“By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). By grace are ye saved, because it is the grace that is the favor of God that brings salvation. That favor being given freely and without measure to every one of us, bringing salvation to all, so the salvation of God is free to all men. To every one of us it is given freely, without measure and without reserve.
Though all this be true, the Lord will never compel any man to take it. God has made man free, too, and therefore every man is absolutely free to accept this salvation or to reject it, as he chooses. God does not want and will not have any unwilling service. And therefore it is that “by grace are ye saved through faith.” Faith is for us to exercise. Therefore it is written: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Jos. 24:15). “Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
And God has given the faith too. For did we not read above that “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God?" And is it not written in another place, “Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2)? And yet again: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17)? Jesus Christ is the Author of faith; the word of God is the channel through which it comes; and God gave both Jesus and the word, —or rather, in giving Jesus he gave the word, and in giving the word he gave Jesus, —so that in every sense, faith is the gift of God.
And he has given faith to every man. For it is written: “Say not in thing heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above): or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead). But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom. 10:6-8). “Think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). Thus God has put faith into the mouth and into the heart of every man.
Again: the word of God is the means, the channel, of faith; for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” And all, in at least two ways, have heard the word of God: for “that which may be known of God is manifest in [margin, “to”] them; for God hath showed it unto them” (Rom. 1:19). Both text and margin are true; for that which may be known of God is manifest both to men and in men.
It is manifest to men in the things that are made, in the visible creation. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). And through these things that are made, men hear the word of God, through the hearing of which comes faith. That this may clearly be seen, turn to the tenth chapter of Romans and study carefully verses 12-18. There it is said: “There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” Then come the questions: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Then comes the statement: “But they have not all obeyed the gospel.” But did they not all hear the gospel? —Assuredly they did, for no one is held responsible for not obeying the gospel who has not heard the gospel. The above questions show that. So, then, they have all heard the gospel, though all have not obeyed it. And so this, too, is written: “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Rom. 10:12-18).
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