From Scripture To Substance: How Hearing Activates Faith

This is episode 2 of our Foundations Of Faith Series.

Faith doesn’t grow because we try harder; it grows because we hear better. We open Romans 10:17 and explore hearing as spiritual perception—revelation that turns Scripture from information into substance. Rather than treating faith like a feeling or a finish line, we trace how God reveals what already is and how hearing activates that reality within us. Along the way, we look at the disciples’ opened understanding, Samuel finally recognizing God’s voice, and Jesus’ commands that carried their own power to heal and restore.

We talk through the difference between general knowledge and a rhema word—an utterance that lands in the heart with clarity and timing. That kind of hearing produces recognition, recognition breeds confidence, confidence leads to action, and action yields manifestation. We also grapple with the language we use every day. When our speech denies what Christ has finished, Scripture calls it corrupt communication. Colossians reminds us that all the fullness dwells in Christ and we are complete in Him, because the old handwriting against us was nailed to the cross. Aligning our words with that truth strengthens our hearing and steadies our steps.

This conversation stays practical. Meditation opens the ears of the spirit; repetition creates space for revelation; revelation produces faith. We share a simple weekly practice: read a chapter out loud until one verse speaks, then stop and let it form you. Protect what you hear, because every battle of faith is a battle over which voice you will follow. If this teaching helps you hear with your spirit and walk with greater confidence, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs encouragement. Your support helps more listeners discover solid, Scripture-centered teaching.

