Dr Charles Stanley on Daystar TV last Sunday morning, Jan 8, 2012, stated that God has given to all of us the "gift of faith." That is not true, we each only receive faith when we choose to accept God's Word. In Romans 10:17 the Scirpture states, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." The word hearing includes heeding, or responding positively by accepting what you hear like in Psalms 119:9, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy Word." If a person hears God's Word and rejectes His Word, they are in unbelief like the children of Israel who rejected God's Word or Will to enter the promised land in Hebrews 3:12-19. In verse 12 the writer explains that to know God's Word or Will and reject it is from an evil heart, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." When we reject God's Word, we are rejecting God because He and His Word are one and the same. God speaks and Christ His Living Word performs whatever God has spoken. So when we reject God's Word or Will we are rejecting His Living Word, Christ.
So the truth is faith or unbelief come from hearing God's Word, depending on how we choose to respond to His Word. If we choose to respond positively, we accept His Word into our heart TO faith. If we choose to reject His Word, we have responded from an evil heart TO unbelief. We have the free will to choose either, and God will back up whichever we choose. God won't make us choose His Word, and the devil cannot keep us from accepting God's Word; therefore, we have the full responsibility to decide and receive the results accordingly. God set before us just like He did the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15, "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." We must make the choices to accept God's Word if we are to walk daily by faith with God. Even hearing and knowing the gospel doesn't do us any good unless we respond by repenting, asking God's forgiveness, inviting Jesus to come into our hearts and surrendering our lives to Him, Hebrews 4:2, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not bing mixed with faith in them that heard it." We have the total free will to choose our response: to faith or to unbelief.
For more information about faith, follow the link on the home page to view my videos on faith.
Have a blessed day,
Richard
