Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary both say that the word “hearing” includes understanding – something more than just the mere sense of hearing.
The reason many who have heard the Word of God are not experiencing all the benefits of their salvation is because they have never heard the Word long enough to believe it with their hearts. There is a difference between knowing something in your head and believing something with your heart. In fact, Jesus said in Mark 4:12, “And hearing they may hear and not understand.” Jesus is intimating that you can hear something, but not understand it. Faith that receives works when God’s Word is in your heart, not just because you know God’s Word mentally.
The Wuest Translation of Romans 10:17 uses this phrase: “Faith is out of the source of that which is heard.” For that very reason, the importance of putting yourself in a position to hear God’s Word cannot be overemphasized. God’s Word contains God’s thoughts. Therefore, our thinking must be in line with the Word of God because we cannot believe that we receive all the benefits of our salvation beyond the actual knowledge and understanding we have of God’s Word.
In many instances it is easier to follow what man thinks about something than to follow what God’s Word states. Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to get your mind to give up what people say and believe what God says. God’s Word is God speaking to you. There is going to come a time in every person’s life when they are going to have to make a decision whether or not to accept God’s Word as the source of truth for their life. Make that decision today!
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