Transcript

Setting The Theme: Hearing And Faith

V.M. Mansfield 0:00

This is the season. This is the moment. It's a faith revealed. Welcome back to Faith Revealed. I'm VM Mansfield and today we continue our Foundations of Faith series by dealing with one of the most foundational truths in the entire kingdom. Faith does not come by effort, emotions, or willpower. It comes by hearing. What if the reason many believers struggle in faith is because that they are trying to believe without ever truly hearing. Faith does not grow by trying harder. Faith grows by hearing deeper. Romans chapter 10, verse 7 said, So faith then comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. This episode reveals the divine process by which faith is formed, strengthened, and sustained through the living word of God. I want to pause and give a big faith-revealed shout out to Greg in Valdosta, Georgia. Thank you for tuning in. Thank you for supporting this podcast and for standing with us as we dig into the Word of God together. It's listeners like you that remind us why this ministry matters. Because there are people all over the world who want to hear the scripture and hear what it actually says. We're grateful for you, Greg. We're praying for you, and we're honored to have you as part of this growing faith-revealed community. And quite frankly, without you, we probably wouldn't even be here. So, Greg, big shout out, big faith-revealed shout out to you, buddy. Thank you for everything you've done to encourage and help this podcast come to life. Uh, we truly appreciate it. Today's question comes from Alicia in California, who writes, You taught that faith is substance and evidence. If faith already exists as God's reality, what role does hearing the word play in making that reality alive inside me? What role does hearing the word play in making that reality alive inside me? Well, Alicia, that's a powerful question. And it goes right to the heart of how faith actually works. So Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance and the evidence, and that means that faith already exists. Not as a feeling, but as God's reality. God does not create reality when we believe, he reveals reality, and faith is our access to it. Okay? I'll say that again. God does not create reality when we believe, he reveals reality, and faith is our access to it. So what role does hearing the word play? Hearing is not how faith is created, hearing is how faith is activated. Okay? So Romans 10 7 said, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The word comes doesn't mean comes into existence, it means comes into manifestation. Okay, the word acts like light. When you hear it, it illuminates what already exists in the unseen. Faith was already there, but hearing gives it form inside of you. The word doesn't convince God, it awakens you, it brings alignment between your inner man and God's reality. When the word is heard, believed, received, faith moves from being objective truth to a lived reality. Okay? That's why Jesus said, take heed how you hear. Because the way you hear determines what becomes alive within you. Faith is not something you're trying to generate, it's something you're learning to receive. And hearing the word is how that unseen reality becomes substance inside of you. The word does not create faith, it gives voice to what already exists. And when faith is heard, it becomes alive. Hope that answers your question. I think I've put your question in on this episode because I think this episode is going to help answer that further in depth. Okay. We're going to work out of Romans chapter 10 and verse 17. So without further ado, let's get into it. Romans chapter 10, verse 17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word hearing is a koy, and it's defined as the act of hearing, the ear open to understand, spiritual perception. The inner faculty that receives revelation. I thought that was an interesting. That's there, by the way. The act of hearing, the ear opened to understand, spiritual perception, that's what hearing means, the inner faculty that receives revelation. That's what hearing means. Teaching us that hearing in the New Testament is not a sound entering the ear. It's revelation entering the spirit. Okay? When you when you read the word hearing, you're not talking about a tone, like be, you know, you hear that, you're hearing me. That's not hearing. Hearing is receiving the revelation in your spirit. Okay, the word of God in your spirit. The word word in the in Romans chapter verse 17 there in uh chapter 10. So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. The word word is the word rhema. It's a lot of word in one word. It's rhema, that which is spoken, an utterance, a revealed and specific word given by the Spirit. Faith is not produced by general knowledge of scripture, okay? But by a word that God speaks directly into your heart. The word cometh is to come into being, to arise, to manifest, to appear. Faith doesn't arrive gradually, it enters your spirit the moment revelation is received. So when God reveals a verse to you, or you could get this straight out of the Bible, you can just read a verse, and all of a sudden it's like a light bulb goes off, and that verse becomes one with you. That's what we're calling revelation, okay? Where it becomes alive in you. Well, that is when immediate faith takes place in that verse. So if you read by his stripes, we were healed, and that became alive in you, immediately you have the faith to be healed. Okay? So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It reveals a process that faith is not random, faith is not accidental, faith is not unpredictable. Faith is produced the same way creation was produced by God's spoken word. Hearing in this verse is not natural hearing. Many heard Jesus with their ears, but only a few actually heard him with their spirit. Okay, Isaiah chapter 55, verse 3 said, Incline your ear and come unto me. Hear that your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Listen, God ties the life of the soul to hearing. Hearing brings life. That's why it didn't profit. It wasn't mixed with faith. See, you can hear all the Bible you want to, and it means nothing to you. But it once it's mixed with faith, now we that's where the word quickens inside of you. Okay? So being mixed with faith in them that heard it. They heard the sound, but they did not receive the revelation. There is a hearing that informs, and there's a hearing that transforms. There's a hearing that informs, and there's a hearing that transforms. Okay, if it's mixed with faith, it has no choice but to transform. So let's look at hearing through the scriptures. So the disciples will take them in Luke chapter 24. We'll start in verse 44, and we'll look at 44 and 45. