keeps us in faith, activates our faith, and causes our faith to grow, so it is God alone who focuses our faith on Christ and keeps it focused on Christ. In all things, the Lord God commands, “Look unto me!” And, blessed be his name, if we are his, he graciously forces us to look to him for grace. Faith looks to Christ alone for grace, saving grace, sustaining grace, and sanctifying grace.

    Here, in Hebrews 11:33-34, the Holy Spirit directs our attention to nine specific feats of faith. In these nine examples of faith meeting great obstacles and overcoming them, we are taught that faith, leaning upon the arm of Omnipotence, accomplishes that which would otherwise be impossible. We understand that these great feats of faith were God’s works accomplished through the instrumentality of men. Yet, this text speaks of them as works of faith performed by individual believers. Why? It is because that faith which God gives us and works in us is our faith.