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Written by Lynne Hammond

A lady once said to me, “If God gives me faith, then I’ll have it. If He doesn’t, I won’t.” That may sound like a good theory, but that isn’t a correct view of faith.

“But, Pastor Lynne, it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that God gives certain people faith!”

Yes, but that verse is talking specifically about the gift of faith, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. That gift isn’t given to everyone, but it is one type of faith that God has provided for us as believers.

It’s important that we don’t put every verse about faith into a sack, mix it up, and shake it all out together. We need to understand the types of faith available to us as believers.

What the Gift of Faith Is Not

The first kind of faith is saving faith, which every believer has. We see this general faith described in Ephesians 2:8–9. This is the faith you’re saved by and it comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).

Galatians chapter 5 talks about another kind of faith: the fruit of faith or faithfulness. This is a fruit of the Spirit, which grows in the life of a Christian to establish him in spiritual character.

Today, I want to talk to you specifically about the gift of faith mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. This gift of faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit and the greatest of what is often classified as the three power gifts of the Spirit: the gift of faith, the working of miracles, and the gift of healing. When a believer has the gift of faith or special faith, they believe God in such a way that He honors their word as His own and miraculously brings to pass what that faith has given them. This manifestation of the gift of faith comes after the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

One of the biggest differences between the gifts of faith and the general faith believers have is that general faith can be increased by feeding on the Word of God and exercising it in every arena of your life. On the other hand, we don’t all have the gift of faith; it is a supernatural manifestation.

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