How Faith Is Given

"God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). What God requires of you, God provides for you. Faith will. come as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith comes to you as a gift of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith is one of the three abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Faith is given by the Holy Spirit, through the word of God. The word of Holy Scripture is inspired by the Spirit of God. The same Holy Spirit gives us faith from God through the word of God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Therefore, "receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21).

Faith is given by the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Faith is not self-confidence. To the contrary, it is confidence in God through Christ. He is both the author and finisher of our faith.

Faith is given with boldness. That boldness is confident assurance in Christ. The gift of faith has bold access to God through "Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Ephesians 3:11-12).

The Spirit Indwells Us

Charles Spurgeon testified of how God's Spirit is in all believers. He said, "Where the Holy Spirit dwells within a living child of God, He later rises out of the very midst of him as a fountain or a river, so that others may come and participate in the Spirit's gracious influences."

Spurgeon made it clear that God's Spirit is in all believers to flow out of us for the benefit and blessing of others. He quoted John 7:38. Jesus said, "He who believes in me, as the scripture hath said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." The Holy Spirit indwells us and flows out of us. He indwells believers to bless us. He flows out of believers to bless others.

Spurgeon was gifted as a pastor-evangelist. He knew that souls were saved through his ministry, because of the work of the Holy Spirit. All believers have at least one ministry gift of the Spirit. God uses us in ministry to others, through the work of the Holy Spirit flowing out of us (1 Peter 4:10-11).

The Holy Spirit flows out of believers to touch the lives of others. The Holy Spirit both indwells us,  and flows out of us to reach others. The Holy Spirit does the work through us, even out of us, flowing as rivers of living water. We give all the glory to God, knowing that the Holy Spirit works both in us, and through us. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure"(Philippians 2:13).

God's Providence Over All

Life is not ruled by random chance. Providence is at work over all, because providence is the work of God. "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever" (Romans 11:36). God's providence includes all things, bringing all glory to God.

God's providence works daily in our lives. Providence works in our lives according to a divine plan. Providence sees what is ahead and prepares the way. Providence works in the least details of your life, as well as the greatest things. God's providence works in all things.

God's providence proves that chance and luck are myths. Providence works according to God's eternal purpose, "the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). That's providence, not chance.

God's providence is the purpose of your life (Romans 8:28). Providence is always working for good in the lives of all who love God. When providence encounters evil, it works to bring good out of it (Genesis 50:20). 

God's providence uses circumstances in your life to bring you to faith in Jesus Christ. Providence is for you in Christ. Providence opens doors of opportunity for you to do God's will. Providence works over all, when you understand and when you don't.

Whom God Will Bless

God will bless every believer with the forgiveness of all sins and life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. This good news is offered freely to all. It comes as the gift of God. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

God will bless every believer in the gospel. The death of Jesus Christ was for all our sins. Eternal life is through his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Only the death of Jesus Christ at the cross can save us from the condemnation of our sins. The resurrection of Christ proves that eternal life is in Jesus the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:1-4). 

The gospel of Jesus Christ includes every blessing. "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" (Ephesians 1:3). God will bless believers through the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The word Gospel means good news. The good news is our Lord Jesus Christ offered to you and all people everywhere (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-47). God sent his Son to die for our sins, and Christ was raised from the dead according to the Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus Christ our Lord brings all of God's blessings to every believer.

God's Love and Wrath

"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). Propitiation satisfies the wrath of God. In our salvation, propitiation satisfied the holiness of God's justice through the sacrifice of Christ at the cross.

God's justice was satisfied at the cross of Jesus. Propitiation (Greek: hilasmos) is a New Testament word which means satisfaction. Christ crucified satisfied the holiness and justice of God to save guilty sinners. In our place, Jesus died to take the punishment of our sins.

The propitiation of Christ was seen at the cross, because of God's love for sinners. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Christ crucified is love's crowning deed, satisfying God's justice. 

God's justice was paid in full for every believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. Justice paid the price for believers in the sacrifice of Christ at the cross. Believers in Christ our Lord receive God's love (John 3:16). Those who believe not in Christ face God's wrath abiding upon them. 

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

The Holy Spirit Resisted

The Holy Spirit is resisted by those who reject the gospel. They thereby have "insulted the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29). The Bible teaches that people resist the Holy Spirit, because their hearts have not been changed by the grace of God. The responsibility of man is his own just condemnation in rejecting the gospel  of Christ.

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51). Only the Spirit of God can change the heart of man, which means our mind, will, and emotions. By resisting the Holy Spirit, people are insulting the only one who can apply the gospel of Christ to our hearts.

The Holy Spirit, who changes the corrupt heart of man, is the same Spirit who convicts the heart of man. Conviction is grace that precedes new birth (John 16:7-11). When conviction is resisted, grace is resisted. Conviction deals specifically with the sin of unbelief, in essence, rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why would anyone reject the gospel of Christ? Jesus said, "And this is condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). Therefore, those who resist the Spirit, by rejecting the gospel of Christ, face their own just condemnation.

How to Hear God

"Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15). God speaks to you through the Bible. It's God's love letter to you. The Holy Spirit inspired the words of Holy Scripture centuries ago, but He still speaks through them. Those who believe not, can only read printed words on paper. Believers read words that speak to their hearts. Hear God today through the Bible.

Hear God with your heart. The heart is your mind, will, and emotions. His word to you is through the Holy Spirit. God's voice has been seldom heard by the ears of men, even in Bible times. God's word in the Bible will speak daily to your heart. 

Hear God today. He has important things to say to you through the Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). God speaks in a personal and intimate way to every believer. God communicates with you to experience his love in your heart, "because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5).

God's Spirit, who inspired the Scripture, speaks to the hearts of all God's children. God shares His thoughts with you. They are eternal thoughts found in your Bible from the Father above. God's thoughts encourage, console and comfort you. His thoughts strengthen and assure you. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God speaks to you today with love.