It is talking about spiritual gifts. NO ONE suggests that whosoever wants to be an evangelist can become one. We never see, “Whosoever does X shall become an Apostle”. The gifts are not that way. There are no ‘whosoever’ promises concerning gifts.
In a similar passage in Ephesians 4 we read:
“4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9( In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ...”
One faith does not mean we all receive the same one spiritual gift. Faith, in the NT, refers both to what exists when we believe, and also the entire form & belief of the church as a whole - one faith, but varying gifts. It is significant that faith is so essential that the entire belief system came to be called ‘the faith’.
Read Rom 12 again:
3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
God assigns one faith to be an evangelist. Not me. I hate meeting strangers for any reason. My faith has no measure of evangelism mixed in. However, I can teach...sometimes. I can give, and I can administer things. That is MY “measure of faith that God has assigned”. Note that it is a measure of faith.
According to Strong’s concordance, measure comes from the Greek ‘metron’. It means “a vessel for receiving and determining the quantity of things, whether dry or liquid”. (http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3358&t=ESV) It is used in Corinthians 10:13 -
But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.
“Area of influence” is how the ESV translates the more literal NASB rendering: “the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us”.
The “measure of faith that God has assigned” is that part of the one Faith where we work in the one Body by God’s assignment. It very clearly deals with what GIFTS God gives us to perform our duties, NOT saving faith.
Now, if you had a verse that read, “And God gave them faith, and they believed”, THEN you would have something. You would have then one verse showing that God gives us faith to be saved. But you don’t have that. No one I’ve challenged has come up with that.
God reveals himself to man, which is God’s grace to us. Some accept it (receive him John 1), and others do not (not receive him). Those that do have faith, describing their having believed God. Those that do not, do not have faith because they do not believe. But the call is to “whosoever”. Those that respond become the elect, chosen by God, not as individuals, but by meeting the standard God imposes: believing Him.
Once again you own words expose your heart. The “met” God’s standards so were saved. They deserved it because they “met” the standards. How arrogant and may I say prideful.