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Faith As Divine Initiation

 I believe the weight of biblical evidence supports this view: faith is not merely human persuasion but a divine work initiated by God. Let’s walk through this carefully and harmonize the relevant passages.

📖 1. Jesus Declares Believing Is God's Work

John 6:29 —

“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

  • Jesus doesn’t say belief is your work. He says it is God’s work.
  • The Greek: ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ — “the work of God.”
  • Faith is not self-generated; it is divinely initiated.

📖 2. Faith Is Authored by Christ

Hebrews 12:2 —

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

  • Greek: ἀρχηγὸν (archēgon) — originator, author, source, captain.
  • Jesus is not just the object of faith—He is its source and completer.

📖 3. Faith Is Granted, Not Earned

Philippians 1:29 —

“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake… to believe in Him…”

  • Greek: ἐχαρίσθη (echaristhē) — “graced,” “freely given.”
  • Faith is a gift, not a human achievement.

📖 4. The Inability to Be Persuaded

Hebrews 4:6 —

“…they did not enter because of disobedience [ἀπείθεια].”

  • Greek: ἀπείθεια — not persuaded, unbelief.
  • Yes, unbelief is a refusal—but it’s not merely based on intellect, nor rebellion against God nor resistance to God (this is inherent human nature, Ephesians 2) but on the inability of the carnal man to believe without divine persuasion and intervention, see Divine Persuasion Requires Regeneration. 

📖 5. Faith Comes by Hearing—But Hearing Must Be Spirit-Enabled

Romans 10:17 —

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

  • Hearing alone doesn’t guarantee faith. 
  • The word of God is living and active.
  • Jesus often said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”—implying that spiritual hearing is a gift.
  • God initiates it. "Faith is not a human invention—it is the result of the Father’s teaching and granting, the Spirit’s drawing, and the Son’s authorship." See Divine Initiative in Faith: Father, Spirit, and Son

🧠 Harmonized Insight

Truth Scripture Greek Term Insight
Faith is God’s work John 6:29 ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ Believing is initiated by God
Faith is authored by Christ Hebrews 12:2 ἀρχηγὸς Jesus originates and completes faith
Faith is granted Philippians 1:29 ἐχαρίσθη Belief is a gift
Disobedient by nature Hebrews 4:6 ἀπείθεια Lacking power to be divinely persuasion
Hearing must be enabled Romans 10:17 ἀκοή Faith requires Spirit-enabled hearing

🪜 Final Persuasion

Scripture consistently teaches that faith is not a human invention—it is a supernatural persuasion authored by God, granted by grace, and completed in Christ. This challenges free will and the statement that "Unbelief is the tragic resistance to that persuasion" so we must reframe it according to the will of God, see Election: Reframing the Statement on Unbelief







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