Is faith a gift from God, a virtue, or a choice? If we look at faith as the ideal that disciples are to strive for, we become better imitators of God. This devotion discusses whether it is the moral excellence for which we are to strive.
Nuggets
- Virtues rest on faith.
- Faith is a gift, but we have to grow our faith.
- Faith is a choice.
We are looking at ways we can become mature disciples. Self-Discipline is one of the tools we use to do that. We’ve looked at a wide variety of things so far.
I thought this week we would look at what our standards should be. We generally think of those as virtues.
Let's Put It into Context
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines virtue as a “conformity to a standard of right” or “a particular moral excellence.” It is talking about how we conduct ourselves as we live our lives.
When we think about a virtue, we think about this being something on which we do not compromise. At times, we look at it as a strength of character.
A disciple knows that our strength of character comes from God. Maclaren wrote, “The strength of the Christian man will manifest itself in ruling outward things, and making them subservient, whether they be sorrowful or joyful, to the highest end of all, even his larger possession of a fuller Divine nature.” God is in control of our “… inclinations, desires, tastes, passions, and the like …”.
Did you catch that? It is strength of character. Not doormat of character. Some worldview people expect disciples are supposed to be doormats — someone they can run over — especially since we are supposed to be peacemakers.
Disciples aren’t meant to be mice. God doesn’t want us to be timid. He wants us to be able to stand up for that in which we believe — Him.
Why do I say this? “This is my command — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1: 9 NLT). God is our strength.
Back to moral excellence. Paul tells us “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things” (Phil. 4: 8 CSB).
Virtues give us a picture of an ideal person. Putting it into our context, we look for virtues that make us the ideal disciple.
I googled Christian virtues and got a really long list. We will probably sometime this year come back and pick up some of that list.
For this week, I want to focus on the list that Peter gave us in Second Peter. Of course, we’ve talked about and around some of them — just not through the lens of them being a virtue.
Devotions in the Christian Virtues series
What Is Faith?
Faith is the belief that the doctrines stated in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them. Faith is a product of love. We have to have faith to accept God’s love.
Williams contends that faith is synonymous with trust or belief. Believing in a God that we cannot see takes a lot of faith, trust, and belief. That faith is what secures our salvation.
Is Faith a Virtue?
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (II Pet. 1: 5-7 CSB)
Okay. I was thinking that faith is a gift. “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift” (Eph. 2: 8 CSB). I read that as faith is as much of a gift as grace.
Can faith be a gift if it is a virtue?
Thompson argued that virtues rest on faith. Jay agreed, calling faith the foundation.
Is Faith a Gift?
Maclaren agreed with me that faith is a gift. However, he warned us that “God’s gift does not make my effort unneccssary (sic), but rather demands it as its completion and consequence.” We have to grow our faith.
Is Faith Not a Gift?
Gifford disagreed that faith was a gift. Unlike grace and peace, Gifford argues that disciples must put forth an effort to obtain it. He instead called it a promise, writing “he who takes the promises of faith takes the life of God into his soul.”
I see what Gifford is saying. We have to seek God — but He has already started the Holy Spirit in prompting us.
Once we do admit our sins, believe that Jesus is our Savior, and confess God as Sovereign Lord, we do have to demonstrate that commitment by obeying Him. Our faith has to grow.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
I don’t think that makes it less than a gift.
It is kind of like this plant my aunt gave me when I was young. Aunt Irene started a philodendron for me. When Uncle Harry brought it to me (driving the tractor carrying it in this little planter shaped as a cat), it had two little leaves.
It was a gift. I had to water it and make sure it got sunshine. I had to repot it a couple of times.
If it wouldn’t have grown, I wouldn’t have had it for 30 years — which I did. If it wouldn’t have grown, it would have died.
Faith can be a gift — but it is what we do with the gift. We have a duty to grow it.
If faith doesn’t grow, it dies. Maclaren wrote, “A faith which does not grow into virtue and knowledge, and all the other links in this chain is, if not dead, at least ready to perish if it has not vitality enough to fruit.” God doesn’t want dead. He wants growing.
Is Faith a Choice?
We’ve said before that faith is a choice. “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws” (Ps. 119: 30 NIV). We have to choose to accept the gift.
We do have to work to grow our faith. Gifford also wrote, “God operates, man must co-operate.” It is our choice to cooperate.
God just doesn’t give us everything. We have to work for it.
Is Faith Moral Excellence?
Gifford argues that, if we consider the limited definition of moral excellence, faith doesn’t fit as a virtue. Instead, he called it an energy.
On the other hand, Beecher, like Thompson, believed that the virtues comes out of faith.
Making the Connections
I think faith is a virtue, a gift, and a choice. God sends His Holy Spirit to us to call us to salvation. We cannot just come to Him. That makes salvation a gift from Him to us.
I think we need to look at this (and all of the virtues listed) as what makes up the ideal disciple. This is what we are to work toward. That makes it a virtue.
Are we going to be 100% perfect? No, we are still in these sinful bodies. We make a choice to be faithful, to be virtuous.
This is what we will be for eternity. Our lives right now are practice for then.
Okay, let’s look at virtues this way. Williams talked about there being those who just wanted to have the faith/knowledge of God and not the virtues.
Haven’t we been saying this? Yes, we have to ABC. But we can’t not do the D. This isn’t just fire insurnance.
We have to get to the righteousness by going through the process of sanctification. However, sanctification is accomplished through obedience. That is doing the do’s and not doing the don’ts.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
Thompson called virtues “… a courageous tone of mind.” He also challenges us to cultivate these virtues.
If we can cultivate these virtues — which means we can grow them — we need self-discipline to accomplish that.
Remember what Paul said? Paul tells us meditate on these things. “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things” (Phil. 4: 8 CSB).
Meditating is one of the ways we seek God. It is just
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
Thompson reminded us that, “Much as we may discipline ourselves to virtue, our strength must lie not in ourselves and our purposes, but in God our Saviour.” We’ve said we can’t do self-discipline without God.
How Do We Apply This?
We grow our relationship with God.
We study those virtuous people in the Bible, such as Noah, Paul, and Mary.
We learn how to control our minds.
Maclaren wrote that it basically comes down to this: “That is to say, you may cultivate the habit of suppressing yourselves, of stopping your ears to men’s voices, of mastering and coercing circumstances.”
More of God — less of us. That sounds like good advice.
Father God. Our goal for this year is to grow in Your grace and knowledge so that we may be more like You. Show us ideal so that we may — with Your guidance — work on changing what needs to be changed. Sanctify us so that we may become righteous in Your eyes. Amen.
What do you think?
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