Hearing by the Word

This is a verse that is used in the context of receiving faith for salvation, faith to be saved through the salvation of Christ. Faith for salvation comes by hearing the message of salvation.

However, since the believer in Christ lives his life by faith, (we walk by faith, and not by sight) then faith is also needed for other things as well, like provision, like healing, like wisdom and guidance, like living a life pleasing to the Lord. We need faith for that, and faith always comes by hearing the word of God.

All of the promises of God, not just salvation, are received by faith. So, we need aith for them.

All the promises are yes and amen, or, that is, so be it, by us. Just like salvation and the new birth, they all require our agreement in faith before they can be received by us. And we need faith to please God.

Without faith we are powerless to please Him. For one must believe that God exists before he is able to approach or draw near to Him, and he must believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

The word “rewarder” in this verse means “one who pays wages, one who rewards.” Who does He pay wages to, who does He reward? He rewards those who ekzeteo (ek-zay-teh'-o) Him, meaning seek out, search for, investigate, scrutinize. He is a rewarder of those who search for and investigate Him.

Do we believe that God exists. Certainly, we must, or we would not be reading this article. Do we believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him? Maybe we believe that to an extent, maybe up to a certain point. But the notion that God would reward us or pay us for something is a little over the top for some folks to agree with.

Yet the Bible says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. We can see this principle in Matthew chapter 6 as well as in Luke chapter 12.

Jesus is talking about things that the world seeks after, things like food and drink, and in another place He says clothing. And He tells us not to seek after these things, because your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But rather, or, that is, instead of seeking those things, seek the kingdom of God. And what will the result of seeking the kingdom be? All of these other things that the world seeks after will be provided for us.

Then, according to this, the kingdom of God will provide for us based upon the amount of time we spend seeking the kingdom.

What then does it mean to seek the kingdom of God? The phrase “seek ye” is from the Greek word zeteo, (dzay-teh'-o), meaning to seek in order to find, to seek a thing, to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into.

To find out something by thinking, meditating, reasoning, and enquiring into. What do we think about, meditate in, reason with, and enquire into? The word of God.

We started this meditation session with the verse that says that faith comes by hearing the word of God, and we have gone down a few side trails and other paths, yet here we are back to the verse about faith coming by hearing.

Seeking the kingdom of God is accomplished by hearing the word of God, not just hearing it or reading it on the surface, but by going deep into it, by enquiring into it, by meditating upon it.

We hear the word of God, faith comes, and grace begins to work in our lives to provide the things we need. And this principle has been valid since the earliest times, as we can see in the days of the journeys of Israel through the wilderness, and into the land of Canaan.

If you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God. What is the voice of the Lord our God? His word is His voice. At least that is the part of His voice that we have recorded, the part that we have documented.

What will happen if we hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD our God, His word? All these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you.

And it goes on and on. And remember, this was back when all the word of God they had was the law of Moses. How much more are great blessings available to us now that we have all the promises of God and the New Testament? We have a better covenant with better promises.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith for what? Faith for God’s grace to be released in our lives for the blessings of heaven to be in our lives here upon the earth.

Faith comes by hearing God’s word, and grace comes through faith.