Gospel Chapel Christian daily devotion

SAVING FAITH IS THE GIFT OF GOD

EPH 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

The Word of God clearly teaches a distinction between the secret will of God, and His revealed will. DEU 29:29 says, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." This is to teach us that we are not to attempt to govern our lives by His secret will -- but we are responsible to walk by His revealed will.

In order to rightly understand what I mean let's compare REV 22:17 with PHI 2:13. Our responsibility under God's revealed will is very clear in REV 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." On the other side of this same principle let's see wherein it is only "by grace" that we are saved ". . .through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

The Lord tells us so beautifully how this gift of saving faith is given unto us by renewing our will in PHI 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." The surest evidence of being a recipient of this gift is when our hearts begin to cry after a feeling sense of His nearness, and the evidence of His love.

When the Lord has withdrawn, faith comes into exercise. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," HEB 11:1. When the Lord has withdrawn Himself, faith is sorely tried. Such a longing desire after the nearness of his God is what forced David to cry out -- "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I," PSA 61:2.

Such a soul -- who by grace has a renewed desire, will plead that the Lord would lead him to that Solid Rock; the Lord Jesus Christ. That He would refresh the hope in his soul. Then we learn to understand what it is cry unto the Lord -- as it were from the end of the earth.

In MAT 15:22-28 we have the record of a soul who was drawn by the eternal wonder of God's irresistible grace. "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." Now watch what happens to see how true saving faith is tried. "But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Here this woman was coming to the Lord Jesus Christ pleading for help, and He put her off! He said He was not sent to her. "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Do you see the trial of her faith? I want you to see through something here. "Then came she and worshipped him saying, Lord, help me." She was still in distress. She still needed help. She couldn't be put off. She says, "Lord help me."

"But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." That was quite an encouragement, wasn't it? Do you see what the Lord Jesus was doing? He was stripping her down to the ground of any confidence in the flesh. She was in spiritual travail; she came to a point of no return. She was in distress; she needed help, but what did the Lord say? Did He embrace her upon her first cry? No! He said unto her, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Do you see what happened?

She saw herself as a beast before him. She saw her sins, she saw the grievousness of her sins. She saw how her sins had so separated her from a Holy and a Righteous God. The Lord reduced her to the point that she was pleading as a dog, and what did He say? "Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt."

Through these trying circumstances the Lord brought her to see her need of Christ -- therefore, she was able to stand the trial of her faith which proved to be genuine -- God given faith. Our text says in context, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them," EPH 2:8-10. Amen.