Hearing to Faith

Right now as you read this, there’s a voice in your psyche verbalizing the words: You can literally “hear” them in your head as your eyes scan each word. Many of us may not be familiar with the reference Romans 10:17 but we have “heard” the words of it – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When I’ve heard that preached, I thought that I was ‘getting’ faith because I was hearing the Word. Not true. It doesn’t say that faith comes from listening to the word of God – it’s a two step process: Faith comes by a type of hearing. That type of Hearing that produces faith, (in a way far beyond listening) comes ONLY from the word of God. Just like you’re hearing these words, when you hear the word of God preached, you’re listening but you may not be “hearing” in the sense that Romans is talking about.

Here’s The Word:

Proverbs 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

Often times in Scripture, faith seems way easy or WAY hard – which is it? Faith compared to a tiny mustard seed and the faith of a child seem like easy things. But in the Epistle of Jude, he uses language that infers struggle; how we should build up our ‘Most holy’ faith.

So after a bit of studying and emptying myself of “That’s the way I’ve always heard it” I see that the verse in Matthew that has historically lead to the phrase “childlike faith” really isn’t talking about faith at all – it’s talking about a position of humility.

Here’s The Word:

Matthew 18:1- 4 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The religious community of the Jews at the time of Christ was centered on the temple and the Pharisees and Sadducees. They elevated and valued position: They were pompous and paraded their piety at every opportunity. One could easily assume that these ‘righteous’ men could literally walk into Heaven as one would strut into an expensive restaurant to be waited on. God says No. See yourself not as some sort of part-owner, but a child, having nothing worthy of such expectation. This is how Heaven determines greatness.

Back to the idea of building faith. We often pray for faith but if we look back at Romans 10:17, it seems like God has already mapped out the progression of faith. First, we need to pray to ‘hear’ in the way that He intends us to. True hearing then becomes a matter of utmost importance since the faith that comes from it is the unitary determinant for victory in the life of the Christian. Much of what the Bible says to us as Christians, assumes faith.
Parables were stories that many listened to, but only a few really “heard and understood” – Mark 4:12, Acts 28:26. Pray that as we read His Word, in all humility, that he would bless us with hearing, as it is the hearing that comes from the word of God. Then faith comes by that - “He who has ears, let him hear”.


In Him,
Cros