Romans 10

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. v.17

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How does one have faith?  Many will quote Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."  And yes that is correct, but still doesn't answer how one gets it, how it comes. Here in Romans 10:17 we find our answer that when one hears a message by God they have a chance for faith.  Faith isn't just hope of something you want God to do, faith takes hearing a message and that message is a word of God.  So therefore it's impossible to have faith without a word from God.  Yet how misused then is the word faith today!  It's more used as a hope.  That hope may be a good thing and if it comes to pass it's a sweet joy and good to give God the thanks and glory, but if there was never a word of promise by God about it we cannot call it faith.  For example, I hope God will fundraise my salary I'm raising right now.  Yet He has not specifically told me that He will give me the exact amount I'm to raise and when I'm going to raise it by and how I'm going to raise it.  I may trust in the way I've seen Him provide for others in their fundraising and hope He'll do the same for me, but I cannot say I have faith He will do it for I have not heard a message from Him.  Based on His character I trust God will lead me, I trust He will bring me through decisions I've made, but trust and faith are not the same thing.   Bible scholar Otis Q. Sellers says in his article What is Faith?:

In the Bible, the basic act of faith is always one of taking God at His word and responding accordingly. The Godward side of faith is that God speaks and says something. The manward part is that we take Him at His word and respond in harmony with what He has said. All parts must be there or the act can never be called one of faith. In spite of the poor translation in Romans 10: 17, it is entirely true that: "Faith comes by hearing, and the hearing by the Word of God." It was “by faith" that Abraham offered up Isaac. He was being tested to see if he could take God at His Word and respond accordingly (Heb. 11:17). However, he had a direct communication from God which told him to do what he started out to accomplish.

What is one thing you have faith of God in?  What's one thing you trust God in?