Folks have all kind 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 them faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 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 pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and 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 on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:30-31). Now take your Bible and please read Acts 16:32. "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that 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 16:3334).

(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. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (Jn. 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, "Whereby, when read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Eph. 3:4).

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 1, p. 4
January 7, 1988