Greetings and blessings upon the Israel of God,
How does the gift of the Faith of Christ relate to being Called, Chosen, and Faithful.
Is it given at the beginning in small measure and it grows to fullness culminating at death?  Doesn’t it take a measure of Faith to be called?  If so, what is the difference between the measure of Faith needed to be Called vs. the measure of Faith needed to be Called and Chosen and the measure of Faith needed to be Called, Chosen and Faithful?
How does the gift of the Faith of Christ relate to Is, Was, and Will Be?
Thanks,
D____

Hi D____,
Thanks for your question.
You are exactly right. We operate within the measure of faith given to us.

Rom 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.

The words “of himself” are added, and this verse actually reads, “not to think more highly than he ought to think.” What Paul is telling us here is what he tells us elsewhere, “knowledge puffs up.”

1Co 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

The Concordant Version says ‘knowledge puffs up but charity builds up:’

1Co 8:1 Now concerning the idol sacrifices: We are aware that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, yet love builds up.”

We are all guilty at first, of becoming puffed up with what God has shown us in His Word. We actually feel that God has chosen us to bring this wonderful truth to our friends and family and our minister and our church. It does not take long to find out that our exalted position has earned us the hatred of our brothers. In other words we all live the experience of Joseph telling his brothers of his dreams. It took 13 years of being subservient to the rulers of Egypt before Joseph was ready to become the ruler of all Egypt. He simply did not have the faith at age 17 to rule the known world. But at age 30 God gave Joseph the reigns of the rulership of all Egypt, which is in type the rulership of this whole world. We have to learn “not to think more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

What we see and understand of God’s word is the measure of our faith simply because Christ is His Word and we measure ourselves by nothing else:

2Co 10:12  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
2Co 10:13  But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
2Co 10:14  For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
2Co 10:15  Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
2Co 10:16  To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.
2Co 10:17  But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
2Co 10:18  For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

Not one of the apostles ever questioned Paul’s apostleship. It was only those who were “stretching themselves beyond their measure” who did so. The spirit of Christ recognizes those who are of that same spirit, but it also discerns the spirits which stretch themselves beyond their measure and invariably those who stretch themselves beyond their measure also speak above what is written, making themselves greater than “the words that I [ Christ] speak unto you.”

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and [ they] are life.
Joh 6:64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

There are many who no longer believe that the Word of God is the same as the spirit of God. It might even be that most Christians do not see Christ’s words as spirit, but that matters not because the Truth still remains:

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

“When your faith is increased,” then you will be a blessing to others:

“… when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,”
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.
Joh 6:70  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

I hope this helps you to see that what you proposed is right. We are saved by God’s chastening grace through faith, and yes indeed, whether we are called, or called and chosen, or called and chosen and faithful, it is all “according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

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

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Being ‘faithful to the end’ in no way denies that, just like the apostles, we too, will “live by every word of God,” and will deny our Lord, as they all did, and stretch ourselves beyond our measure as Peter did when He chastised Christ for informing the apostles of His impending crucifixion. All of “the sayings of the prophecy of this book” will be lived by all. That is how the measure of faith relates to is, was and will be.”
But those who are found worthy of “a better resurrection, “will be the first to die, to be “crucified with Christ,” and the first to be resurrected from among the dead to “live in newness of life,” and to be used to bring to God all those to whom it simply was not given “the measure of faith” to be called, chosen and faithful to the end. There is no room in which the flesh can glory. It is all “the gift of God.”
We are not being saved just to be saved. We are saved in order to become saviours:

Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike