Hebrews 11
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction [evidence] of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval.
6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Pleasing Faith
Faith is a common buzz word in today’s culture. It is used heavily to describe anything from a spiritual person, to someone who promotes cause and even someone who pushes thru a trial in their life. Phrases like, “Keep the faith”, “Just have faith”, “My faith got me thru”, “He’s a man of faith” and my personal favorite, “He had faith in himself”, are overused as examples of what faith is.
But is that really what faith is?
According to this verse, faith is being assured of something without seeing the evidence. Basically, it is believing without seeing, trusting in the word of another without tangible proof. Now without getting mystical, our faith in God is not without reason or proof. There is more evidence in this universe that speaks to the person of God than there is evidence that George Washington ever lived. Christian faith is not a weak, blind faith. It is grounded in truth and reality.
Where the “faith” part comes in is in relation to God’s promises of who He is and what He has and will do. The evidence for God is overwhelming, but the evidence for the future is not. We only have His word. We cannot see the future with our own eyes and so therefore, we must have faith in what we know of God and what He promises.
The second facet of this is that people have only ever gained approval from God when they have exercised the faith He has given them. Old Testament people were saved by faith, belief in God. New Testament people are saved by faith in God, specifically in what God did thru His Son on the cross. That faith evidences itself in obedient behavior to God.
But here’s the kicker: Faith is not in a what, but a who! Having faith is useless unless the object of your faith is something worth believing in. Notice the second part of verse 6. Not only can you not please God without faith, but you must believe who He is and what He does. Basically, you must have faith that He exists and His character is what He said it was and is.
Having faith without appropriating it on the correct object is like believing that if I faith in my ability to fly, I will be able to transcend gravity when I jump off of the roof of my house. I simply must believe strong enough.
Whoops! Faith must be grounded in truth. Truth is reality. God is truth (notice I did not say truth is God, because God is a person, not a mystical force or presence. God creates all truth because in Him there is no lie).
So what about faith in yourself? Why would you want any kind of belief in a fallen, frail, sinful and finite being when you could have faith in an infinite, holy, perfect and all-powerful God?
I think that “faith in ourselves” is better phrased “faith in what God can do thru me”. Then, my faith is still being directed to the correct person and my trust is in Him for strength and not myself!
Is your faith pleasing? Is it focused and directed to God?
It’s not mystical. It is simply taking Him at His Word and living as though everything He said has already come true, even if it still has yet to!
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction [evidence] of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval.
6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Pleasing Faith
Faith is a common buzz word in today’s culture. It is used heavily to describe anything from a spiritual person, to someone who promotes cause and even someone who pushes thru a trial in their life. Phrases like, “Keep the faith”, “Just have faith”, “My faith got me thru”, “He’s a man of faith” and my personal favorite, “He had faith in himself”, are overused as examples of what faith is.
But is that really what faith is?
According to this verse, faith is being assured of something without seeing the evidence. Basically, it is believing without seeing, trusting in the word of another without tangible proof. Now without getting mystical, our faith in God is not without reason or proof. There is more evidence in this universe that speaks to the person of God than there is evidence that George Washington ever lived. Christian faith is not a weak, blind faith. It is grounded in truth and reality.
Where the “faith” part comes in is in relation to God’s promises of who He is and what He has and will do. The evidence for God is overwhelming, but the evidence for the future is not. We only have His word. We cannot see the future with our own eyes and so therefore, we must have faith in what we know of God and what He promises.
The second facet of this is that people have only ever gained approval from God when they have exercised the faith He has given them. Old Testament people were saved by faith, belief in God. New Testament people are saved by faith in God, specifically in what God did thru His Son on the cross. That faith evidences itself in obedient behavior to God.
But here’s the kicker: Faith is not in a what, but a who! Having faith is useless unless the object of your faith is something worth believing in. Notice the second part of verse 6. Not only can you not please God without faith, but you must believe who He is and what He does. Basically, you must have faith that He exists and His character is what He said it was and is.
Having faith without appropriating it on the correct object is like believing that if I faith in my ability to fly, I will be able to transcend gravity when I jump off of the roof of my house. I simply must believe strong enough.
Whoops! Faith must be grounded in truth. Truth is reality. God is truth (notice I did not say truth is God, because God is a person, not a mystical force or presence. God creates all truth because in Him there is no lie).
So what about faith in yourself? Why would you want any kind of belief in a fallen, frail, sinful and finite being when you could have faith in an infinite, holy, perfect and all-powerful God?
I think that “faith in ourselves” is better phrased “faith in what God can do thru me”. Then, my faith is still being directed to the correct person and my trust is in Him for strength and not myself!
Is your faith pleasing? Is it focused and directed to God?
It’s not mystical. It is simply taking Him at His Word and living as though everything He said has already come true, even if it still has yet to!
Great lesson and reminder. I'm glad my computer worked well enough for me to be able to read your entire post...unlike all last week. =)
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