Faith feeds upon the Word about Christ, growing and growing as we have more of that Word. It should go without saying that I am not exalting the printed page above the living Lord Jesus Christ. The Word about Christ is not to be taken as a mechanical detached thing, but as that which leads us into the heart of all that he is and all that he came to do for us. It is not by reading the Bible through and through or by memorizing chapters and verses that one is going to grow in faith. Reading the Bible is important and memorizing scripture is important, but faith must be rooted more deeply than the mind and memory. It is the personal absorption of the truth that is going to cause growth in the life of faith. The secret of faith is a simple one. It is feeding upon Jesus Christ. This is of the utmost importance in developing our christian life and experience. Faith comes from a message that is heard. Faith does not come from a message that is merely listened to. This is what our Lord meant when He said more than once, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” We sing a hymn at times, “More about Jesus in His Word, holding communion with my Lord, hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying — mine.” Now it is that absorption of truth which enriches faith. It is here that we find the inner meaning of what the gospel mean when it tells us that we must eat Christ’s flesh and drink His blood. Christ said, “Everyone therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath eternal life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Donald Grey Barnhouse
