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”:

By faith: the measure of faith

The Verse of the Day for July 1, 2017 is found in Romans 12:3:

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 King James Version renders the verse this way:

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

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 3:16-21 expresses God’s desire that “Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” The same faith by which Jesus Christ was raised from the dead is 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.

By Faith

Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.
Habakkuk 2:4 [Amplified Bible]

The practical aspect of faith is a walk, a lifestyle:
Moment by moment, we walk by faith, not by what we see,
Knowing that this kind of faith propels us to victory.
Even though some may misunderstand and seek to revile,
The shield of faith counters fiery darts of the enemy’s thrust.
We trust God, despite all the hinderer might do or say.
Being fully persuaded, we learn to trust and obey.
We persist and obey: signs of our perpetual trust,
For faith directly reflects our relationship with the Lord.
Walking from victory to victory will not seem odd,
For whatever we desire according to the Word,
We shall have when we pray and put our trust in the Lord.
For true faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.
God is faithful who has promised to give all that we need:
A measure of faith the size of a grain of mustard seed.

Jeremy Camp offers “Walk by Faith” to conclude our comments.

What faith can do

Romans 12:3 (KJV) is the source of the Verse of the Day for July 1, 2014:

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

The reference to “the measure of faith” raises a couple of questions: How much faith do you have? How much do you need?

Faith is a subject of great importance to me. I recall that faith was the topic of the first Bible teaching that I ever did when I volunteered to teach at a Youth Night service during a summer camp prior to my sophomore year in high school. A few years ago, I was asked what faith means to me, and I crafted this statement:

Defining faith: what do you mean by faith?

To build a magnificent mansion that will last a lifetime, the builders must begin with a solid foundation. Similarly, to build a purposeful life of success and fulfillment, we must establish a firm foundation upon which we build. For the Christian believer faith is the bedrock of life. Faith is defined as confident assurance, trust and conviction that those who trust in God will prevail. Faith–“the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”– operates beyond what we see, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Faith is a Sine qua non—that without which there is nothing. Faith is the indispensable ingredient in a successful Christian life. The Scriptures remind us that “Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

In the midst thundering echoes of “No!” faith says “Yes!” Voices shout “You can’t” but faith proclaims “I can and I will!” At the point of total exhaustion, faith says, “Take one more step.” After more failed attempts than you can number, faith gives you courage to try one more time. Faith is tenacious—you hold on and never give up. Although the diagnosis, bank statement or other evidence says “No way!” faith responds with “God will make a way.”

In terms of illustrations of faith, we find excellent examples from the Bible. We begin with Abraham, “the father of faith,” who did not stagger at the promise of God that he should become the father of many nations, with descendents without number. Despite the circumstances of this hundred-year-old man with a barren wife of comparable age, Abraham grew strong and was empowered by faith. Hebrews 11 recounts the triumphs of men and women of faith in what has become known as the “Hall of Faith.”

Aside from the Bible, we can glean from the lives of great men and women who achieved impossible dreams. Despite a barrage of reasons why they would fail, they transformed failure into success. The list is endless of individuals who persevered in faith to accomplish the impossible. We are also surrounded by “real heroes” who live by faith each day to make a difference.

Without faith it is impossible . . . but with faith, the impossible becomes possible. Indeed, for believers, faith is our solid foundation. Like the wise man who built his house on the rock, when the storms of life approach, if we have laid a firm foundation, the house that we build will stand, for faith is the Christian’s sure foundation.

The verse of the day exhorts us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought think. Just how highly ought we to think of ourselves? We should recognize that each believer has been given “the measure of faith.” 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.

The same faith by which Jesus Christ was raised from the dead is 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.

John-Micah of the contemporary Christian music group Kutless offers an explanation of how the group selected “What Faith Can Do” and what faith means to believers.