There seems to be some debate amongst theologians as to whether the word “that” in Ephesians 2:8 is the gift of God pertaining to faith to salvation (which is obviously a gift from God) or the faith required for salvation. The Living Bible seems to support the notion that faith for salvation is a gift from God. The Holy Spirit was involved in opening the heart of Lydia, the seller of purple, in Acts 16.
13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
Acts 16:13-14
We also read in John 6:44 that no-one can come to faith in Jesus unless the Father draws him.
The Bible also tells us in Corinthians 2:14 that we cannot receive spiritual gifts or understand spiritual truths unless the Holy Spirit reveals them to us.
14 But the man who isn't a Christian can't understand and can't accept these thoughts from God, which the Holy Spirit teaches us. They sound foolish to him because only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means. Others just can't take it in.
1 Corinthians 2:14 TLB
0 comments:
Post a Comment