Tag: Bible study

Are you on a quest for more faith?

A quest for faith often involves searching, studying and prayer to find the faith supply that seems hidden. However, this is not necessary. It is like someone leaving their home and going on a journey in search of a treasure that is waiting back at home. The answer to the faith quest is simply this   ~  God’s Word 

I prayed for faith and thought that some day faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” I had up to this time closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since.       ~Dwight L. Moody

Let’s look at Romans 10:17 in a few different translations 

 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  – KJV

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.    – NKJV

 (Belief you see, can only come from hearing the message, and the message is the word of Christ.)      – J.B. Phillips 

 So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.    -NASB

 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).  -AMPC

So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.   -AMP

This verse is certainly telling us that the Bible is all we need to acquire more faith. If you look at this verse in different Bible translations it becomes more noticeable that the particular part of God’s word that is needed is the gospels. It is clear that the words of Jesus are the key.

Let’s take a look at what happened in John 4:4-30 and John 4:39-43  This is the portion of scripture about the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus. However for the purpose of our topic today, I want to focus on the group of people that hear about Jesus through the Samaritan woman.

Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman and she then shared with others. John 4:39 tells us that the people believed in Jesus because of hearing what the woman said. Those people then invited Jesus to stay with them and He did. It would be great if you could get your Bible out and read this portion of scripture now, but in case that isn’t possible, I have included it below in a couple of different versions.

 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”  So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  Many more believed because of His word;  and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee.  -John 4:39-43 NASB

 Now many Samaritans from that city believed in Him and trusted Him [as Savior] because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”  So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked Him to remain with them; and He stayed there two days.  Many more believed in Him [with a deep, abiding trust] because of His word [His personal message to them];  and they told the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; for [now] we have heard Him for ourselves and know [with confident assurance] that this One is truly the Savior of [all] the world.” After the two days He went on from there into Galilee.  – John 4:39-43  AMP

We don’t believe any longer now because of what you said. We have heard him with our own ears. We know now that this must be the man who will save the world!                                            John 4:42  J.B. Phillips

The people believe after hearing the words of Jesus from the Samaritan woman. So this is an example of faith coming by hearing the word of God as Romans 10:17 says. But we also clearly see that another level of faith is reached when these people have their very own personal encounter with Jesus and hear Him for themselves.

Compare the Samaritan’s experience with your own faith experience. When you first believed you had faith to believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. Later you moved to another level of faith after spending time with Jesus. I hope that you have come to know Jesus personally, yourself and not just second hand through other people’s testimonies. I pray that all who read this will have the desire to get to know the Lord Jesus Christ. The Samaritans had two special days with Jesus. We can have every day with Jesus. Open the Bible to hear Him speak to you!