John 6:44Â Â Â Â “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
Romans 12:3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Ephesians 2:8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Hebrews 11:6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
NASB TranslationÂ
In February of 1949 I confessed my sins, made a statement of faith, stepped into the baptismal waters, and in symbolic obedience to Jesus, was buried and raised with Him to eternal life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20). 67 plus years of water have gone over the dam since then, and my level of faith has gone up and down many times; but that is another long story I covered with you before. As I look back, I wonder which came first, belief, or faith. Today I don’t think it makes any difference, God gave me both. Is it my faith that gives me belief, or my belief gives me faith? From beginning to the end, the Bible tells me to be saved I have to believe and have faith. In the NASB Translation of the New Testament alone, there are 228 verses on faith, and 115 on believe. Jesus tells many people their faith has made them well, gave them sight, cured their hearing, were saved by faith, and other miracles. I know now that I could not come to Jesus, except the Father call me. When I went forward all those years ago the Father drew me to Jesus. I am sure glad He did not harden my heart like He did Pharaoh, and many others in the Bible. I know without faith it is impossible to please God, but with faith I am reckoned as righteous. I did not gain or develop my faith, or belief, on my own, it is a gift of God. That confession of faith in 1949 started a long walk with the Lord that has brought me to where I am today, more faith, wisdom, and continued growth in the Lord. Do I understand it all? One of the many good things I have learned along the way is, I understand I don’t understand everything, and don’t need to.
Thank You Jesus