The Scripture and Faith Connection

by Karen S. Roberts

Did you ever wonder where faith comes from?  Faith is produced by the Holy Spirit speaking to us through Scripture.  This is the Scripture and faith connection. 

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of God.   Romans 10:17

 As we hear and read Scripture, faith is sparked in us.
And as we share Scriptures with others, over time their hearts may become tender toward God.  Many people have come to faith through people sharing the Word of God with them.

Scripture is our most powerful tool for building our own faith and for helping others to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Sharing Scriptures with others can bring them to faith.

A woman recently asked me how she could help her grandchildren become open to putting their faith in Christ.  Since they were not being taught about Jesus by their parents, the children have little understanding of who Jesus is and how He can help them.

I advised that the most important thing that she can do is to share Scripture with them.  I suggested getting a children’s Bible to read to them and exposing them to Christian media made for kid And I mentioned the free resources that Child Evangelism Fellowship offers on its website:  https://www.cefonline.com/kids

 I also recommended that she find a Vacation Bible School at a solid Bible-believing church and take them for a week this summer.  I explained that as she exposes them to the Word of God, their hearts will become open and their understanding will grow.

My observation is that people develop faith as they listen to others share their testimonies of God’s goodness and share Scripture with them.  I’ve seen this happen over and over again during my many years of children’s and youth ministry.

How do people hear the word of God?

In Romans 10:17 we learn that hearing God’s Word is the way that people come to faith in Christ.

Today there are multiple ways that a person can hear the word of God.  A friend might share the good news about Jesus offering forgiveness and transformation of life. That can open the way for the one who hears this to want to know more.

Christian books and Bibles abound in western countries.  They are easy to buy from bookstores and online retailers such as Dayspring and American Bible Society.  Receiving one as a gift and reading it may create a spiritual hunger in the recipient.  Some people prefer audiobooks over reading.  Taking in God’s Word through reading or listening can be life-changing.

Many people hear God’s word online, often for the first time.  It’s easy to locate videos, Bible studies, church services, devotions, and people sharing their own stories of how they came to faith in Jesus.  Through social media, you can share Scripture and links that may help those who are spiritually seeking.

Watching TV and listening to radio shows are ways that many people have heard of Jesus for the first time.  I’ve frequently heard stories of people stumbling across a Christian program that sparked their interest in coming to know Christ.  They continue to have their faith built up as they tune in.

Networks like TBN, CBN, Daystar, and the Victory Channel offer Bible study, prayer, and practical stories of how God is working in people’s lives.  In most areas, you can find at least one Christian radio station that broadcasts 24/7.  Due to streaming TV services, these are accessible to people around the world.

How relevant is preaching?

Some people think preaching is out of date. However, Romans 10:14 shows us the importance of preaching the gospel.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
and how shall they hear without a preacher?

The word hearing in Romans 10:17 is related to listening to the preaching mentioned in Romans 10:14.

Many people come to Christ through hearing someone preach in a church, at a conference, at a crusade, at a Christian camp, at a Christian concert, or at some other event.  Some missionaries go to remote locations that have no churches, preaching and teaching God’s word.

During the past year, I’ve been thrilled to hear of huge meetings, often held in huge tents, through the ministry of Mario Murillo.  I was privileged to attend two of these services in western NY last fall.  Thousands of people flocked to each meeting, and hundreds responded to his message of the good news of salvation.  Even though it was raining, the overflow crowd stood outside in the rain during a long service.  As Mario preaches, drug addicts have been set free and many healing miracles happen.

Franklin and Will Graham have been holding crusades in the U.S. and other countries.  When they preach, they see large responses from people who want to follow Jesus and have their lives changed.  People come to hear preaching because they are spiritually hungry and know that there is an emptiness in their lives.

The effectiveness of preaching continues to be proven in churches that preach the power of personal commitment to Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit.
(Note:  Not all churches preach this.)

Seeds of faith are planted every time the truth of the Scriptures are shared.

 

What happens when someone comes to faith in Christ?

People come to faith in Christ because the spiritual light of the glorious gospel penetrates into their darkened hearts (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

If you have invited Jesus to take over your life, the light of Jesus shines within you and through you.  When you read and study the Bible, your ability to trust in the Lord grows.

But how is this happening? Is this just some sort of psychological conditioning made by positive thinking? No, this is a spiritual work of the Holy Spirit in your heart.

The words of the Bible are “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16); they are inspired by God. It is a supernatural book because the Holy Spirit, who is its divine author, is working through it.

Of course, people who have not yet experienced faith in Jesus Christ are skeptical about the supernatural origin and nature of the Bible. They don’t experience its transformative power because the Holy Spirit is not in their hearts (1 Cor. 2:12-14). But to born again Christians, the Bible is a holy and living book.  Through it, we hear the voice of God.

Every time you meditate upon its words, your faith is energized. Through hearing or reading Scripture, the Holy Spirit speaks to your whole being. As your heart and mind are energized by the Spirit, your faith grows. This enables you to live out your faith in Christ through His power.

God’s power, working in you, enables you to share the message of Jesus with others so that they can also hear and believe.  The connection between hearing and reading Scripture and the development of growing faith is essential.