Part 1
Romans 10:20 "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."
Galatians 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."
Christianity is correct to say righteousness is by faith, but incorrect to say having faith depends on—is up to—you.
The NT reveals:
- The original condition of sinful human nature has no faith in God,
- Right standing (righteousness) with God is by faith.
So, the salient question becomes: Does moving from no faith to faith depend on you or God?
Hebrews 12:2 - "Jesus is the originator (author) and finisher of faith."
Jesus does not offer faith; He authors faith. Therefore, the answer is clear: Moving from no faith to faith depends on God, not you! (Chapter 3 speaks to this in detail.)
God's solution to our state of no faith is to freely give us faith. Christianity's answer – that we must choose to believe/accept the gift of faith - is not according to God; it's according to human nature under the law. It's an expression of self-righteousness because human nature is inherently self-righteous.
Righteousness is by faith, and Jesus is the author of faith, not you.
For example:
Galatians 3:2 - "This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law or by believing what you heard?"
Translation: Were you the cause of receiving the Spirit, or God?
Galatians 3:2 explains how your experience of believing what you hear (faith) is something God does, which directly contradicts and contrasts observing the law, which is something you do. Paul is contrasting the two covenants. Under the Old Covenant our observing the law is causal, under the New Covenant God is causal through Christ. The human experience of believing what they hear from God is the work of God...man has nothing to do with it causally. (Romans 10:17, John 6:28-29, Hebrews 4:2, 12:2. See Chapter 3 for additional texts.)
Throughout his letters, especially Galatians and Romans, Paul implores the listener to remember they have the Spirit because of who God is and what He's done (by using the words mercy, grace, promise, inheritance, election, according to the Spirit, etc.), not because of who they are, and what they've done (by using words and phrases like according to the flesh, keep the law, works, sin, human will and effort, etc.)
Contrasting causality is the point of Galatians and arguably the main point of the entire NT, because contrast equals awareness. No contrast; no awareness. (No awareness, no existence.) Because of Him is contrasted with because of us, according to the Spirit, with according to the flesh, the natural order (Esau), with His promise (Jacob), etc. (See Romans 3:23-24, Romans 5, Galatians 4:21-28, 2 Cor 12:9-10, Romans 4:1-8, 9:6-16, and John 6:28-29 for but a few examples.)
John 6:28-29 - "Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Note the difference between what they asked, and how Jesus answered. They wanted to know what they have to do (sound familiar?), and He answered, "This is the work of God…" He didn't tell them they need to confess to a priest; He told them the Spirit gives life, and the flesh profits nothing. (Confessing to a priest is a work of the flesh.)
Your experience of faith in Jesus is the work of God, you play no causal role. (Note: I encourage you, by the grace of God and power of the Holy Spirit, to consider the many profound implications of this reality.)