Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Belief and faith do not come by the will. It is useless to urge somebody to believe unless it is to believe God's Word. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The Word of God is spoken or read, and someone listens, and God enables them to Hear to the point of Hearing The Word to Faith in Jesus Christ, Who is The Word of God.
As this new believer continues in The Word, they begin to acknowledge Him. Acknowledgment comes by an act of the will. We can choose in the matter. We can exercise our will to acknowledge Him as Saviour.
Many a man has professed to be an atheist who is refusing to acknowledge what he believes. He may be unaware of what he is really doing, but he can give it all away by words and actions. We have heard of an atheist who said, "Thank God, I am an atheist." We doubt if there is a real atheist.
In his last letter before Israel was rejected, Paul told the nation that if they would believe in their heart that Jesus was the Christ and confess it with their mouth, they would be saved. As a nation, they refused did it not, so Titus of Rome ruined their city and scattered them abroad even unto this day. They refused to acknowledge their Messiah.
We are told that at the time of the Lord, some believed secretly for fear of the Jews. We have those fearful ones today. There is danger in that attitude, for if they do not confess, they may find themselves denying, both by word and deed.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. But some who profess to believe God's Word deny that Jesus is the Son of God. He said that He would deny before the Father those who denied Him before men.
Faith is not the only result of knowledge. We are commanded to love the Son and the Father. But love can no more be commanded than can faith. We do not love a person until we know that person. We cannot love the Father and the Son till we have a knowledge of them. Again, we could say love cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
If we saw a man who was weak and starving to death and yet had plenty of food, we would say that he was a fool. But many Christians are living a weak and starved Christian life because they will not open their Bible and feast on The Bread of Life. Therefore, we must conclude that many Christians are fools. We include ourselves in this.
Every one of us who professes to be a Christian has sinned and come short of the glory of God. We all are sinners - saved by grace. We have no right to look down on anyone and call him a sinner. If we say we have no sin, we simply deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10).
Today, we must believe and acknowledge that Christ is also The Head of The Church, which is His Body; that His great redemption extends even to the Heavens; that someday He will not only be King on earth but Supreme Ruler, Head of the universe. In This Word, we must have Faith to Acknowledge Him.
