Got faith? Why or why not?

Scripture makes it clear that faith is necessary for anyone to be saved:

Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

I think most would agree that this passage teaches faith is the necessary vehicle by which God's grace and salvation are made manifest to His people. I will return to this passage in a moment, but first let me consider a few questions:

Is this saving faith something that all have and can exercise, or is it a faith that only some have?

If all do have it, why do only some exercise it unto salvation?

If only some have it, why do they have it?

If other don't have it, why don't they have it?

As to the first question, do all have this faith that is necessary for receiving God's grace and salvation? I must first affirm that there is a kind of faith that all can have, that has nothing at all to do with salvation. Everyone can have faith in something, whether it be a false god, themselves or karma. The question we are addressing here is regarding the faith necessary to come to salvation. Is that a faith that all have?

Well, one passage that might seem to suggest everyone does is:

Rom. 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Now the question we must consider is if this "each one" who has been granted a measure of faith, refers to everyone in the world, or to those in the church? It does say "everyone among you" which might suggest the church is in view, but still might not seem absolutely conclusive. However, if we look a little further at the context, those in view who are "granted a measure of faith" becomes more clear.

In Chapter 12 we have a transition from explaining how we are saved to how those who are saved should live, so the primary audience of everything from chapter 12 on is the church. Further, the topic Paul is addressing in chapter 12:3-8 is spiritual gifts. Surely spiritual gifts are only to be found in born again believers, so it would make sense that everything Paul is saying in this section is about the church, as opposed to referring to all people everywhere. Even more specifically, it appears Paul is talking about not being prideful about spiritual gifts. He goes on to say that we should use our spiritual gifts in proportion to that God given measure of faith (vs. 6). Paul's whole point is that we believers should not be boastful or prideful about our spiritual gifts or the faith with which we exercise them, because it too is a gift from God (vs. 3). So does this passage teach conclusively that all have been granted a measure of faith and can come to salvation? I would say no, and would even go as far as to say that this passage teaches that the faith in view is a gift of God that only those in the church have been granted. We surely don't expect the unsaved to teach or prophesy, because they don't have saving faith or the any other gifts of the Spirit. Even if you came away form this passage not fully convinced, there are other passages that speak very clearly on the question of do all have the faith necessary for salvation? 

One such passage is found in:

2 Thess. 3:2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Now here again we need to consider the context. If we begin at:

3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. ⁵ Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

So, who is it that does not have faith? The unreasonable and wicked men! Who is that? It sounds like a description of the unconverted. We are told in scripture that the things of God are foolishness to the unbeliever (1 Cor. 2:14) and we are told often of our commitment to evil prior to salvation (John 3:19, Eph. 2:3, Rom. 8:7). It is very clear that it is unbelievers that are evil, unreasonable and lack whatever faith is in view. Is it saving faith that is in view? Consider the evangelistic nature of the passage. Paul is telling the Thessalonians that that they should pray for he and others who are spreading the word, that it should spread quickly, but also acknowledges that there will be those who oppose it. Why do they oppose the message of salvation? Because they don't have the faith necessary to believe it and be saved. By contrast, Paul has confidence that the church will do what is commanded by God. How can Paul have this confidence, well I would suggest it is because they do have this God given faith that is clearly said to be lacking in these Paul warns them about!

OK, is there any other passages that bear on this question of "do all have the faith necessary for salvation"?

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Now it is interesting that the English rendering of this passage says "faithfulness" rather than simply faith. In the Greek the word πίστις (pistis) is a noun that simply means faith! So just like the kind of love, joy and peace in view are unique to believers, who have it as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in them. The faith in view, that enables us to believe in the first place, and then to be faithful after that, is a fruit of God's Spirit in us as well! So, do those without the Holy Spirit have this faith? No!

Let me now go back to the Eph. 2:8 passage I began with:

 Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Some have debated the Greek here and and I think the best case is that the grammar and sentence structure support seeing the phrase "and that not of yourselves" as applying to the whole sentence, supporting the notion that the faith and grace are both gifts form God. I will likewise make a case from the English rendering that I think is hard to ignore. I don't think anyone would think grace is a work we do. The very nature of grace is that it is something unearned, a gift by definition! So, why would it be necessary for the scriptures to tell us that grace is a gift of God, not of works, when no one in their right mind would think grace is a work in the first place?  However, if all had the faith necessary to believe and be saved, then we could boast that we believed and others did not? It is not a work of the law either way, but surely if all can exercise saving faith, but only some do, then those who do have some place for being proud of making the right choice when others did not! I think the amazing and very humbling point being made in this passage is the fact that even the faith that brought us to salvation is a gift, even though natural man would tend to think it is something he brought to the salvation process. So we have absolutly nothing in which we can boast, and that is the point!

So do all have the faith necessary to respond to the gospel? I would say absolutely not, as we are spiritually dead (Ehp. 2:1), unable to know or receive the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14), unable to please or obey God (Rom. 8:5-8), and unable to come to saving faith in Jesus unless God first makes us able (John 6:35-44, 62-70).

So the second question, if we all have the faith necessary to be saved, why don't we all exercise it becomes a moot point.

The question(s) that now must be considered is why do some have the faith necessary to come to salvation and others do not?

Jesus said to the disciples regarding His teaching in parables:

Matt. 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Whatever the disciples were given so that they could understand and believe Jesus' message, it was not given to everyone!

Jesus said in:

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

So we know that not all are drawn or chosen by God, but all who are drawn are going to be raised up, and all that have been chosen are appointed to bear fruit. But why are some chosen, why are some called, why are some given the ability to understand, and likewise, why are some given the faith that results in salvation, while others clearly are not?

It is surely for God's glory that He chooses anyone, but  we can't know much beyond that:

1 Cor. 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— ³¹ that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”^[c]

Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

2 Tim. 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ¹⁰ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 

Now, if we are to understand any of this rightly we must acknowledge that we are all justly condmened by God for rejecting Him as He revealed Himslef to all people who have ever lived through His creation (Rom. 1:18-32). We are owed no second chance and He surely had no obligation to change anyones heart from being one who hated Him and willfully rejected the truth, to one who now freely loves Him and wants to obey His word.

With that background to understand my salvation, how do I respond to the reality that God chose to give me the faith necessary to bring me to salvation?

I respond not with accusations of unfairness, but with thanks -

Thank you Lord for granting me, who was foolish and unable to understand or obey your word, the faith necessary to believe and be saved for Your glory!

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."