Romans 10:17 English Standard Version (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Abraham is the father of three religious faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. If we study each of these religions the word faith has different definitions. Since we are Christians then how we come about to understand what faith means to us is defined here in Romans 10:17.

What has God said to you through His Word, Jesus Christ, that gives you meaning as He has shown you where faith is concerned?

I could tell you what this verse says to me but  then I would be trying to convince you of what I believe. I have to live with myself and in accordance with what the Word tells me. I don’t get to pick and choose what others should believe about faith, that is between you and God.

I will not argue that point with the other two religions for they clearly leave Christ out of the definition. If I were to give my understanding of what true faith is then some might agree. Others would understand and hold my believe as nothing more than an opinion and hold to their own understanding. It is more important that we live by it than it is to define it.

Habakkuk 2:4 English Standard Version (ESV) “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Romans 1:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The connection between OT and NT using the word faith is directly tied to right actions  defined as faithfulness, to do as we are commanded. That has not changed from OT to NT, God is in charge. God’s will predominates.

How we know His will and how we can act on His will are both tied to faith.

Faith ties His will and our obedience together.

Romans 16:26 English Standard Version (ESSV) but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

2 Peter 1:4 English Standard Version (ESV) by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

A few of us are in an on-line bible studies together. The devotional today was about character. I had written a devotional myself two days ago about God’s Character. Now as I open up my bible studies the opening verse is this one from 2 Peter 1:4 and it fits in perfectly well.

There is a sense of timing in which a pastor had his say, I had my say, and the editors over at Bibledateway had their say. Independent from one another it is only the Holy Spirit that connects us in any way.

So this is what God has today. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

That is a direct quote that was stirred up in my mind by the Lord who holds my heart in His hands. It is not a word of prophecy and should not be taken as such. It only holds meaning to those of us that are here to receive it during the events that are current in our experience.

Will that touch anyone else’s life? I don’t know. That is for God to decide. All I can do is bear witness to what is currently going on in my life and a few friends. I think it is very possible that this happens to others I don’t even know. I can believe in that possibility because that promise Peter speaks about is given to us all.

We have His promises in common. We have His Spirit in common. His Word abides in us in different languages and versions but it is the same Word, Jesus Christ.

The Word is alive because Christ is alive and ruling in our hearts by faith.

We use the word faith as if it is a religion with comments like “What’s your faith?” Faith, true faith, is a gift from God to us to use in this life with Christ. We walk by faith, we do not walk by religion.

How we define faith defines our walk with Christ.

Romans 10:17 English Standard Version (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.