How Faith Comes !

HOW FAITH COMES : We see here that faith for salvation comes by hearing the Word of God. Now relate that with (Acts 11:13--14), "And he shewed us how he [Cornelius] has seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, send That men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; WHO SHALL TELL THEE WORDS, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." Cornelius was a good man, but he was not saved. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature "(Mark 16:15). 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.[And just cannot preach-- God sent men to preach]. But the angel could tell Cornelius where to go to get somebody ". . . Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." People are saved by hearing words. And that is because " . . . Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." You cannot believe without hearing the Word. FAITH FOR HEALING : How does faith for healing come ? In the same way. You can see this in the following passage: (Acts 14:7--10). "And there they [Paul and Barnabas] preach the gospel. [Good news] And there sat a certain man at Lystra, imported in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: this same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked." A crucial reader of the word might say, "It is wonderful how Paul healed that man !" But Paul did not hear the man. The man was not healed because Paul was an apostle, nor was he healed by Paul's faith. The man himself had the faith. Paul did three things: [1] He preached The Gospel [Good News ] (verse 7). [2] He perceived or recognized that the man had faith to be healed (verse 9). [3] He told the man to stand up and walk [verse 10]. The man did three things: [1] He heard Paul preach (verse 9). [2] He the man, received faith to be healed (verse 9). [3] He leaped and walked, or responded to what he heard (verse 10). This man was not healed by some power which Paul had. The man himself conceived faith to be healed. And how did he get the faith to be healed ? He got it from what he heard. He heard Paul speak. And what did Paul speak ? He Preach the Gospel (verse 7). If Paul had preached what some have called the Gospel, the man would have never been healed. Paul preached what the Bible calls the Gospel ! Good news ! ! For the word of God is the power of God unto soundness, unto preservation, unto healing, unto deliverance. To everyone that believe it to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16)