Why You Cannot Lose Your Faith in God
Faith in God is a gift of God, from God (Phil 1:29). It comes by grace alone (Eph 2:8–9), which means faith is the work of God, alone (Jn 6:29).
Faith is only given to the elect, redeemed of God, who are manifested because they believe in Jesus Christ (Jn 3:36), the only begotten Son of God (Jn 3:16), who came into the world to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). Faith is the instrument — the means God uses to reveal His salvation in a person. Faith reveals that the Holy Spirit has already been at work in baptism, regeneration, and indwelling the soul who now believes.
It is reasonable for us to see the work of the devil in the false teaching of this doctrine. The devil does not dispute that faith is the instrument of salvation, except with Roman Catholics, who believe salvation is by works.
Protestants who deny Roman Catholicism, but who adhere to the Arminian heresy claim sola fide, but they have turned the obedience of faith into a work of man. They claim, “It is up to us to accept or reject Him.” Thus, the Arminian has wrestled the credit for her salvation away from God and has taken it for herself. She boasts, “I have decided to follow Jesus, using my own free will.”
For the Arminian, as well as the Roman Catholic, the loss of salvation is a real possibility. Thus, the Arminian posts his roadside billboard reading, “Losing faith in God?” To call the Arminian hotline (billboard phone number), however, offers no hope of blessed assurance. She chose to be saved of her own self-determination; therefore, she has every right and power in her free will to reject Jesus as Savior at a later date. Arminianism is very much akin to Roman Catholic teaching of works salvation. Arminianism is the Protestant road back to Rome.
The truth about faith in Jesus Christ is that it only comes to God’s chosen people by the work of the Holy Spirit. At the appointed time in God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge (Acts 2:23), the Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son to the person to be regenerated (Jn 14:26; 15:26; Acts 2:38; Eph 2:5; Col 2:13).
Regeneration is the Spirit’s work of making alive the elect soul. From being dead to God, spiritually, the Spirit causes the person, dead in sin (Eph 2:1), to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3). The life of God in the soul of the regenerate causes that person to become a new creature in Christ (Rom 6:4; 2 Cor 5:17).
This new, vital union with Christ is the means of the life of God to come to the in-grafted branch into the Vine (Jn 15). The new living stone is fitted to the living temple being built by Christ in the Spirit (Eph 2:11–22). The new lamb is added to Christ’s flock (Jn 10). The new member is added to His body, the church (1 Cor 12:13). Everything pertaining to God in the new believer is derived from this union with Christ (1 Cor 1:30; Gal 2:20; 2 Tim 3:15), the life giver (Jn 6:63).
This is the origin of faith. It comes from the source of faith, which is God. For from Him is everything (Rom 11:36), who works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11).
God gives faithfulness to His beloved, as a spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). It is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6), so God gives faith to His faithful ones created by Him. In other words, God makes us faithful. This is the same God who indwells His vessels of mercy being fitted for glory (Rom 8:9, 11; 9:23). This is the same God who promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5).”
God is unchanging, as it is written, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).” If this giver of faith does not change, then the gift of faith is unchanging and no one else can undo it (Jn 10:28–29; Rom 8:35–39). Stated differently, the Holy Spirit is not leaving the believer, and it is the Holy Spirit who makes the believer what he is…a believer in Jesus. The apostle John wrote, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 Jn 5:12; see also Jn 3:36).”
The one who has the Holy Spirit has the Son because He is the Spirit of Christ, who was promised by Jesus during His earthly ministry (Jn 14–16).
This gift of God is Christ’s justification before God, and the basis for his right to be called, “a child of God (1 Jn 3:1, 10).” In faith, he calls God, “Abba,” Father because it was God the Father who chose to elect and adopt the one graced by the Spirit of sonship (Rom 8:15, 23; 11:5; 2 Cor 5:5; Eph 1:4–5).
Believers believe in Jesus because they cannot deny His Spirit living in their hearts (Rom 5:5; 2 Cor 4:6; 5:5). Christ is the object of faith, and “Christ lives in me,” wrote the apostle Paul (Gal 2:20). This is union in us, and we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Eph 2:6).
Losing your faith is God? It is utterly the wrong question, for one either does not have that gift or she has the gift and more so the giver of the gift Himself, in her. To lose her faith, the Christian would have to lose the Spirit, which would be a denial of the eternal promise of God, sealed with an eternal oath and covenant, sealed by the precious blood of Christ, who is God with us.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
February 21, 2022
