Measure of faith

The Verse of the Day for July 1, 2018 tells believers what we have been given and how we should think about what we have received:

Romans 12:3 (New King James Version):

[Serve God with Spiritual Gifts] For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith

Here is the New Living Testament:

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

The Verse of the Day exhorts us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Just how highly ought we to think of ourselves? We should recognize that each believer has been given “the measure of faith.” The reference to “the measure of faith” then raises a couple of questions: How much faith do you have? How much do you need? Exactly what is that measure? It is the faith of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:22 makes this statement regarding our righteous standing before God:

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

According to Galatians 2:16, we can stand in the presence of God, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

By the faith of Jesus Christ we have access to the promises of God, as Galatians 3:22 reveals:

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Part of the powerful prayer offered in Ephesians 3 expresses God’s desire that “Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” The same faith that raised Jesus Christ was raised from the dead has been implanted in each believer who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes that God raised him from the dead. That is the measure of faith, and though it is only the size of a grain of mustard seed, it is more than enough. We have

A Faith That Takes

Even the righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe:
for there is no difference:

Romans 3:22

Do we have anything that we have not received?
If we have been given great faith then we have it.
God did not withhold but gave when we first believed
To receive this priceless token, our deposit.
We have the faith of Jesus Christ, for so God says:
A faith that takes us where only the brave dare go,
To a place where rivers of understanding flow,
A faith to move mountains and excel all our days.
Here we stand mature, yet with the heart of a child,
Ever striving to become more faithful and true;
Not stained by malice but open, ardently wild
In our passion to please God in all we say and do.
Cleansed by his blood and forgiven of past mistakes,
We are not defeated: we have a faith that takes.

Robert Pierre proclaims “On Faith Alone”: