2 Peter 1:1
“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:”
Where does faith come from? Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” As we read the bible and hear it taught, we gain faith. This is possible because of the nature of God’s Word.
Jesus talked about the bible being a living book (Hebrews 4:12). This is illustrated in the gospels (Matthew 13) in the parable of the sower. The seed is the bible. As it’s heard, it goes into the soil (our hearts) and takes root. Part of the fruit of this growth is faith. It’s not conjured up on our own efforts. It’s born within us.
Faith must be fed. The seed of God’s word grows into a plant. Our faith is like that. It’s to be watered and cared for. This is done by the same way it was planted, by reading and hearing the bible. For our faith to grow and be strong and alive, we must be in the bible.
This is different from agreeing to a set of beliefs. That’s knowledge, not faith. It must be intentionally tended to. Just like a friendship requires time, so does our relationship with The Lord. Are we an acquaintance or a friend of God? To be His friend, we must have faith. That comes by being being in and responding to His Word.
Lord, thank You for Your Word and the faith that it produces. Help us to stay in it and have a healthy, vibrant faith