Where Faith Comes From

Bulletin

Dan Peters
05/19/24 - Faith

If we ask the person on the street, “where does faith come from”? He might say, “you either believe or you don’t”. If we ask a Calvinist, he would say, “the Holy Spirit has to make you believe” (which is also erroneous). If we asked the apostle Paul, he would say, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). The more we hear about Christ, the evidence piles up to the point we are persuaded to believe, to follow, to obey. The evidence is overwhelming, but you have to be willing to “hear”. So give Christ your time. Now just before Paul said that faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17), he quoted a scripture (10:16) in the Old Testament that was writing down about 700 years before Jesus was born.
“However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “ LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” (Rom. 10:16). The Capital letters in the New American Standard Bible translation tells us it is a direct quote from the Old Testament, this one happens to be from Isaiah 53:1 in our Bibles. Isaiah 53 is all about Christ. Paul just quotes the first sentence of the chapter, but if we read that chapter in whole, you will be convinced it is Jesus.
“the arm of the Lord” 53:1 is, part of, being of, the LORD. Jesus is God and human (Isaiah 7:14).
Jesus was not physically “attractive” 53:2.
Jesus was “despised and forsaken” 53:3
Jesus was “pierced through for our transgressions” 53:5 (the soldier pierced his side John 19:34)
Jesus received a “scourging” 53:5 (The Roman scourging found in the New Testament (Mat. 27:26 etc.)
Jesus paid the price for all, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isa. 53:6).
Jesus was “cut off out of the land of the living” (53:8), not because he was guilty but “For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due” (53:8).
Jesus, “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death” 53:9 He dies between two wicked thieves, and buried in an extremely expensive tomb, “a rich man from Arimatthea” (Matt. 27:57-60).
Jesus, arose from the dead, “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death…” 53:12. How can he give away riches after he dies? The resurrection is obviously implied.
Want to hear more from Isaiah who wrote in the Jewish Bible, in the Hebrew Language, 700 years before it happened. But it happened! All of it and more. More hearing, more faith.
Dan Peters