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. Now verse 45 says, Then he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. So they had heard the scriptures their whole life. They knew the law, they knew the prophets, they knew Moses, you know, they knew all the teachings, they knew all the psalms, they knew all these things. But when Jesus stepped out into humanity and put on flesh, they had no idea he was the walking embodiment of the fullness of everything that they had believed for. Colossians called him the image of the invisible God, the firstborn among many brethren. They had no idea. So they'd heard this all their lives. They'd read about his coming, they knew he was coming, but they they never heard, actually heard, until Jesus opened their understanding. Okay, let's look at 1 Samuel chapter 3, verse 10. And then the Lord came and stood and called, as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, speak, for thy servant heareth. Samuel had heard the voice before, but he had not recognized it. Hearing is recognition. Okay? We'll get into it. I don't want to jump ahead of myself. Let's look at the church. Revelation chapter 2, verse 7. It said, He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches. God is not talking about physical ears, he's talking about spiritual capacity. Okay, that is vitally important to understand. He's talking about spiritual capacity. Okay, faith is the child of hearing. Where there is no hearing, there can be no faith. Where there is where hearing is weak, faith is weak. But where hearing is consistent, faith becomes unstoppable. Because every battle of faith is a battle over what voice you will hear. Okay? Now that there's you some meat. You want some meat. There's you some meat. Where hearing is weak, faith is weak. But where hearing is consistent, faith becomes unstoppable. Because every battle you'll ever fight in your life is a battle of what voice you're going to listen to. Jesus said in John chapter 10, verse 27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Why? Because hearing produces recognition. Recognition produces confidence. Confidence produces action, and action produces manifestation. So how do you activate your hearing? So faith comes by hearing, uh, not by having heard. Hearing is a present tense. Okay? We've heard Messiah shall come. We've heard he'll do these great things, but they were standing there watching these things happen, and they could not follow after him and could not see because the God of this world had blinded the minds of them. Look, y'all got me fired up over here. You're about to get me preaching. Oh, listen, hearing is present tense. And I'm not one of these guys that think God changes seasons like we change socks. Okay. God is consistent. He's way, he's like a clock. He's way more consistent than we are. He's way more he's got more common sense than we do. He's far more stable than we are. Okay, but you, and I'm not saying like you point my finger at you, we, us, people, humans, you, I ain't taking this, I'm gonna blame it on you. You are unstable. Okay, so you're unstable, and your hearing is unstable. So you say, well, daddy taught 40 years ago, uh, mommy taught, granddaddy taught. Well, my old pastor, when I was my Sunday school teacher when I was a kid, you're 60 now, talk about that, you know, said that back, well, if I just do this, I'll be all right. No, Maloney, listen, hearing is present tense. Hearing must be continuous. Joshua chapter 1, verse 8 said, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night. Now we know that Jesus fulfilled the law. I'm not telling you that you can't wear uh clothes like my like my, I don't have a suit coat on now, but you know, that'd be cotton and nylon. And listen, they'd stone me to death for wearing that. Okay. So that's not what I'm putting you under by any means. Jesus said, a new commandment I write unto you, that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, and upon these hang all the law and the prophets. So that's the law that I'm talking about, the law of love, the law of grace that Jesus instituted. That's the law that Joshua or Joshua, it was prophesying. The word Joshua and the word Jesus are the same thing, by the way. Okay, they were it was prophesying that what Jesus would fulfill everything, and out of him would be birthed a brand new church of a brand new people. Now, you've heard me say before, we're not under a new covenant. We have the original covenant that was restored back unto Adam, where God will dwell in us, he'll walk in us, he'll be our God, and we'll be his sons. The new people were the Gentiles. That's you and I. Most of us, if not all of us, that watch this broadcast is definitely a Gentile. Okay. So we could not have access to it. So the new church is the one that Jesus gave the new law to, which was love, the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor is yourself, and upon these hang on the law and the prophets. That law shall never depart out of my mouth, but shall meditate therein day and night. Meditation opens the ears of the spirit. Repetition produces revelation. Now I know that I'm gonna get some mail on that one, so bring it on. I want to hear it. Meditation opens the ear of the spirit, repetition produces the revelation, and you're gonna love this. Revelation produces faith. So how do you figure this? Ephesians chapter 4, verse 29 said, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Okay, the corruption is speaking against faith. It is speaking against what God has already revealed. Let me give you an example. By his stripes you were healed. To say there's no healing available is corrupt communication. If God stretched forth your hand and you say it's crippled, I can't do that. It's a corrupt communication. If the scripture says, Colossians chapter 2, verse 8, beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Verse 9 says, For in him dwelleth all fullness of the Godhead bodily. Verse 10 says, And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. 