Before my Christian life I was a Powerlifter.

One time I had won the Oceania and Asian Championship. I was interviewed by the papers and TV while there was a short break between interviews a guy in the gym came over to try and pick up my medals but this drew a stern look from me. However, he didn’t pick them up and said, “You’re lucky”.

I responded by saying, “I train one to five hours a day for five to six days of the week and you call that luck, where you come into the gym and talk to people for ten minutes and lift some weights for 15 Minutes and then go home. If you had won these, I would say that was luck. Hard work is not luck”

The Christian Walk is not about luck but is about spending time with God to learn to be like him. This is surety found in Him by faith.

Investing time in God is a sure thing. The deeper you dig into His Word the higher you can take yourself and others.

2 Timothy 2:15  Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. 

2Ti 2:16  But shun profane, vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 

Before salvation we can have a certain amount of faith with a belief in something or someone, but this is different to the Christian faith which comes after repentance followed closely by a belief in the works of Jesus.

Sinners are commanded to “repent” and “believe” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 3:19; 1 John 3:23) in the New Testament.

We are saved by the faith OF Jesus and not by our faith or we could brag about our salvation. Faith of Christ underscores the faithfulness of Jesus in the act of our salvation where the faith in Christ emphasizes the believer progressive efforts in progressive salvation as we are being sanctified.

Galatians 3:22  But the Scripture shut up all under sin, so that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (MKJV) 

Salvation is a work of God’s grace, but without the humbling of our sinful nature in an act of repentance, grace is not activated. It takes a synergy between God and man in God’s plan for salvation.

Does faith grow or does our understanding of the gift grow?

Some say both faith and our understanding of it can grow. These two aspects can strengthen our walk with Jesus.

Let us see where the gift comes from and to whom it is given

Faith as a gift.

Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.  (MKJV)

The gift of faith comes from God given to man after salvation to avoid man taking credit for his own salvation Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 3:22 

Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, Eph 2:9  not of works, lest anyone should boast. (MKJV)

In Romans 12:3 does it say A measure of faith or does it say THE measure of faith.

A measure of faith refers to a set amount depending on the will of God to deal with everyone differently as He sees fit.

THE measure of faith deals only with the full amount for everyone.

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I see that God is no respecter of persons; (MKJV)

Act 10:34  Peter began to speak: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. (GNB) Good News Bible

Here is the point of conjecture.

Faith as a gift and as a portion or a full amount will have an influence on the boldness we think and walk with.

Do you think God would give an incomplete gift that you have to work on to make it grow?

How can faith grow?

1. Growth through learning, understanding coming from studying Scripture and teaching.
2. Growth through personal experiences based on the teaching mentioned in point one.
3. Communal dialogue as we share personal experiences with each other.

The full measure given at the beginning of our walk

1. The full measure of Faith given to all believers and noting the 3 points above which are valid learning methods and should be followed. Then you may ask the question about A measure of faith verses THE measure of Faith.

If we receive only A measure of faith then God is showing favouritism which conflicts with Scripture. Then you can study, have personal experiences as well as sharing with each other but then after all this you will not grow in your faith once you reach the limit set for you.

• In Romans 12:3 it says “… … … But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”  This brings us to the conclusion that all believers are treated the same in regards to the Gift with a full measure.

Now you may disagree with me and say we are all different with different measures.

Let me say it this way, We are all given the full measure of faith because God treats us all the same. We should all follow the three valid points of learning as mentioned previously but with a noted difference and that being that instead of thinking that is our faith growing that we should adopt an attitude or thinking pattern that it is our understanding of faith that is growing as we walk in the full measure of faith.

Simply OUR understanding of faith, grows as we walk in it believing for great things.

When we follow Jesus, it is like us stepping into His footprints, even though His footsteps are great and powerful we can grow in our understanding as we follow and reach out with an unquenchable hunger to be more like Him.

The measure of faith is an unlimited reservoir given to us by God and His belief in us. Although at times we may limit how far we can grow in our understanding by allowing our fears and rationalisation to override the Spiritual truths found in our Bibles. Nevertheless, we should reach out for the stars in the cosmos to bring God’s promises into ours and others lives. We need to continuously try to not limit God’s working through us as we were created to walk in His wonderous unlimited cosmos.

God moves through faith and through the faithful steward. God welcomes the faithful servant into heaven with these words “enter in thou good and faithful servant”.