So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17

Scripture reading: Romans 10

In what way is the church called to carry out her mission. First of all, we must emphasize the centrality of the preaching of the Word. As we will see tomorrow, we are called to be witnesses in all of everyday life. But the primary means that God uses to create faith in the hearts of His people is always the preached Word. As Paul says in Romans 10: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:14, 17).

It is because we are concerned with the church’s mission that we must emphasize the importance of preaching: the announcement of who Jesus is and what He has done in His death and resurrection together with the call to respond with faith in that good news.

The church today is tempted to neglect this means of grace in favour of other methods. But just as the Word is the means by which God spoke and called this creation into existence, so the Word is the means by which God calls forth the new creation of faith in our hearts: “. ..since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).

Suggestions for prayer

That God would supply us with faithful preaching, that He would encourage our confidence in His use of the preached Word and that the Word would bear fruit in our lives and in the church’s mission.

This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho.