Have You Heard?

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17

Faith is not born out of feelings or imagination—it comes from hearing a message, and that message must be truth. Paul ties this back to Isaiah 53, where the prophet asked, “Who has believed our report?” The report was about the Messiah, the suffering Servant who would bear the sins of the world. The essential element of evangelism is proclamation. You cannot invite someone to Christ without first giving them the truth about Him. Invitation follows information, and salvation follows proclamation. The Word of Christ must be preached before faith can be born.

God has always worked through messengers. From Moses before Pharaoh to Jonah in Nineveh, the pattern is clear: God sends, His Word is proclaimed, and people are given the opportunity to respond. Today, that same message has gone out across the world—the good news of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. It is wide open for anyone to receive. Yet, just as Isaiah lamented, not all will believe the report. Some will reject, some will resist, but the truth remains unchanged. The gospel is not weakened by unbelief; it is powerful because it is God’s Word, and it continues to call people to salvation.

We must keep proclaiming the truth, even when it seems few are listening. Faith cannot grow in silence—it grows when the Word is spoken. Think of a seed: it cannot sprout without being planted in soil. In the same way, faith cannot sprout without the Word being planted in hearts. Our task is not to guarantee results, but to faithfully sow the message of Christ. Some will reject, but others will hear and believe. Let us be bold messengers, carrying the report of the gospel beyond our comfort zones, trusting that God’s Word will accomplish what He sends it to do.

“Faith does not arise from within, nor is it produced by sight. It comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The appointed means of producing faith is the preaching of the gospel.”
— Charles Hodge