I used to be a Calvinist. But even when I was there were some aspects of Calvinism I just could not accept simply because Scripture spoke otherwise. One such teaching is that the faith we have in Christ for salvation is itself a gift from God. They say that God imparts faith to His elect in order for them to be able to come to Christ. Yet Scripture speak differently:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
This verse is really the only Scripture they have to claim that faith itself is a gift from God. According to them, faith is not something that is produced in the heart of a person who hears the gospel message preached but that it only comes when God specifically puts it there. Yet the Bible says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
But this verse cannot be referring to faith as being a gift from God for two grammatical reasons: (1) the Greek word for “that” which is “touto” is in neuter form and cannot be referring to “faith” which is “pistis” in the Greek and is feminine; (2) the antecedent of the phrase “it is the gift of God” is the salvation which is by grace and through faith.
Faith is not a gift imparted to an individual by God. This verse clearly indicates that salvation is the gift being spoken of, not faith. Please look for a moment at its context.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7
Notice Paul makes the identical statement “by grace you have been saved” shortly before he says it again in verse eight, but does not even mention faith at this point. It appears the subject he has in mind has more to do with grace, or more specifically with how we are saved by grace, than it does with how we receive faith. In other words, salvation is the subject and grace is the basis by which we are saved.
God’s grace is exalted again when Paul states, “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (v. 7). He is emphasizing the fact that salvation is by God’s grace toward us in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once again, it is grace that is emphasized with no mention of faith yet.
Verse eight expands on the phrase he already used “by grace ye are saved.” We learn that this salvation is by God’s grace and is received by us through faith: “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” (Eph. 2:8, 9).
The gift he is referring to is clearly the gift of salvation. But what happens to the flow of thought when we argue that the gift of God is really the faith through which salvation is received? First we will follow the flow of thought from assuming the gift being spoken of is the gift of salvation. Here is how it flows:
Salvation is a gift from God that He bestows on us by His grace. It [salvation] is not of our selves, that is, it is not of our own works or earned. If it were of our selves then we would have grounds to boast. But it [the gift of salvation] is received through faith on the basis of God’s grace and kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, so that no man has any grounds to boast.
When we say that the gift of God is salvation, then the context of the scripture fits very nicely. But here is what happens when we assume the gift of God to be faith itself:
Faith is a gift from God that He bestows on us by His grace. It [faith] is not of our selves, that is, it is not of our own works or earned. If it were of our selves then we would have grounds to boast. But it [the gift of faith] is given to us by God’s grace and kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, so that no man has any grounds to boast.
As I believe you can see, when we make faith itself the gift of God, we begin to lose clarity in the flow of thought and also introduce some questionable statements. (1) It is confusing to say that faith is not of our works. Faith is not something that can be worked for or earned any way. How can we earn faith? (2) If faith is the gift, then does this imply that salvation is not a gift? Salvation certainly cannot be earned. (3) How then does salvation fit into this verse? It would appear to make faith the main subject and salvation to be only a secondary thought.
If we say that salvation is the gift of God that cannot be earned but is by grace and is received through faith, then the entire passage makes sense. But if faith is the gift, then we are making faith the end result instead of salvation.
So then we see that the issue is about how we receive salvation, not how we receive faith. And the contrast given is whether salvation is by grace or by works. If salvation is a gift by grace then it is received through faith in Christ but if it is not a gift then it is earned by works. If salvation can in fact be earned by works (which it cannot), then it is not a gift at all. Can you see that faith is not the gift but simply the channel whereby the gift of salvation is received?
Paul makes a similar statement in another passage, “Therefore it [righteousness] is of faith that it [righteousness] might be according to grace” (Rom. 4:16). The context here is about how righteousness is through faith so that it is according to grace rather than according to works. He uses Abraham and David as examples of men who learned this eternal truth. The contrast is between grace and works for salvation.
Where is boasting then?
Some Calvinists go even further to say that if faith were not a gift from God but something that is of our selves then we would have grounds to boast. We could then look down our noses at unbelievers because we had enough “sense” to believe the gospel and they did not. In other words, they see faith itself as being a work if it is not in fact a gift. But this goes contrary to what Scripture plainly teaches about faith. Look again at the passages of Scripture we already discussed:
“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” (Eph. 2:8, 9). The foundation for boasting is based upon works for salvation as opposed to grace through faith. Working for and earning salvation is what Paul opposes, not faith.
“For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God” (Rom. 4:2). This verse comes from the context of the passage we just discussed earlier, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace” (Rom. 4:16). Boasting is based upon an attempt at earning salvation by works rather than receiving it as a gift by grace through faith in Christ. It makes no sense to say that faith must be a gift or else we have something to boast about before God.
To demonstrate, at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Romans 3:26, 27
Contrary to the teaching of many of Calvinists, faith in Christ actually eliminates any grounds for boasting before God. Faith does not compel us to boast but rather excludes boasting entirely. It is the works of the law that would give us a basis for boasting if we could in fact earn our own salvation apart from Christ. Faith is not a work but simply the desired response to hearing the gospel message of the Cross of Christ preached.
Faith is not a work
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Romans 4:2-5
Notice Paul said, “But to him who does not work, but believes.” Faith is not a work but is mutually exclusive from works. If Abraham had strived and worked for righteousness, it would not have been reckoned to him by grace through faith but as a wage for a debt owed. His faith did not give him a reason to boast but was the very thing that glorified God, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God” (Rom. 4:20).
Is confession a gift too?
Would Calvinists be so silly to claim that confession is a gift too? “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). If believing (or faith) is a gift, then should we not say that the confessing is too? If God gives us the faith to be saved then surely He also gives us the confession that corresponds with it. Would they say that He supernaturally imparts an irresistible movement to our lips so that we will have no grounds for boasting in our confession? This obviously becomes ridiculous to even consider.
Conclusion
Faith is not a gift that is deposited into the heart of a person by God. It is a persuasion that comes from hearing the gospel preached, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they ear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). Believing comes by hearing, not by divine impartation. This is why we must go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.