71. Faith
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The promise here is that faith comes by hearing the word of God. The word of God includes listening to the proclamation of Law and Gospel, which encompasses and fills the written Scriptures and the spoken Word. The faith referred to in this context is saving faith, the faith that saves, the faith that justifies. The Holy Spirit works the miracle of faith in Jesus when the Gospel is heard. Faith may or may not be increased and strengthened every time we hear the Gospel but it will be confirmed. It is not the amount or the strength of faith that saves, but it is the person who is the object of faith that saves. A flickering wick will not go, a bruised reed will not break, and mustard seed faith is enough to save. Even a little faith is enough.
Faith is engendered by the Holy Spirit; but it does not come out of the blue, nor out of thin air, nor from within the person; the Holy Spirit works through Word and Sacrament. The Holy Spirit uses the preached Gospel to create faith in the heart of the believer. When that faith is born the believing person is saved. The infant “hears” the Gospel in Holy Baptism; the adult “sees” the Gospel in Holy Communion; but very often the child or adult receives the Gospel when he hears the Word of God, spoken or written in understandable terms of Law and Gospel.
We don’t see faith; and, although it sometimes happens, we don’t usually feel faith. We just believe. The Word of God has that kind of power to bring faith upon the hearing (or the reading) of it. The Holy Spirit works this miracle by the Gospel, because foolish reason cannot figure it out, fickle emotions don’t feel it, and the recalcitrant will cannot choose to receive it; but “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” [I Corinthians 1:21].
The promise of faith gives us all the assurance we need: Did you hear the Gospel? Did you believe it? You are saved. We need to hear the Gospel as often as humanly possible to solidify us in the faith (faith comes). Then with God’s help we can face the challenges and problems of each day.