Faith, the gift that comes from hearing . . .

In reading through the New Testament, Hebrews 11 was my portion for today. It is about faith and those who are sometimes called the ‘heroes of faith’ because they illustrate what faith in God is like. This passage shows that all those who put their faith in God did so because they heard Him speak to them.

Today’s devotional reading came from another passage that parallels this. It says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” This sent me back to Hebrews 11 for a closer look and then a reread of Romans 10 and I noticed something about the interaction between God speaking and those who hear Him. This English word “BUT” is a “marker of emphatic contrast and shows how God works and how people respond to Him. The Romans passage says:

 “For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

“But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’

“But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.’ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, ‘I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’

“But of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’” (Romans 10:11–21)

Faith is a gift from God. This is not like ordinary trust, such as believing the sun will rise every day because it always has, or that my toaster will work because there is electric power in the outlet, or even trusting another person because they have proved themselves reliable. God is reliable and has a positive track record, but that is not the basis for faith. He speaks and in hearing Him speak, either through Scripture or through someone preaching or speaking of Jesus Christ, faith is bestowed. Believers simply know it is God and know what He said is true — and they demonstrate their faith by doing what God tells them.

Noah heard God tell him to build an ark. Abraham heard God telling him to leave his home and go elsewhere. Sarah heard God promise her a child (she laughed, but she had a baby). Going through the list that includes Moses, Gideon, and many others, the pattern is there. Faith is initiated by hearing God, then doing what He says.

However, the above passage says everyone hears, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” That does not mean that everyone follows through. This passage from Romans also says, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel.”

In God’s sovereign will, He speaks but does not force people to listen and obey. He held out His hands to Israel, then calls them “a disobedient and contrary people” because they rejected His way and decided to live their way. Did they not understand Him? Odd, but understanding isn’t necessary for faith. Think of Noah building an ark when it had never rained and Abraham having a son when he and Sarah were far too old to bear children. God told them to do what seemed odd, but they did it.

Certainly, salvation is of God. Without the gospel and what Christ has done, there is no hope for any of us. Can God make us believe or force us to understand? I’m sure He could, but personal experience tells me this is not how He works. There is a mystery in this faith thing; He bestows it and the ability to believe it, even to people who do not seek Him or ask for Him, and yet there is also a heart ready to hear and obey it. If not, salvation does not happen, and this faith-gift fails to take root.

Verse 13 says, “Everyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved” and the next verses say they need to hear the gospel so they can call out to God and believe him, but right after that, verse 18 says, “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” I cannot completely comprehend this, but one thing I do know, if anyone hears God speak, faith will pick the right option, whereas disobedience will not.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, thank You for giving faith substance, for accepting the task of making the invisible God visible and for taking our sin on Yourself so we can be forgiven. You have done all we need to give us reason to trust us, and yet we are not saved by reason, but by faith. Oh, what a wonder You are —  and what a wonder is this grand plan of God to save those who call upon You. Thank You for speaking to me and for the grace needed to hear and believe You!