There’s a moment when hearing turns into conviction. When the Word doesn’t just speak, it cuts to the heart. That’s where faith begins and obedience is born.
Faith Begins with Hearing
There is a difference between hearing words and being changed by truth. You can listen to sermons, sing songs, and memorize verses, but until the Word cuts to your heart, it remains sound without substance.
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’”
— Acts 2:37 (NKJV)
That question revealed their hearts were ready to obey. They didn’t argue or delay. They wanted to be made right with God.
My Own Moment of Hearing
For years, I thought hearing and believing were enough. I prayed, rededicated my life over and over, sang in choirs, and served faithfully. But deep inside, I knew something was missing.
In 2019, after watching Leah Remini’s Scientology and the Aftermath series, I saw a woman realize that everything she had trusted was false. It shook me. I prayed that I would never live my life thinking I was in the truth when I wasn’t.
Then, in 2021, after losing my husband, I began searching for peace the world couldn’t give. Through that season of grief, the true Gospel reached me. It wasn’t complicated or emotional. It was clear and urgent.
That Friday night, around 8 p.m., I was baptized into Christ for the remission of my sins. I didn’t hesitate. I followed the same pattern the believers in Acts 2 did. From that moment, my hearing turned into obedience, and my obedience turned into new life.
The Power of Hearing Rightly
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
Faith doesn’t begin with imagination or emotion. It begins with hearing the truth of God’s Word. But hearing is only the beginning. Faith that saves is faith that obeys.
Peter didn’t tell the people to accept Jesus into their hearts. He told them:
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
— Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
Hearing leads to faith. Faith leads to obedience. Obedience leads to salvation. The same pattern still stands.
When the Word Cuts the Heart
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…”
— Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
The Word of God divides truth from deception and life from death. When it pierces your heart, it demands a response. That’s what happened to me. The Gospel confronted me. It exposed what was false and revealed what was true. It showed me that sincerity without obedience is still disobedience.
The Response That Still Saves
The same question asked in Acts 2 is the question every believer must ask today: “What shall we do?”
The answer hasn’t changed. The Gospel hasn’t changed. The Savior hasn’t changed.
To hear the Word rightly means to respond fully. To repent, confess, and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Anything less is partial faith, and partial faith cannot save.
“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
— Acts 2:47 (NKJV)
Reflection
What have you heard that you haven’t yet obeyed?
Has your faith moved beyond hearing to action?
If the Word has pierced your heart, don’t delay. Obey the Gospel while there’s still time.
Call to Action
If you’ve been cut to the heart by the truth, begin your own journey through The Entrance: 5-Day Devotional.
It will walk you step by step through the same Gospel the first believers obeyed.
Download it now and let the Word of God lead you into the obedience of faith.
Finding a Faithful Congregation
The same Gospel that saves also gathers. In Acts 2, those who obeyed the message were “added to the church” and “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship.”
You were never meant to walk this new life alone. The Church that Christ built is not a denomination. It is the body of believers who have obeyed the same Gospel you’ve heard here.
If you’ve obeyed the Gospel, seek a faithful congregation near you that teaches and practices what the first believers did:
- The same Gospel message (Acts 2:38)
- The same worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24)
- The same unity of faith and purpose (Ephesians 4:4–5)
If you have not yet obeyed the Gospel and don’t know where to begin, visit the “How to Find a Church of Christ” section on our Resources page for step-by-step help in locating a sound congregation near you.
Your faith begins with hearing, but it flourishes in fellowship. Obedience joins you to Christ; gathering joins you to His people.