Someone may try to give someone "credit" for getting the blessings from God when they think they have done it from the works of faith (measure of faith). In reality, the blessings are from God, the Holy Spirit-and using that person as an instrument to do God's will and plan. Obviously, there is no real sense in which we are able to do spiritual work of any kind without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, our faith and our works are NOTHING. Through the Holy Spirit, God's grace gave us the strength.
God will refuse anyone's requests who showed evidence of pride, covetousness, self-love or worldly ambition. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ," and ends with the fervent declaration, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 3:7-14). The first and greatest commandment is to love God with every power of our entire CHRISTIAN being. Where love like that exists, there can be no place for a second object. The Great Commission and Love are the two most important ministry of God's will.
Whoever seeks God from a self-centered desire rather than God-centered desire, God will give you an answer you won't like. God's mercy and grace are infinite. God will not aid anyone in selfish striving after personal gain. The desire to see others ahead of your at his/her expense is another mark of the spiritual person. A spiritual Christian wants to see other Christians above self and is happy when others are promoted and a spiritual Christian with humility is overlooked. There's no envy in a person's heart; when the brethren are honored, the humbled Chrisitian is pleased because such is the will of God. If God is pleased, the humbled Christian is pleased for that reason, and if it pleases God to exalt another above a humble Christian, he/she is content to have it so. A Christian will pursue the will of God actively and be enthusiastic and the attitude toward Christ, a Christian will manifest love and burning devotion from the heart. A true Christian zeal is not based on works but proves only that the one who manifests it is healthy, balanced, energetic and actively interested in serving God's will with Spirit-Filled fruits (not works). Looking around and seeing Christian's attitudes and seeing their obvious motives that others may think is not anything close to true Christian. True faith is Grace which is a gift from God.
We are encouraged by God to live simplicity and want fewer things that we are to walk in the Spirit by filling our minds with the Word of God. Colossians 3:12 instructs us to put on humility. First Peter 5:5 tells us to be clothed with humility. And Ephesians 4:1-2 says we are to walk in humility. If you desire honor and glory from God, you must display humility first. That is contrary to our flesih desires, which exalts pride and measure of efforts.
Jesus emphasized humility in Matthew 18:3-4 when He said that anyone who would come into His Kingdom must humble himself as a little child. They needed to learn to deny themselves. That's a mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ. James wrote it clear that God's grace is amply sufficient to enable us to live a godly life and to keep ourselves "from being polluted by the world" (Jas 1:27). But ONLY God gives his grace only to the humble, who admit their dependence on it. If, therefore, we hope for his grace to lift us up to holiness, we must "humble (ourselves) before the Lord" (Jas 4:10). The Greek word alazoneia refers to being proud when you really have nothing to be proud about. We live in a proud and egotistical generation. People continually promote themselves. Works is define as "if". If you have enough measure of faith, you will reap. If you have enough faith, you will get what you want or deserved. If you have enough faith, you get to claim and take your rewards. Works is by "measure of Faith". The measure of faith by some is defined how successful you are spiritually. Romans 11:6 said, "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." Spiritual knowledge is so important in our pursuit of God and His righteousness however at the same time, it is one of the biggest tragedies in Christianity is that so many of us think so highly of ourselves through works of faith when the evidence GRACE is the key to our faith.
God's Grace and Gift: Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. True faith is not the ability to superiorize unseen things to the satisfaction of our human minds, instead it is the human power to trust Christ completely. To be contented and unafraid when going on a life's journey. Like a journey of a child with his father, a child is unable to imagine events but a child will know and trust his father. Jesus Christ is our all in all. We need but trust Him and He will take care of the rest.
There is a misunderstanding "living by faith" (Galatians 2:20) to mean that focusing on "our effort" based on works rather than obedience to holiness, adding faith and fruits through grace. Works of faith compromise on the little issues of human desires that leads to greater downfalls in the future.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:8b-10). The heart believes and the mouth confesses. Both are necessary to salvation (of course to some healing). Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, without the Holy Spirit, you can't have faith and without the Holy Spirit, you can't be spiritual. If you don't have faith, then you don't have the Holy Spirit. Faith don't come before the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit comes before Faith. Paul was a Pharisee and he wrote in Romans 16:18 "For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." Paul knew as a Pharisee what Jesus was talking about when He rebuked other Pharisees about faith. As a disciple, my Christian faith should be inward, not outward because the Bible teaches that faith is of the spirit and not of the flesh. Acts 15:8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
