Sometimes I think we don't speak the same language, FK. In fact, I am certain we don't. You said "we owe all our faith to God." If something is a gift we owe nothing.
Your distinction between "having" something and being given something makes no sense to me
There is a tremendous difference and I spelled it our in much detail. I really think you missed the point.
No, there are no takebacks with faith
That was not the point either, FK. Givebacks and takebacks are two different things. I never suggested a 'takeback.'
ALL, 100% of the birds God sets free come back to Him. Birds are not more powerful than God either
What does more powerful have to to do with that? If you set something free the only power you are exercising is in freeing something, not controlling it. Sometimes I really don't know where you are coming from, FK.
Kosta: Your grace is independent of your will. It is not a gift.
FK: What does the will have to do with whether something is a gift? Grace is a gift and so is faith. Neither is of ourselves
Grace is a 'state' (like life and death); it's your current condition (like guilt or innosence). You can believe it or not believe it, it is your state regardless of what you think or believe. Your faith is something you can use or not use. You have no control over your state of grace. So grace is not yours. Life is not yours either; God will take it back when the time is up.
Sometimes I think we don't speak the same language, FK. In fact, I am certain we don't. You said "we owe all our faith to God." If something is a gift we owe nothing.
I was using a common expression. Many times we say that we "owe" something to someone as an acknowledgment of receipt of a gift. There is never any expectation of payback by the giver and no intention of paying by the receiver. For example, if you save my life I might say "Thanks, I owe you my life". I have no intention of forfeiting my life in front of you and you have no expectation of my slashing my throat because I said what I said. It's an expression, and it applies in the case of faith. The true believer (receiver of true faith) has no intention of attempting to return the gift, and God has no expectation of any such attempt.
FK: "ALL, 100% of the birds God sets free come back to Him. Birds are not more powerful than God either."
What does more powerful have to to do with that? If you set something free the only power you are exercising is in freeing something, not controlling it.
I'm not sure of the difference for these purposes, but apparently you are talking about "givebacks" instead of "takebacks". I always thought that the Orthodox view was that a gift wasn't really a gift unless it was accepted. If so, then it would seem that God would have to accept a "giveback" in order to make it valid. If men can use their free wills to force God to accept their "givebacks", then men are, once again, more powerful than God. This is what I was arguing against.
Grace is a 'state' (like life and death); it's your current condition (like guilt or innocence). You can believe it or not believe it, it is your state regardless of what you think or believe. Your faith is something you can use or not use. You have no control over your state of grace.
If will is not involved, and grace is not a gift, then to what do we credit whatever state of grace we might find ourselves at any given time? Does it change during life, and if so, how? With no merit and no gift, I don't see how you have a lot of room to operate in here. :)
I suppose a valid use of "grace" can be to describe a state, but it also describes God's gifts to us. When we say "grace" at the dinner table, what are we doing? Are we not thanking Him for His gifts? Do you all never talk in terms of God having graced you with this or that spiritual gift, etc.?