How do we know faith comes from hearing the word of God?

Romans 10:17 affirms, 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' This fundamental truth reveals that true faith is not based on human works but is a response to God's revelation through His Word. Throughout Scripture, we see that God's message has the power to give life to spiritually dead hearts. Like the thief on the cross, who likely possessed very limited knowledge, the crucial element was that he had heard Christ speak and recognized his need for salvation, displaying that faith is a divine gift birthed through hearing the gospel. It reminds us to place our focus on the proclamation of Scripture since that is where God declares His truth and grants faith.