For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

I’ve been listening to RC Sproul talk about what Sola Fide means.  I finally ‘got it’ – that FAITH is the instrument by which we are saved.  It’s this FAITH itself that is a gift of God.  I’m thinking that there must be two kinds of faith.  We all have natural faith that is borne out of experience.  I usually trust my car to start in the morning.  That sort of faith is an ‘expectation’ that is backed up by weeks of reliable service.  But faith to take God at His Word, trust that all our guilt has been shifted onto Christ, that His righteous deeds have been credited to our account, that kind of faith is nothing for which we have any experience.  So God GIVES that faith to us, by making us wake up to true reality (as He defines it).  We learn that the stakes are ENORMOUS and way beyond our ability to ‘decide for Christ’ or ‘live a life good enough to get into heaven’.

Without God opening our eyes, we will never understand or appreciate the gravity of the spiritual war roaring and swirling around us.  Yes, we can all see that He exists by looking at the world.  No one is off the hook for not knowing about God and His nature.  But more is at stake than just knowing that God is real.  The demons know that!  Our very eternal souls are at stake.  It’s Satan or God who is our Father and laying a claim to us.  Those whose names are written in God’s book before the universe was created receive this supernatural faith to believe.

This is actually very good news for those of us who might be inclined to fear that our faith is weak.  It might be weak, but Jesus assures us, that if it exists at all, it is sufficient.  Not the size or quantity of the faith, but the one who gives it and anchors it matters.  After all, a small bit of nuclear energy is sufficient to create a huge explosion.  Either we have received this supernatural faith or we haven’t.  What comforts me is that we don’t have to muster it ourselves.

Nonetheless, like raw talent or muscles one is born with, faith will grow stronger as it is used.  This is a life principle.  We feed our faith and gain ultimate true peace by growing in the knowledge of the Lord.  The more we know about God and his character, the more we trust what He says.

So go ahead and thank God for the gift of faith.  And exercise it!