Got Faith?

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Beloved,

Faith is no small matter for the Christian. The Christian lives by faith and not by sight. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Faith is no small thing.   Faith is essential for our lives for without faith it is impossible to please God. But we are not talking about a generic faith, but a specific faith.  We must have faith “IN” God.  All faith must have an object where the faith is pointed. The only faith that pleases God is a faith that has its object “In” Him. 

There are three things in this verse that we can learn about faith.  First, faith is required for people to draw near to God.  Without faith, people will not come to God.  So we must pray for ourselves and others to have faith so that we will draw near to God. Secondly, our faith is grounded in the existence of God. If God exists, then we are accountable to Him.  Therefore we do not live for ourselves, but we live to serve the Living God.  Jeremiah 10:10a,” But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King.”

Thirdly, our faith must believe that God rewards those who seek Him.  Following after God is never in vain.  God always rewards those who seek after Him. Three times in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18).  Jesus wants his people to know that God rewards those who seek him.  Jesus said to his disciples, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” 

Beloved, the aim of our lives should be to please God. Therefore we must hold fast in faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him for without this faith it is impossible to please God. And always remember, the greatest reward of faith is not the many material and earthly blessings, but that we receive God Himself and eternal life through faith in the Son of God.  “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life;” (1 John 5:10-11a). 

In Christ,

Pastor Dave