Faith Requires that God Speak First

​​​​​​​“All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.”  Psalms 111:7-8

The Christian life has a sure foundation:  The Word of God.  Without this there is no basis for faith, because the Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” 

It is no wonder there is such an attack on the validity of the Bible today.  To destroy the authority of the word of God is to rob people of the only thing that can produce faith and thus the only thing that can please God.  In Hebrews 11:6 we are told, “…but without faith it is impossible to please God.” 

Religious effort that is not based in and on faith does not please God.  Jesus said, “Many shall come to me in that day and say, ‘Lord, Lord haven’t we done a lot of stuff in your name.’”  And Jesus’ reply was, “depart from me you workers of iniquity (self will) for I never knew you.”  Paul tells us, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  Honestly, satan could care less how religiously active people are as long as they don’t believe the Bible is true and act on it.

It was said of Abraham, the father of faith, “Abraham BELIEVED God and it was counted to him for righteousness.” Elsewhere we are told Abraham believed God and “went out, not knowing where he was going.” In the Christian life we find this progression regarding God’s word: 1. We hear, 2. We believe, 3. We obey, 4. The word produces fruit in our lives. 

In this Psalm we are once again assured that the ways and words of God are both true and righteous.  The Psalmist goes on to encourage our obedience, faithfulness and integrity in applying it to our lives. This brings to mind Jesus’ parable of the two men who build houses, one on sand and the other on a rock.  The moral was that we were to be doers of the word and not just hearers.

God’s word is a solid rock on which to build our lives.  The opposite is seen all around us in the destruction and corruption in the lives of people who want to rob the scriptures of their authority and power.  


By Steve Highlander