Romans: Faith By Hearing
Whenever I am thinking about ‘faith’, I think of two quotes:
- “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Heb 11:1
- On Conversion, “It is not like a figure cut into stone or a seal impressed into wax, which knows nothing about it, which neither sees nor wills it.” SD, II, 89
The first quote we all know. The second is from our Lutheran Confessions, specifically the Solid Declaration. This document was written by the Lutheran Reformers years after Luther’s death. There was a lot of confusion among Reformers and these men prepared documents to answer the questions. I like this quote because it shows that these Theologians thought of Faith as an impression but didn’t like that imagery because it ignores the overall change that happens in a person.
I happen to like the image of God stamping you with Faith at some point in your life. The difference is that the impression is understandable and brings comfort to your heart. It is even something that you recognize about yourself, not something you choose. We react to this stamping.
We are continuing in Romans 10 this Sunday. Come and listen as we explore what Paul wrote about God’s impression in verses 14-17, specifically, “So Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Preaching of Christ.”
-Pastor Kyle