I read the article, and the gift faith point of view is being put forward very convincingly, but it doesn't explain the examples in the bible where faith is reasoned out.
Well, that is because saving faith is a reasonable faith. And the reasoning of faith comes from the initial source of that faith . . . the very reasonable Word of God.
Faith is not blind. Saving faith is based upon the revelation of the faithful Son of God and His teachings and truths.
Now one thing I believe about faith is that it is dependent on the word of God. Faith comes be hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Amen.
Therefore faith seems to be a product of God's grace as it is he who supplies the word, but it also seems dependent on our receptiveness in receiving.
Agreed.
But something to consider closer here: Faith that justifies the soul comes from God; the actions of belief and repentance are produced by the man. So what accomplishes bringing faith and belief together?
I say it is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, who first enables the sinner, by the gift of faith, to believe and repent when the gospel message is heard. IOW's "faith" and "belief" need some distinction in the order of things. Faith comes first, producing belief.
This explains why many hear the gospel preached but fail to believe it. That is because they have not been gifted with faith to believe. They have not been born again, nor anointed with the Holy Spirit. They have not been given new hearts and new spiritual ears to hear the gospel. Thus, the grace of God and the gift of faith are essential for any sinner to believe and repent from sins.
For the God's word telling men they must believe to live, is actually a command of the Law. And no natural man can or will obey God's Law. It is not in them to turn from sin or believe and love God.
That spiritual capacity must be given to them first, for all men are dead in their sins. They are spiritually non-functional.
That is why Jesus said, one must be born again before he can see the kingdom. John 3:3
Mark 8:15-21
15 Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?18 "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?19 "When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve."20 "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."21 So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"
Here we see Jesus rebuking his disciples for their lack of faith which he believes is a problem with regard to their perception, understanding, hardness of heart, and an unwillingness to incline their heart to see and hear God's word.
This passage of Scripture is an example of the gospel being preached. A sound and true gospel message always begins with a reiteration of the Law. Sinners need to be told they fail God under the Law, in order for sinners to find out their need of salvation. The Law is reiterated in the gospel message to draw (regenerated) men to their need of Christ.
This was the message Christ was giving here. He was telling the disciples their true condition. They were condemned and bereft of any natural faith in God.
It would be odd for Jesus to be critical about something that was out of their hands if this kind of faith is gifted.
Jesus was not criticizing them. He was revealing to them their unfaithful condition. None of the disciples came to faith in Christ until He later gifted them with the ability to believe His miracles.
Now I think that this is really significant when understanding one kind of faith wee see in scripture. It shows us that human qualities such as understanding, perception, and a willingness to incline our ears to hear, are required in order for us to reason out God's word.
Indeed, these things are required. But men dead in their trespasses and sins function without any such spiritual understanding or perception, and Scripture tells us that none of them seek God (Romans 3:11), nor are any inclined to reason and believe His Word . . . unless and until they are born again from above by the Holy Spirit of God.
New spiritual life and the gift of faith must first necessarily be given, before the sinner CAN understand or perceive or reason the gospel message. Dead sinners must first be raised to new life and given new hearts BEFORE they can comprehend the works of Christ and believe unto salvation. And this "resurrection" comes only by the power and grace of God.
Those whom God does not choose to raise up and anoint with His Holy Spirit, remain in their sins and condemned. (John 3:18) They remain ungodly, natural men, who cannot reason out the truths of the gospel but consider the gospel message and Words of God to be foolishness. (I Corinthians 2:14)
IOW's God sovereignly controls who will believe and who will not, by whom He determines to show grace and gift with the saving faith of Christ.
And ultimately, this is what Jesus was revealing to His disciples in the passage you quote. He was telling them their true condition, so that when they did exhibit faith, they would realize it was not a faith produced from themselves, but it was a saving faith gifted to them by the Lord.
This passage is very similar to the incident of Jesus walking on water as a witness to the disciples, and the account of Peter trying to emulate the accomplishment of Christ. It was revealed to Peter, that in his natural condition, he did not have the spiritual capacity to walk as Christ walked. See Matthew 14:25-31
In order for any sinner to be saved, he must first be shown his true condition and what he needs to be saved from.
Nang
