So we were told that Romans 12:3 supports the Calvinist belief that saving faith is a gift of God. But the context clearly shows us that that is a
misapplication of the Scripture.
ROMANS 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
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.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;...
So there are two primary thoughts presented here: (1) your reasonable service and (2) the exercise of spiritual gifts ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OR PROPORTION OF FAITH as an expression of that service. Scripture tells us that there is
a spiritual gift of faith given to some Christians (1 Cor 12:9), as well as
faith being a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). And that is what is in view in this context.
Since all of the above was addressed to Christians who had
already exercised saving faith and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, no one should take this out of context and tell us that God gives the gift of faith to sinners! That is an abuse of Scripture.
On the other hand here is an example of saving faith:
So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (John 4:40-42)
When we go through the Gospels, we find that saving faith is primarily believing that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed (1) the Son of God, (2) the Christ, and (3) the Savior of the world. But there is more to the Gospel -- that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day for our justification (according to the Scriptures).
So Philip was in a position to share all of this with the Ethiopian eunuch, when he "preached unto him Jesus" through Isaiah 53. He must have included everything that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost regarding the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, that sins would be remitted upon repentance, that repentance would result in the giving of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that water baptism was a command of Christ.
So after the eunuch requested baptism this is what we read (Acts 8):
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. [this verse was deliberately omitted from the modern versions] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Now what Philip said to the Ethiopian is exactly what Paul said in Romans 10, which brings us back to how faith is generated through the Gospel (while being convicted by the Holy Spirit who works on hearts and minds):
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth...
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved...
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Now if you reject these plain Scriptures, and refuse to believe that this is how saving faith comes about, then that means you do not believe God and Christ, no matter what you profess.