Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes by hearing, but not just regular hearing or regular knowledge. Notice that the word “hearing” is in this verse twice. “Hearing” the Word of God by reading the Bible or listening to someone preach is one thing; but the other “hearing” is where your faith comes from.
Faith comes from you “hearing” the Holy Spirit telling you what the Word of God means. Not normal knowledege of the Word, but revealed knowledge.
Too often, we try to quote scriptures to our problems without faith. We think we have faith, but it’s just words. So that’s why those problems don’t seem to want to go away because your problems recognize that you don’t even believe what you are saying.
Most of the time, it’s because you are reading scripture as second-hand information. It may have applied to whoever the Bible was referring to, but if you don’t allow the Holy Spirit to breathe on that scripture and make it apply to you, your faith won’t be real. For example, I can’t go into the valley of dry bones and do what Ezekiel did. I have to know what I am supposed to do in the valley of dry bones. (See Ezekiel 47).
The Bible tells us, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me (John 5:39). The only way the scripture can testify of Jesus to you is if the Holy Spirit opens it up to you.
The Word of God has to be revealed to you in order for you to have faith in it. You must allow the Holy Spirit to squeeze the spirit and the life juice from the Word and then pour it into your spirit.
