By Hearing the Word

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17 (KJV)

Faith comes by the continual, diligent hearing of God's Word. By removing the comma in Romans 10:17, we can see this clearly:

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Hearing and hearing eliminates the occasional or one time exposure to the word. It establishes a lifestyle in the word. A life in the word precedes and supports a life of faith.

Your Words and Your Name

A person's words establishes their standing in society. For example, a person who always speak truthfully and honestly has a good name, a good reputation. Other people can trust that person's words. A person who speaks falsely, on the other hand, creates a bad name and reputation for himself. A person's words are a indication of their character.

God's Word and God's Name

The Word of God establishes God's character and reputation and name. God's words never fail, never change. Therefore God never fails or changes.

Joshua 23:14 (NIV): You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Everyone promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

1 King 8:56 (NIV): Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

If you always tell the truth, the only way to change is to not tell the truth - to lie. If you're honest, the only change is to become dishonest. You "dissed" your honor. You negated your honor. But God never lies or changes:

Numbers 23:19 (NIV): God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

1 Samuel 15:29 (NIV): He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man that he should change his mind.

God's Word Changes Us

God doesn't change, but we certainly can. And we need to! We need to change from death to life, from sin to righteousness, from the power of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, to the Lordship of Jesus.

God's Word is the agent of change in our lives.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV): For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Take a look at this selection from the Amplified Version:

Hebrews 4:12 (AMP): For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power - making it active, operative, energizing and effective; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and the [immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [that is, of the deepest parts of our nature] exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Eph 5:25-27 (NIV): ... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Hearing and hearing the Word of God causes faith to come. It doesn't matter whether we "felt" faith come. It came! Remember, God does not lie, His word does not fail. Whenever there's a conflict between our senses, our thoughts, and the Word of God, the Word of God is always true. That's living by faith, not by sight.

I Am What God Says I Am

Here's a good way to train your mind to believe God's Word before your feelings or thoughts. Say this everyday:

• I am what God says I am.
  
• I have what God says I have.
  
• I can do what God says I can do.

Now your living in the FAITH CLASS!