Author: Carlos Alonso Vargas, from Árbol de Vida in San José, Costa Rica.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17)
This passage describes in reverse a process we can benefit from—first it mentions the outcome of the process, which is faith. Actually, the first step is the word of Christ, spoken or written; then we hear that word, and finally, as a result, faith is elicited in our hearts. The word of Christ is, of course, the message about Christ; but in a deeper sense it can also be “the word that is Christ”, that is, Christ Himself, the eternal Word of God.
Whether we listen to the message of Christ for the first time or in our ongoing Christian life, and whether this message comes to us through a friend or through someone preaching in a Christian setting, or when we read Scripture, it is Christ Himself that is speaking to us. Christ is the Word of God, and he has the power to generate faith in our hearts.
But, are we really listening? Have we actually opened our hearts to let the word of Christ resound inside us to produce faith? And, more importantly, are we allowing this faith to shape our daily lives and to transform us into better disciples of Christ?
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recent Posts:
The Gift of the Magi
Jesus: a portrait of humility
The People of Advent
God in Bethlehem’s Cave
Our communities:
This is an interactive map of our communities, movements and outreaches. You can search the map by clicking and dragging. Communities are identified by the Sword of the Spirit logo, outreaches and movements are identified by a colored pin.
Some locations are approximate. To see a complete list of all communities click on the icon next to the map’s title.