Faith Comes By Hearing # 3 THE BOOK OF MARK

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17 NKJV) On its surface this proclamation by Paul is very simple and easy to understand and yet the failure to grasp its implications has brought much division and strife among those who believe Jesus is the Son of God. Faith and opinion are mixed and it seems no one is able to separate the two. It appears to the casual observer that one man’s faith is another man’s opinion and that it is nearly hopeless to find objective truth. This confusion comes not from God but from man. God’s word is quite clear. Faith is that which comes from hearing God’s word thus the direct and necessary implication is that if there is no word from God on a religious matter there can be no faith but only opinion. Faith and opinion are not equal in God’s sight. A man is saved by faith, not by opinion. A man is to walk (live his daily life) by faith (Rom. 1:17, 2 Cor. 5:7). The Christian religion is based on faith but it is an objective faith in that it is based on direct testimony as found in the word of God, testimony given by God himself.