NCC Q35 - Where Does Faith Originate?

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9This week's catechism lesson is very interesting...and very important. Where does our faith come from? Is there some measure of faith in fallen man; is it only dormant and dulled by sin? Or is fallen man unable to believe at all apart from God's grace?Our lesson this week teaches us that as it is in all the Christian's life experience, even our faith is a gift from God. Apart from God's gracious gift to us, fallen man is unable to come to faith in God on his own.Paul's words written to the Ephesian church leave no doubt that the faith we exercise to believe is a gift from God...it is not of our own doing. Just before he penned these words, he made a very powerful and and important statement. He said that we were "dead" in our trespasses and our sins as we walked following the course of this world and the prince of the power of the air.  But what does that word "dead" mean? Were we as unbelieving, fallen men, dead only in an objective, legal way due to sin? Or was the death caused by sin so complete that fallen man's condition is hopeless unless God intervenes? What was the full effect and impact of that death that came to man through sin? That is our question in this week's lesson.Paul's clear and strong statement answers that question. Apart from the grace of God, fallen man is unable to come to faith in God by himself. Just as Lazarus could not quicken his putrifying and by then stinking corpse in that tomb, neither could I quicken my heart and mind to life. I came to faith because God gave me the grace to believe.Paul tells us in Romans that faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and then Peter says that we have been born again through the living and abiding word of God (1 Peter 1:23).Faith is a gift from God, through the living and active Word of God speaking to our dead, cold hearts just as Jesus spoke to Lazarus' dead, cold body and gave it new life. It is not of our doing...it is all of God...He speaks and we can then respond.Or as only the beloved apostle could say, "We love Him, because He first loved us."