“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
We must first ask where faith comes from before we can understand what it is. We often assume that, because we demonstrate faith, we therefore generate it. Paul, however, corrects our faulty logic. Faith, he says, is not from us; it is a gift from God. Otherwise, salvation would be our work, not God’s work. Instead, God saves us through the faith that He graciously gives to us.
I used to think that if I depended on God for my faith, then my faith was not my own. Nothing could be further from the truth. Is the food on a child’s plate not hers to eat, even if she depends on her parents for it? We depend on God for everything we call “ours,” including our faith. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). Hebrews 12:2 calls Jesus the “founder and perfecter of our faith.” In other words, He is the beginning and end of faith. If faith is not a gift we give to God, but one that He gives to us in Christ, this does not rob me of my faith. Rather, it establishes my faith forever.
I used to think that if I depended on God for my faith, then my faith was not my own. Nothing could be further from the truth. Is the food on a child’s plate not hers to eat, even if she depends on her parents for it? We depend on God for everything we call “ours,” including our faith. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). Hebrews 12:2 calls Jesus the “founder and perfecter of our faith.” In other words, He is the beginning and end of faith. If faith is not a gift we give to God, but one that He gives to us in Christ, this does not rob me of my faith. Rather, it establishes my faith forever.
Scripture Focus
Ephesians 2:1-10
Insight
If my immortal Savior lives, then my immortal life is sure./ Here, let my faith unshaken dwell. Here let me build, and rest secure.” (Anne Steele, 1760)
Bible In A Year
- Numbers 5-6
- Psalm 63
- John 4
