Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

The subject is salvation. It is said here to be a gift from God. Grace by definition is unmerited favor, once again, a gift. The third component here is faith, grace through faith in Jesus Christ, which was mentioned in the previous verse.

Why is it we do not think of faith as being a gift from God that we did not have until He gave it to us?

1 Corinthians 12:4,9a Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit;

It is identified as a gift here.

Romans 12:3d according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Here we see that God has given each of us faith, even if not by the same measure. So why is it we do not look at faith as a gift from God?

Perhaps that is because God gave us free will to invest this faith where we want.

2 Timothy 1:14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. ESV

If you make an investment of your faith, a deposit, you have an expectation of return on investment.

What do you have faith in? Banks, government, men, institutions, or the lottery? I added the last one as an illustration of how insane it is to place your faith in the wrong thing.

Do you know what your return on investment will be if you invest your faith in Christ? Even if you haven’t, you should know what to expect. Christ has promised specific returns on investment. They are listed in the bible.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

It that too much to ask?

I could stop right there and let that sink in. I could but if all of us agree this not too much to ask, what went wrong?

Perhaps it begins with what you see. God has shown what is good. Do you see it? If your answer is yes, great, get on with the response. If no, what are you seeing?

Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Fainting, falling down, failing, begins with the key element of belief. Who you believe and what you believe frames your insight, your vision, your ability to see God at work in your life and the life of others.

If all you see is pain, misery, injustice then you will not see the way to end it.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

What happens when man cannot see God’s good?

Psalm 10:11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

In the midst of your pain and misery, can you see good? No? Where are you looking?

Psalm 121:1,8 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

You have to believe it to see it.