EXCEEDINGLY GROWING FAITH !

EXCEEDINGLY GROWING FAITH; HOW FAITH COMES: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that, to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ."(Hebrews 11:6). Notice particularly the first part of that verse, "But without faith it is impossible to please him. . ." If God demands that we have faith when it is impossible for us to have faith, then we have a right to challenge his justice. But if he places within our hands the means whereby faith can be produced, then the responsibility rests with us as to whether or not we have faith. Many people say that they have faith, there are two types of faith ! You can have faith in your bank account, faith in your favorite entertainer, faith in the newscaster. But that is not the faith that God is speaking about ! Faith in God, is Bible faith. God has told us that without faith it is impossible to please Him, but He has also told us how to obtain faith. He has told us how faith comes. (Romans 10:17) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." In other words faith in God only comes by hearing and by hearing and by hearing God's Word. Hearing is in a continual sense ! You just don't hear it one time and think you got it you must keep on hearing and hearing until the Rhema or Revelation of the Word of God comes alive to you. FAITH FOR SALVATION: Faith for Salvation "comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." The apostle Paul said that we are saved by faith. "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). But how do you get the faith to be saved ? Let's read more from this passage in Romans. (Romans 10: 8--10,13,14,17) "But what saith it ? The word is not thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (the word preach is the word say or declare) That if thou shalt confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, (or Jesus is Lord) and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? And how shall they hear without a preacher ? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." We see here that faith for salvation comes by hearing the Word of God. Now relate that with (Acts 11:13--14), "And he showed us how he [Cornelius] had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who Shall Tell Thee Words, whereby thou and all that how shall we saved." Cornelius was a good man, but he was not saved. Jesus said, "Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). He didn't say go into all the world and preach your theology ! As Cornelius had not as yet heard this glorious Gospel, he was not saved. God told Cornelius to send for Peter in order to learn the plan of salvation. The angel could not preach to Cornelius. [Angels cannot preach--- God sent men to preach or to say and to declare.] But the angel could tell Cornelius where to go to get somebody ". . . Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all the house shall be saved." Men are saved by hearing words. And that is because ". . . Faith God's kind of faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." You cannot believe God without hearing the word !