Growing Faith

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

“The just [or righteous ones] will live by faith.” That’s what Paul told the Roman Christ followers [1:17]. So I have a question for you: How is your faith — strong, weak, or barely existent? I’m not referring to saving faith here. Saving faith is a gift from God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that [faith] is not of yourself, it is a gift of God…” [Ephesians 2:8]. So again, how is your daily-living-it-out kind of faith?

I have an encouraging word for you today. No matter where you are in “living by faith,” your faith can grow [see 2 Corinthians 10:15].

So, how does your faith grow? Interestingly, both saving faith and daily-living-it-out faith comes by means of listening to the Word of God/Christ. When you are hearing God’s Word, the Holy Spirit generates faith in those who have yet to believe, and strengthens the faith of those who have already believed. God uses His Word to bring us to faith, and to strengthen our faith. 

That’s why it is so important to read and hear the Word of God. The Lord strengthens the faith of Christ followers through the teaching of the living and active Word of God. In a way, it’s just like your body. Without a proper diet, you become weak and sickly. The same is true of your faith. And when your faith is weak, you are more readily tossed around by false teaching, and more prone to fall into sin. 

There are opportunities each day to hear the Word of God so that you will grow strong in faith — personal daily Bible study, small group studies, listening to the Word of God being read, ordinary conversations with godly people, and don’t forget Sunday sermons!  

God still uses His Word to make us mature in faith just as He did with the Apostles and early Christ followers. After listening to the Lord one day, the Disciples asked Him to “Increase our Faith!” [Luke 17:5]. Is that your desire too? If you want to grow strong in your faith, take as many opportunities as you can to hear the Word of God. 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 [The Textus Receptus reads “word of God.”]