How Do We Acquire Faith?

Mike Johnson

 There are many views concerning the means by which people acquire faith.  Some people say that the alien sinner is to pray for faith.  Others may say that God miraculously strikes a person with faith, and they may cite how they received “theirs” one day in a cornfield.  We need to consider what the Bible has to say on this subject.  The subjective feelings and speculations of men matter little.

The subject of how to acquire faith is very important because faith is very important.  Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Further, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Thus, since faith is essential, it is important to know how to acquire faith.

The teaching of the Scriptures on this subject is very clear.  God’s Word, the Bible, is where we acquire our faith.  Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  Furthermore, John 20:31 shows us the effect of the recorded miracles of Christ.  It says, “But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. . . .”  In John 17, Jesus prayed for unity among his apostles.  He stated, “Neither pray I for them alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.”  Thus, according to Jesus, belief would come by the preaching of the Apostles.  The conversion cases illustrate this point also.  With the Corinthians, for example (Acts 18:8), it was a matter of them hearing, believing, and being baptized. (Note also: Acts 15:7, 11:13-14; Luke 8:12.)

Many do not have faith, or become weak in faith because they have not turned to or have turned away from the source of faith.  That source is the Bible; it is the producer of our faith.