11, in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sin of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Verse 12, buried with him in baptism. Wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead. Verse 13. Now watch, this is so cool. And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he made alive together with him, having forgiven you of all trespasses. Verse 14, blotting out the handwriting of ordinance, that was against us. That was the law. That was what people call the law of Moses. That's what he's talking about, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Verse 15 goes on to say, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, to say he's only a small part of the Godhead is a corrupt communication. To say, I'm not complete, King James says, perfect. You're you're uh be ye perfect. Listen, the word is complete, okay? And that's a corrupt communication to say, well, I'm not complete. The Bible said you're complete in him which is the head of all principality and power. Okay, so to say you're not is a corrupt communication. Everyone focuses on the physical process that we call death, which the Bible in actuality deals very little with. Okay. And to say, well, we're all gonna die one day, you know, we all gotta die, that's a corrupt communication. You're dead to sin. You've been buried with him in baptism. You don't bury the living, you bury the dead. A person in baptism, you're raised, uh, you're raised with him in the power of his resurrection to walk in the newness of life, where you shall ever be with the Lord. Okay. So let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth. He blotted out the handwriting of ordinance that was against us. It blotted out the handwriting of ordinance that was against you. That's the law. It was contrary to you. It wouldn't let you have access to God. You were a Gentile. There was no salvation for you. There was No healing for you. Okay? There was no forgiveness for you. There was no victory for you. There was no triumph for you. And there was definitely no kingdom of God available to you. Ever or ever would it be available to you? Until now, until he nailed it to his cross. That which was contrary to you, to his cross. Okay? Second Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. That was a lot. I know you love that one. That was an absolute lot. But we all, with open face, beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory. Even as the Spirit of the Lord. You become what you behold. You believe what you hear, and you walk in what you receive. I'll say that again. You become what you behold, you believe what you hear, and you walk in what you receive. That's why it's vital that you you protect what you hear. Make sure you're hearing the Bible. Key takeaway. I want to give you something here. Faith is not produced by wishing, it's not produced by striving, it's not produced by struggling. Faith is produced when the living word of God opens your spiritual ears and revelation enters your spirit. Okay? There is no way around accessing faith other than the way the Bible instructs us to access faith. You cannot just strive your way along into faith. That doesn't work. That never worked. It's never going to work. You can't struggle harder and say, well, I'm getting more faith. Sorry. That's not real. That's actually a corrupt communication. We don't do that. Faith comes by hearing. Okay, hearing and hearing by the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. Okay, the Rhema word, the spoken word of God. If God said, Stretch forth your hand, like we said, and you say, Well, it's crippled. I can't do that. It's a corrupt communication. Jesus told the man with the withered hand, stretch forth your hand. He didn't pray over him. He didn't say, Yea, I say unto thee, my son, thou shalt be healed. No, he didn't do any of that. He said, Stretch forth your hand. And when he said, Stretch forth your hand, the guy didn't hesitate. He stretched forth his hand. And guess what? He was healed. Take up your bed and walk. Well, I've been crippled for 45 years. I'm just going to lay here and die. Well, no, the guy didn't do that. He picked up his bed and he took off and he walked. Why? Because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And if you don't hear Jesus directly speaking, get in the word of God. It's all in there. That's where I got it all from. Okay, I want you to pray this. We're going to pray together. I want you to pray with me, say, Lord, open my ears to hear. Open my ears to hear your word with revelation. I want you to pray that. I want you to mean it too. I want you to confess this. Say, I hear with my spirit, and faith rises in me. I hear with my spirit, and faith rises in me. Now, I'm going to give you a task. Every week you get a task. Here's your task for the week. Set aside some time this week to read one chapter out loud. Don't just read it in your head or audiobook it. Read it out loud until a single verse speaks to you. And when that verse speaks to you, stop right there. That is the Rhema word. Okay? I want you to do it and pay attention to it. That's the Rhema word. Okay? The word of God does not just inform me. Okay, I want you to think this when you when this happens. The word of God does not just inform me, it forms me. So it doesn't inform me, it forms me. Okay? And that is that is what I want you to do. That's your task for the week. And that is where we're going to stop for the day. So let this word settle in you. Let it establish faith inside of you, and let it guide your steps. And I trust that it's it's been a blessing to you. If faith revealed has helped you to understand the word or strengthened your walk with God or increased faith within you, would you take just 30 seconds and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Your review helps this teaching reach believers who are hungry for truth and sound doctrine. It is one simple way that you can help spread the word. It doesn't cost you a dime. It just takes 30 seconds of your time. And while you're at it, please share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and teaching from the word. If you're listening on YouTube, make sure to subscribe and turn on the notifications so you don't miss future teachings. Don't forget we have this on this is videoed podcast. So if you're listening on audio, there is a video available on YouTube. You can find it. All the stuff in the description, all the links will be in the description. Thank you for being part of this community. And until the next time, may God continually bless you abundantly. Thank you for tuning in to Faith Revealed. Please subscribe, share, and join our email list to receive our monthly magazine and teaching updates, keeping you rooted in the Word. We appreciate you keeping us in your prayers, and we will see you next week right here on Faith Revealed.