So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
Therefore, faith is born from the message that we hear…
Many say “I don’t have faith”, “I want to believe in such and such a promise of God but I can’t” or “How can I have more faith?” “, “I want a great faith that moves mountains”.
The Bible says in Romans 12:3b “every one according to the measure of faith that God has given him.” Several times in the Gospels we are told to have faith like “a mustard seed or a mustard seed”.
We all, believers or not, come into the world with a small amount of faith. God, when He created us, placed in each of us a seed of faith from birth. Like any seed, it needs first to be planted in the ground to be nourished and then to be sprinkled with water daily.
Water is an image representing the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God within us who corrects us, teaches us, and directs us. The earth is the Word of God, the Bible. It is when the seed of faith is planted in the Word of God that it is nurtured and begins to grow into a very beautiful tree, capable of producing good ripe fruit.
God gave us a certain amount of faith from the beginning, now to allow that little amount to grow, we have to nurture it with the Word of God.
Romans 10:17 tells us very clearly: your faith will grow as you HEAR the Word of God. The more you read the Bible, the more messages you will listen to in church, the more Bible meetings you will attend, the more messages you will listen to, and the more your faith will grow.
Prayer does not increase faith, it uses it. The main purpose of prayer is to connect us with God and His power.
For our faith to grow in any area, we must listen to the Word in that area. Besides, reading the Bible aloud is a very good habit to adopt, it will stimulate your faith in general.
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… and this message is the one based on the Word of Christ.
Logically, it is by hearing the Word of God that faith grows, but the Bible specifies it all the same. Because by listening to certain other kinds of messages, we can develop other kinds of faith. Without going into details, there are three types of faith:
1. Human faith, based on perceptible and visible realities.
2. Devilish faith, which is called fear based on the lies of the enemy.
3. The faith of God, based on His Word.
Everything we hear will produce faith in us, it is systematic and inevitable. If you start listening to too many negative things, without realizing it, your faith will be stimulated for the negative, you will develop fears and doubts. Many people are pessimistic, insecure, full of fears and hesitations. They don’t know it, but it’s a manifestation of their faith… diabolical or human.
Faith in God, on the contrary, produces in our assurance, it allows us to believe that we have value, that we are capable, and that with God everything is possible. It helps us to overcome all difficulties and to remain positive in all circumstances, not to give in to doubts but rather to face our fears.
Before a person believes in Christ, he must HEAR. Jesus. . . He said: Do you believe in the Son of man? Who is it, Lord? Tell me, so that I believe in him. Well, you have seen it, answered Jesus; is the one talking to you. I believe, Lord declared the man. And prostrating himself, he adored him. – John 9:35-38
A person cannot believe in Jesus Christ if they have never heard of Him. Faith is based on facts regarding who Christ is and what He has done. The facts are found in the Word of God and the facts must be HEARD. “So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.”
Before a person can listen, they must have the Gospel presented to them, or they must have the opportunity to read a pamphlet about the “Good News.” Without someone who presents the gospel message, there can be no faith and no salvation. Believers have an enormous responsibility in this because they are the instruments that God uses to evangelize.
Verse 10:15 of Romans asks, “And how can they preach unless they are sent?” Before a person can preach, he must be sent by God! God is the one who does the shipping! God, not man, sends his servants and his missionaries. We pray the prayer “ask therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his field” – Matthew 9:38, and God will send.
It would be wonderful if everyone who heard the gospel believed the good news and is saved. The tragedy is that the vast majority of those who hear the gospel reject it: However, not all of the Israelites accepted the good news. Isaiah says: “Lord, who has believed our message?” – Romans 10:16
So tragic! God has good news, and people don’t want it! They reject God’s offer of peace (v. 15). They reject God’s invitation to be saved because “HE WHO IS CALLED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.”
Trying to penetrate the heart of a sinner without the Bible is like a soldier trying to penetrate the heart of the enemy without a sword. Believers have no need to defend the Bible and no need to try to prove that it is true. You simply need to use the Bible, trust a great God to honor his word, and do the work in the hearts of men and women. The Word of God will go ahead and achieve its purpose: “So also is the word that comes out of my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will do what I want and fulfill my purposes” – Isaiah 55:11.
The emissaries of God must be those who teach the truths of the Scriptures. That they never substitute our ideas, opinions, or philosophies for the pure, unadulterated truth of God’s Word! “ In him you also, when you heard the message of truth, the gospel that brought you salvation, and believed it, were marked with the seal which is the promised Holy Spirit,” – Ephesians 1:13. Faith comes by hearing the gospel!
