The famous chapter on faith in Hebrews 11 starts with these words: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Hebrews 11:1 in the Amplified Bible reads: NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
The above passage says that if we hope, i.e., have an expectation for something we asked the Lord in
Faith is not only needed for things asked of the Lord, but in general life, such as in business deals and when something is planned, produced, etc. The same principles apply to the faith we need for the latter. We have hope, an expectation of how something will work out. We apply faith, which is the evidence that it will work out, until we see the result. Without faith that the hope will manifest, we will not persevere.
Where does faith that the Lord will come through for you come from? How do we get faith? According to Ephesians 2:8, we are saved through faith, which is a gift of God: "For by grace you have been saved [through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." This passage refers to salvation, but faith, in general, is a gift from the Lord.
How does He give it, and how do you receive it?
We read in Romans 10:17: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." The Word of Christ is the Bible, the written Word, everything recorded about what Christ has said and done. What has He said and done? John 1:1-5,14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The entire Bible is about Jesus Christ.
We read the written Word, the Bible (the Logos, in Greek). It contains a lot about the Creator and His relationship with His creation. Yet, although we have all this knowledge, we still find it hard to believe because faith comes from God. We need to receive this faith from Him to have the ticket, the title deed of what we hope or expect.
Romans 10:17 mentions hearing, which comes from the Word, the logos. What is this hearing? Is it hearing the preacher or the pastor's message?
Let me illustrate what I understood. When your employer walks into the general office announcing that one of the employees there will be promoted, will you take it for yourself, having faith that you will be promoted? No, you won't. It could be any of the employees. This is like the logos, the written Word; it's for everybody. It does not necessarily create faith in the reader. However, if your employer comes to you telling you that you will be promoted, will you then have faith?
Have you ever had a specific passage jump out at you while reading the Bible? You just knew it spoke to you, touching your heart. It meant something special to you, creating faith in your heart. What happened is that you were reading the Word of Christ, the logos, when you heard the Lord speak to you through the passage that jumped out to you, the rhema, and it created faith in you. The latter is the 'hearing' as per Romans 10:17.
"So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17). God has given you faith through the message He gave you personally from the written Word, the logos, the Word of Christ.
An example from my life. Many years ago, I was reading Psalm 91 when verses 14-16 jumped out to me. I heard the Lord say to me: “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
At the time, I didn't know why the Lord gave me faith for protection, but I made this passage my own by memorising it and praying it whenever I was scared. The Lord was faithful to His promise and protected me innumerable times, even when I did stupid things that deserved the consequences.
One day, however, when I prayed this Rhema passage, the Lord stopped me and told me, "Why should I protect you, for you're not loving me?"
"What do you mean, Lord?" I asked.
He took me to John 14:21 and 23, another rhema I received that prompted me to constant obedience. John 14:21, 23:
V21: "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
V23: "Jesus replied, 'Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.'"
He told me about something specific in which I was disobedient, and I repented.
Can you see where faith comes from and why "the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, and penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart"? (Hebrews 4:12).
This is what Christianity is about - a living, active relationship with the Word, the Creator of everything that exists (John 1:1).
Therefore, if you need faith for something, ask the Holy Spirit what passage, chapter, or book you should read and then read until you hear the Lord speak to you from the Logos. Sometimes one needs faith at the spur of the moment to do something difficult, make a challenging decision, or take a bold step. One doesn’t necessarily have time to read until God speaks to you. Then, knowing the Bible well helps you to receive faith in that moment because the Holy Spirit can bring a passage to mind from your memory, which will give you faith. Continue reading the Bible so it can take root in your memory. I find listening to the audio Bible, which is freely available on phone apps, very profitable.
Let's go and find faith in the Word of Christ through hearing what God tells you as you read it.
