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Faith? Who's faith?



Romans 12:1-2 (AKJV):   “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
From Strong’s #3050 for “reasonable” and #2999 for “service”  are defined as follows.
     #3050:  rational, pertaining to the reason, mind, understanding.
     #2999:  worship (acknowledge God and believe and do what He has said.)
My worship to God is personal and inclusive in Him and Him alone.  We are to study and see why we are approved of Him in the life He has given us.  As we study He will, by His Holy Spirit reveal to one what they are ready to receive and put into play as the individual lives out his physical life in the spirit.
Example:  Recently I came to understand and see something I had never seen before.  A well known verse that is applied to ones salvation:  “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:5-10.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”  I had always been taught that it is His grace but our faith that has to be applied.  I ask which is more capable, my faith or His faith?  The next phrase reads “and that not of yourselves”.  To me that says I have no part in my salvation apart from believing what God has said and done for me.  “it is the gift of God” that gift was given, i.e. faith, given to me by God.  “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”  Romans 12:3.  Where did my faith that I have come from?  It came from God by Jesus Christ by believing what God has done in and through Christ for me.  “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.  

Sidebar:  Concerning who’s faith, I can see its His faith and then to the faith that He has given me to believe, as written in Romans. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:16-17.

I’m told in His Word: “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”  Galatians 2:20-21.  Just previously: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”  Romans 3:22. 

“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Ephesians 3:11-12

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”  Philippians 3:9-10

Finally:  “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” Philippians 3:15.  That faith given to me for salvation is the same faith that works in and through me by His foreknown knowledge to work out through me His good pleasure.  I am to be His workmanship in all things.  To believe, trust, hope in His finished word and to learn, study to see what is my place is in the body of Christ, forever Amen . . . . . .   Its all about Him and none of me.

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