Ephesians 4:7 comments: faith, grace, and mercy

7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

We do not all receive the exact same faith.

Romans 12:3  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.

Each of us, as individual persons, is given what we need if we will avail ourselves of it, though, so that we have no excuse.

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

God has measured out grace and faith to all of us. We are not all the same. It is wrong to judge another person by your convictions or by the strength or seeming weakness of your faith. He has given every one of us Christians, in the faith that resulted in our salvation, how we are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly in this world always looking up and waiting on the Saviour to appear. We are guaranteed that much faith and grace and that’s all we really need.

Soon, Paul will talk about different gifts given to different members of the body of Christ.

Romans 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

In this verse, specifically, it is talking about how each of us is given grace as measured out by Christ. We are justified by God’s grace.

Romans 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

It can also be said that we are justified by faith and it is by faith we can enter into God’s grace.

Romans 5:1 ¶  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

What exactly does the word, grace, mean? From the very first use of the word in the Bible we see that it is God’s approval.

Genesis 6:8 ¶  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Lot, in Genesis 19:19, shows us that a result of finding grace is mercy.

Genesis 19:19  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

So, first, our faith, a gift from God, causes us to receive grace, and God’s mercy as a result. In the end, it is all God. We are just vessels to receive what He has to give us or to reject it. It starts with our faith as Ephesians 2:8,9 explains, a gift of God.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.