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Today, I'll be playing our 100th what video and also taking a question from a viewer about faith. What is it? Where did it come from? Did you find it somewhere or was it given to you? There are straightforward answers to these questions when we understand the text.
This is when we understand the text, a daily study of God's word, that we may be filled with the knowledge of his will.
Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. Although this is only the fifth episode of our five-minute podcast, it is the 100th episode produced, and on the same day, we've released our 100th video, and here is that video, By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith.
Ephesians 2, 8 -9, it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of work so that no one may boast. All three of the things mentioned there, grace, salvation, and faith, are a gift from God.
Someone might argue, now hang on, I have faith, and I've been given the grace of God and received salvation because I believe, right? Sure, absolutely, but where does belief come from? Can you create something from nothing?
Did you concentrate and manifest your faith? Mmm, bam, I believe! Of course not. Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. John 6, 29, this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.
Ephesians 1, 19 talks about the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might. Hebrews 12, 2 says that Jesus is the founder of our faith, it came from him, and he's the perfecter of our faith, he sustains us and grows us in it as well.
According to Romans 12, 3, God apportions the measure of faith each person has. Even repentance is a gift from God. In Acts 5, 31 and 11, 18, God gives repentance that leads to life. And in 2 Timothy 2, 25, it is God who grants repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth.
Just as God created all things from nothing, he gave you your faith where previously there was none. Let no one boast in themselves because they chose to repent and believe. To God be the glory, great things he has done when we understand the text.
Our question today comes from Keith from right here in Kansas where our ministry is based out of. He writes, Dear Pastor Gabe, I appreciate your ministry and all of your videos and have learned much from when we understand the text since it started.
I have heard you say that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith, not of works, as it says in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. You've gone on to say how this means that walking down an aisle doesn't save you, or praying a prayer doesn't save you, or getting baptized doesn't save you, because these are all works.
Can I say that I don't think of them as works? Aren't they just responses to things that have been said about God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ, and therefore we are saved because we were convinced of the truth?
Keith, thank you for watching our videos and also for your question. To help you understand this, let me ask you a question. Is it possible for you to be baptized in water without doing anything? Is that possible?
Of course not. You physically have to get up, talk to your pastor about being baptized, walk into the baptismal pool, let him dunk you underwater. You worked. You moved your legs, your mouth, your mind in response.
Now, that should be an obvious difference, but put belief in the place of baptism. Can you believe without doing anything? Is that possible? Same answer. Of course not. The follow-up question might be, okay, right, but it was still according to my will.
I would agree only if you understand that your ability to respond was given to you by God. Faith came first, and your response is evidence of that faith. Now, what is faith? According to Hebrews 11 .1, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Where does our assurance come from? According to Colossians 2 .2, the riches of full assurance come from Christ and his word. Where does conviction come from? According to John 16 .8, conviction is a work of the Spirit.
The more you trace it, Keith, the more you're going to come right back to God. He created all things, including the faith that you have. It all comes from God. We can't say that we did anything. It's always been the work of God.
I've provided a little bit longer answer to this question, which you can go to www .utt .com and find clicking on the devotionals link. You can get transcripts to all of these devotionals there on our webpage as well.
If you'd like to submit a question to the program, send it to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com. God bless. We'll continue our study of Romans next week.
For more about our ministry, visit us online at www .utt .com.