Faith Cometh By Hearing
According to the Bible, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans_10:17). Many who misunderstand faith believe it is merely a mental acknowledgment of one’s belief in Jesus as the Son of God. But God’s Word shows that faith is believing and heeding the information God has revealed. Because you believe this information, you are then inclined to follow the instructions that it presents.
Hebrews chapter 11 describes various actions individuals took by faith. When we examine these actions closely, we see that they were following instructions that were provided to them. They received information and then adhered to the instructions that came from it. As a result, they accomplished these acts by faith.
For instance, by faith, Moses forsook Egypt; he was instructed to do so. By faith, he kept the Passover, which he was also told to do. By faith, the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, following instructions they had received. And by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, as they were told. None of these actions accomplished by faith would have resulted in the blessings they received if they had not heeded God’s instructions. God provided them with information that included instructions to be followed. By faith they obeyed.
When you read your Bible and understand that faith refers to the information God has provided, complete with instructions, your understanding of faith will become much clearer. Notice that the gospel was made known to all nations for the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26), indicating that faith includes information accompanied by commandments we are expected to obey.