Faith of God
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.”
Here Paul brings in faith, but notice how he describes it. It is something God measures out. This is not the general saving faith that brought you into Christ. This is serving faith, given in portions for the work God wants you to do.
You can see three marks.
Inclusive faith
“…to every man that is among you…”
Inside the body of Christ, nobody is left out. God has “dealt” a measure of faith to every believer. That means no Christian can say, “I just did not get any faith to serve. I am the one exception.”
Some may have more or less in a certain area, but nobody has zero. If God has given you a place to serve, He has given you faith suited to that place.
That helps in simple things. A new teacher may feel scared to stand in front of a class. A new bus worker may feel unsure walking up to doors. A new soul winner may feel weak trying to give the gospel. The flesh says, “You cannot do this.” Romans 12:3 says, “God already gave you a measure of faith for what He has called you to do.”
Humble faith
“Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly…”
Faith here is meant to cut pride, not feed it.
If the faith you have to serve came from God, you cannot brag about it. You cannot look down on someone else who has a different measure or a different place. You did not manufacture what you have. It was dealt to you.
On the other side, you do not think less of yourself than God does either. Sober thinking says, “God gave me this measure, and this place. I will stay in that lane and be thankful.”
Most church trouble comes when people start thinking higher of themselves than the measure God gave them. They want a different place, a bigger place, a louder place. Then they strain and complain when it does not work. The problem is not that God was hard. The problem is that they reached outside the measure of faith He dealt to them.
Measured and yoked faith
“…according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
This faith is measured. It matches the work.
Think about the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:29–30, “Take my yoke upon you… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
A yoke joins two animals together to pull a load. When you serve with Christ, you are not dragging the work by yourself. He is in the yoke with you. He never calls you to a load without giving you the serving faith to trust Him in that load.
If God gives you a class, He gives you faith for that class. If He gives you a bus route, He gives you faith for that route. If He lays on your heart to care for a parent, or a special needs child, or a hard ministry field, He is not standing back watching you drown. He is in the yoke beside you, and the measure of faith He dealt you is sized for that job. God has already given you the faith needed to do the job before you. The question is are you leaning on Him for help!
Nothing in the Christian life grows right when these three are pulled apart.
Service without the will of God turns into busy work. “Knowing” the will of God without service turns into armchair religion. Talking about faith without putting your body in the yoke with Christ turns into empty words.
But when the service of God, the will of God, and the faith God gives all come together, a believer can live a steady and spiritual life. A life that is in its place, doing its work, in the strength God measured out, one day at a time.
