Faith Cometh By Hearing

Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I*ll be blunt. I believe that if we spend our time studying the Bible and associating with believers who speak it and live it accurately we will believe what God wants us to believe and our faith in Him will grow. I also believe that if we spend our time listening to what Satan wants us to hear and associating with unbelievers who speak what he wants them to speak we will believe what Satan wants us to believe.

1 Peter 2:2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Hearing and believing falsehood instead of truth will hinder a believer*s growth and is unhealthy.

1 Corinthians 15:33: Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Ephesians 4:31: Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Mark 4:24: And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Luke 8:18: Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

We are responsible for what we listen to. Do we spend more time studying the Bible or watching TV? I do not like my own answer to that question and I am doing something about it. Many believers have a great interest in the Bible immediately upon becoming saved. For many of us it is a growth process. Some never completely escape from hearing what Satan wants them to hear. Eve*s conversation with Satan lasted only 5 verses in Genesis 3:1-5 but consider the damage that caused, the ruin of the human race. Blessedly, God can use the Bible to reverse the damage. Children aged 2-11 watch over 24 hours of TV per week, while adults aged 35-49 watch more than 33 hours, according to data from Nielsen that suggests TV time increases the older we get. The average American watches more than five hours of live television every day. People are hearing and ingesting more of Satan*s poison falsehood than God*s truth. Very few even among believers spend five hours a day studying the Bible. No wonder America and believers are turning away from God.

Psalms 101:3: I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Luke 21:8: And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

2 Thessalonians 2:3: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

1 Timothy 4:1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Timothy 3:13: But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2 Peter 2:1: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

John 8:32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 17:17: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psalms 119:11: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The more of the Bible we ingest, the more faith we will have and the freer we be. The more we heed Satan*s falsehoods, the less faith we will have and the more we will be snared in sin. Believers and unbelievers desperately need more of the Bible and less of Satan*s misdirection.

Care to discuss Faith Cometh By Hearing with Ron?

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