How Faith Comes

Johnie Edwards

Folks have all kinds of ideas as to how faith is produced in their hearts. Some believe that they have to pray for faith and then God gives them faith as a result of prayer. The Bible does not teach this! One fellow was heard to say as he played golf, "God I will believe if I hit a hole-in-one." He did and then he believed! Some base their faith on feelings or some kind of experience they have in life and the list goes on. Did you ever study the Bible to see how faith comes? Let's take a look.

1) Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Paul told the Romans, "So faith {comes} from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). On the day of Pentecost the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached and the Scriptures say, "Now when they heard {this}, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). These people were motivated by what they heard!

2) The jailor at Philippi had to hear. The jailor asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31). Now take your Bible and please read Acts 16:32. "And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house." Ever wonder why they spoke the word of God to these folks? So they could believe, that is why! After hearing the word of God they obeyed it (Acts 16:33-34).

3) The reason for miracles and signs. Do you really know why our Lord and the apostles performed signs and miracles? It was to convince the hearer that the people were speaking the message of God. "Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31). As we read of these signs and miracles the Lord performed, it produces faith in our lives. But we must read and study the Bible in order to believe. Paul said, "And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:4).