“Romans 10:17 clearly states that saving faith comes from hearing the word of God. You’re taking the position that this saving faith does not come from God. Then please explain where it comes from.”
Here is the passage:
“14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
In context, it is clearly explaining that someone who hasn’t heard the gospel cannot respond to it: “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
If faith came merely from hearing, then we could save the world just by preaching to everyone. But while it is God’s desire that all be saved, the majority are not - because the majority will reject the Gospel.
Where does faith come from? From us.
Mat 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Jhn 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Jhn 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jhn 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Jhn 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Jhn 7:39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Act 16:31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Gal 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Gal 3:6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
1Pe 2:7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
1Jo 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
Mat 9:2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
Mat 9:22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
Mat 9:29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
Mat 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
That is just a small sample, and in each, believing is something we DO. It is not passive. It is not done to us. There is no suggestion that God REALLY means “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found someone given such faith.”
Strong’s Number G4100 matches the Greek pisteuo, which occurs 246 times in 218 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4100&t=ESV
Feel free to read thru the 218 verses. Believing is active, not passive. We believe, but we are not given belief. When we believe God, it is called faith - that being the definition of faith, believing someone will do what they say. It is what we do in response to God, not what God does to us irresistibly.
BTW, sorry to hear about your dog. I hope all goes well with him.
So you did it on your own did you! Well, how magnanimous of you. I’m sure you feel very superior to those who don’t have faith. Will you also gloat when you get to heaven?
Where does faith come from? From us.
Let me ask you something. If you have a friend who is not a Christian, why are you a Christian and your friend isn't? Is it because you're more righteous than he is?
No?
Is it because you're just smarter than the majority of people, including him?
Tell me why. Why are you a Christian and your friend isn't?
Cordially,
Where does faith come from? From us.
Wow. How did you miss Ephesians 2:8-10? Paul here seems to say exactly the opposite of what you propose.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
In 2 Thess 1:3, Paul says that he thanks God always for their increasing faith. Now why would God be thanked for something that allegedly comes from man? Or how about Hebrews 12:2 where the author states that "Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith." Now what does that mean that Jesus is the author? Does that mean that man is the author? Does it please God when you claim credit for something that He did?
"There is no suggestion that God REALLY means “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found someone given such faith.”
Really? So you deny Luke 17:5 where the apostles asked the LORD to "increase our faith"? Or when the father of the mute child in Mark 9:24 asks God to "help my unbelief"? Were no questions raised in your mind as to why, out of billions of people inhabiting the antediluvian world, that Noah was the only one who found grace and faith? Since "grace" is unmerited favor, it could not possibly be a reward for conjuring up faith, but surely, as the Apostle Paul taught, faith is a gift from God - a product of His Grace.
Also, for you to hold on to this fallacy that man can manufacture his own faith, and therefore somehow make a "free will" choice to "accept" Christ or reject Him, you must categorically reject the entire Bible's depiction and description of carnal man.
In Romans, Paul says that "no one seeks after God" (3:11) which is just repeating Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-4. Yet you say that man does seek after God. In contrast to the other Scripture contradicting your opinions of faith, in 8:8 Paul also says that "those in the flesh can not please God". So how is it that you can please God by your own faith when God says you can't ?
You say that you can conjure up your own faith, but how exactly can you have faith in the Gospel when Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man can't understand the Scriptures since it is only spiritually discerned? I suppose you can be passionate about some belief system, but the Bible says it won't be the Gospel. Why? I suspect it is as Paul writes in 2 Cor 4:4-6 where the "god of this world" has blinded the minds let the Gospel shine on them. Exactly how does "free will" work out when Satan is blinding them so they can't understand the Gospel? Jesus Christ Himself in John 6:44-45 said that "No one can come to Me unless the Father draws Him". This statement makes absolutely no sense if there is Free Will, but makes total sense in the Predestination context. In 1 John 2:20,27, those who believe are told that we do so because "we have an anointing of the Holy Spirit". Later in 5:20 we read that it is God who gives us this understanding of the Gospel. So God is taking credit for your faith and knowledge in Him. Where is there room for you to boast about how you did this on your own free will? Doesn't John write in his Gospel that faith didn't come from the will of man or the will of the flesh but of God (1:12)? So when the Scriptures plainly and vehemently deny Free Will, who are you to say otherwise? (Eph 2:9)
The Scriptures also teach that the natural man hates God and hates the Law. (Ro 8:7) Jesus says that the whole world hates Him (Jn 7:7). Are you of this world or are you a space alien? To be a free willer you must also take full credit for something that God has claimed for Himself. In Col 1:21 we read that we all were alienated and enemies of God until HE reconciled us. Natural man loves sin and is glad when others sin (Ps 50:18; Hos 7:3; Mark 14:10-11; Rom 1:31)
The Scriptures say that the natural man is spiritually dead (Eph 2:1,5; 5:14) and in John 5:21, Jesus takes full credit for bringing about spiritual life. So how is it that you feel you can claim credit for raising yourself up from the dead?
In summary, the natural man hates God, hates righteousness, loves his sin, encourages other to do same, doesn't seek after God, can't please God, can't understand the Scriptures because both Satan and God have blinded the world outside of the Elect so that they can't believe, and would prefer to be crushed by rocks than bow to Christ (Rv 6:15-16).
But let me guess, none of this describes you.