Faith is More than Hearing (Romans 10:14-21

How then will they call on Him whom they have not believed? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!”… Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ…”All day long, I have held out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” (Romans 10:14-15, 17 & 21b ESV)

(Romans 10:14-15, 17 & 21b ESV)

He who has ears, let Him hear

God has given every creature on earth the ability to hear. The crash of thunder, the scream of the siren, and the honk of the horn—we can hear the sound of warning.

We can choose to run to safety…or not.

The herald of good news is sent to warn and announce the way to live, and then to live forever. The Word is near us, as close as our hearing ear and as near as our beating heart.

Power of Silence

Silence is a forgotten joy—the still small voice of the Lord is muted by the noises of radio, TV, smartphones and social media. Sounds follow us rom home to work and back again. Information garbles the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God in a shallow faith.

The message is clear, the preachers send and preachers preach. Is anyone listening? Fait comes. It comes to the hearing ear and the believing soul. The message of Christ sent deep into the inner recesses of the soul will meet its mark.

But free will might silence it.

God’s word is faithful, and it will not return to Him void. He also listens and hears our cries. All day long, He holds out His hands to a disobedient and contrary people.

Must God always feel the pain of an unrequited love?

People, sons, and daughters of humanity, will call on Christ Jesus and he will save them. But how can they call without knowledge of Him? Such knowledge comes from Sacred Scripture in the hand of the herald—voice of the preacher/teacher. Are they preaching to the deaf – deafened by the noise they let in?

• Ignorance is a choice, but is it an excuse? There are certain inexcusable forms of ignorance:
  • Ignorance that comes from neglect of knowledge. The knowledge is open to them, but they refuse to know it. Isn’t that like signing a contract without reading it.
  • Ignorance from willful blindness—shutting out the mind and stopping our ears to hear. Turning a blind eye—a virtue or folly?
  • Ignorance, which is a lie we tell ourselves because we want to believe what we intend to believe.

God gives us conscience and the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

• Should we plead ignorance?
  • Can we admit, in our heart of hearts, we knew not the truth?

Rejecting God’s Appeal

The Jews should have known better, they rejected the appeal of God.

God will always send a herald, and the greatest of Heralds is Christ Jesus Himself.

How beautiful upon the mountain are the feel of him that bringeth good tidings, that publishes peace; that bringeth good tinging of good, that publishes salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.

(Isaiah 52:7 KJV)

After hearing, we must respond – respond in personal trust. Many hear in the shallowness of their soul and let everything crowd out the message, so they do not respond—do not believe.

Faith does come from hearing, but the hearting must be from the Herald of God, His Son Christ Jesus.

What does it mean to be faithful?

… Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?

Luke 18:8b

Now the Spirit expressly says in later times some will depart from the faith…

1 Timothy 4:1a

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead and by His appearing and kingdom: preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort. With complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober minded, endure suffering, do the worship of an evangelist, fulfill your mission.

2 Timothy 4:1-5

When Christ returns, will He find us faithful?

How many people attend church every Sound and yet, their hearts are far from Him?

There is a call in Sacred Scripture: a call to unbelievers to believe and to the believers to continue in their faith. Be ready. The Word is powerful to reprove, rebuke and correct to the listening ears. The Word is doctrine, instruction, correction, and encouragement. Trust and continue to bathe your soul in the truth with the Spirit of truth.

A time is coming, and may I say that it is here, when people will not endure sound teaching. They will surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear—yes men that lead them to eternal death.

God is faithful to send His message. How long will He have to feel the pains of unrequited love?

All day long, I have held out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people.

(Romans 10:21b)