The Faith

the faith] in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”. So then, if people say they have faith yet deny THE faith, their faith is just a vain empty word. If people deny the Holy Scriptures as the word of God, they are denying the very thing that true faith springs from, for we read in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We might take away from this that faith comes by hearing the word of God, which is spiritually true, but in this verse a distinction is made. There are two parts to this verse—how we get HEARING and how we get FAITH. In Mark 7:31-37 we see the miracle of a deaf man made to hear. Jesus said, “be opened” and he could hear. In everyone’s life the Holy Spirit comes and strives with a person’s soul. You may just think it is your conscience troubling you, when in reality it is the still small voice of the Spirit of God (1 Kings 19:12). The word of God in Isaiah 55:6, gives you this invitation and warning, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” If the Lord Jesus is knocking on your heart’s door, do not turn Him away—receive Him by faith. You may hear by a Christian friend, a pang of conscience, a gospel tract, a seemingly coincidental circumstance, or at an evangelistic meeting, or a funeral, something that reminds you that someday you must leave this place. Do not put it off like a song says, “I’ll be saved but not tonight.” Hebrews 2:1-3 instructs, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” The word of God demonstrates the glory of God’s character, the wondrous love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: LOVE, COMPASSION, FAITHFULNESS, MERCY, GRACE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, WISDOM, TRUTH, GOODNESS. He has shown Himself worthy of our trust. Call upon Him while He is near. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5,6).- MDH