Faith is not a meritorious work. It is never the ground of justification—it is simply the channel through which it is received and it, too, is a gift.
— John MacArthur
Ever hit something so deep it just puts your mind out of wack? This was it for me last night. Faith is a condition we find ourselves in. Faith is a channel caused by and for the Holy Ghost.
I was reading in Romans 3:29-4:6 in preparation for a sermon and these verses just nailed what my brain knew but had been looking for.
Romans 4:4–5 (ESV)
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
My faith, it is not a thing I can earn, it is something that I am given. This means there are people trying to earn their faith. There are people that may never be given faith. The giver of faith is the Holy Spirit and his working in our hearts and minds is what brings us to Christ and the grace of the cross.