August 3, 2017 IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD ?
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who seek Him.
Yes, it is impossible to please God-without faith. One may give to the church, may visit the sick, may teach a bible class, may be a good citizen, but yet does not please God if what he is doing does not flow out his faith in God. Faith is a very common word that is often over used, and it is likely that we have become insensitive to the practical outworking of true faith. Hebrews 11:1 in just a few words gives a clear definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Chapter eleven of Hebrews is known as the faith chapter, and as you read this chapter, it becomes obvious that biblical faith is expressed in action. In James 2:26 we read “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” Looking again at Hebrews 11:6, we see that faith is at work when one comes to God believing that He is God. Everything hinges on whether or not one believes that God is God! Many reject or deny that God, thus revealing their total lack of faith. In this same verse we see that as one comes to God, he must believe that God rewards those who come to Him, and perhaps it is the belief that God is good and that He rewards those who come to Him is what causes one to come to God. I have often heard it said that we sit in a chair because we have faith that it will support us. However, that is not a good example of faith because we can see the chair and we can see that it is sturdy and that it will hold our weight. Faith, on the other hand, is the “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In Luke 7, we find the account of the Roman centurion who had a servant who was sick and near the point of death. This centurion had heard about Jesus and when Jesus came near his house, he simply asked Jesus just to ‘say the word’ so that his servant could be healed. Jesus response to those following Him was “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Faith comes out of believing that God is God, that He is always good, and that He is all-powerful. Another important aspect of faith is that we cannot take credit for our faith, for faith is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8) As seen in Hebrews 11, we do not always see with our physical sight the fulfillment of what we have faith for, but even so, we continue to believe that God is God and that He is faithful. Each of us have personal things which call for us to exercise our faith in God, and God has spoken to all of us through His word and has given us numerous promises. We must examine ourselves to see if we indeed have faith in what God has said and are we looking forward to the fulfillment of every word He has spoken and every promise He has given. May we believe that God is God, and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Romans 1:17: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed