God has said that without faith in Him, it is impossible for man to please Him. First, how can we find true forgiveness from our sins if we do not have the faith to believe that God is who He says He is? “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith, the ability and desire to believe those realities you cannot see. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it, the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:1-3). Believing in something that is nonexistent or false, simply because you choose to do so, is not exercising true faith but foolishness. Many people believe in things that are imprudent. It will accomplish them no good end. Proper faith has reason and will accomplish a welcomed purpose. Faith placed in the proper place and on the proper personage will achieve those things known as desirable. Faith has reason and will cause the believer to grow. God will not let true faith go unrewarded. Faith, or the lack of it, is not an excuse or justification for doing what is improper or evil. Just because you choose to doubt God’s greatness and benevolence, you will not be given reparation for your so-called self-perpetuated innocence. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). God’s Word has been provided unto all men, and its instructions and revelations give us insight into all truth. As we hear what God has to say, by faith, it behooves us to accept and practice its principals. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:13-16
By faith, we receive the promises of God. As we trust upon God, He will increase our faith and allow us to grow in His wisdom and knowledge. True faith is living a life of abundance; it is by our faith that we experience God’s true blessings. Without faith, we cannot walk with God, and without faith, we will have no real structure or conformity. It is our faith in Him that causes us to desire His leadership and direction. It is our faith that assures us of His presence and dependability. It is our faith in Him that will take us to that better home with Him “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10). We must, therefore, live by faith if we are to please Him. If we choose to rely upon our own intellect, then we must be ready to accept the penalty for doing so. How do you willingly deny the words or actions that God has given you to live by and convince yourself that there will be no retribution? To do this, you must first consider God to be a fool or, at best, a liar and that He is not truly concerned about His words or His relationship to His creation. He has said that we must live by faith, and if we are willing to do so, He will not allow us to be forgotten. God loves all of His children, but He is only going to bless those who willingly obey His commands. Faith is the willingness to trust in His word, to rely upon His goodness, and to know that He will always be found faithful. We would not have faith in a god of unfulfilled promises, and without His ability to bring about all He has sworn to do; we would have reason for doubt.
God has not promised to meet our every need so that, after an extended period of time, we will eventually begin trusting Him, and to think so is utter nonsense. Everything God does is an expression of love; He does not rely upon gimmicks or schemes. Do you, as a parent, continually reward your disobedient children, hoping that one day they will see your good intentions? Do you think that rewarding disobedience is justifiable? God has made many promises to His children, and in His righteousness, He will keep His word. To obtain His promises, we must first obey, but to refuse His commands will cause our chastisement. As it has been said, there is a time and a purpose for everything; everything has an order. As we open our ears to hear the promises of a loving God, in our minds, we must then allow our thoughts to believe the truth of His Word. We can then, in our hearts, accept His assurance and our need to rely upon His promises; in essence, we learn to live by faith. Faith comes first, but we do not gain faith by our own volition. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above ( James 1:17a ). As God is the giver of every good gift, He is also the giver of our faith. As quoted previously, the Bible states that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is not the unjustifiable actions of fool-hearty man, it is man profoundly knowing the power and importance of an omnipotent God. Faith is not placing your hope in what should be considered as impractical; it is faith that gives us the hope of all that is profitable and desireable. Faith, like other attributes, comes from God; we do not gain anything that we possess by any means other than a loving God. God gives us the ability and the desire to love; He gives us the ability and the desire to trust Him by His constantly providing our needs. He also gives us the faith to believe and to trust Him as He fulfills what He has promised He would do. To live by faith is to know the true goodness of an almighty God, a God without question or reproach. If He has said He would do it, He will do it. He is not able to lie and would not do so if He were able; that attribute is left to His adversary, the father of lies, Satan. To live by faith is to know that, without a doubt, every need in your life will be provided; that is to say, everything necessary for your daily, as well as eternal, existence will be met. There will be no slip-ups or errors allowed; God is about perfection, total perfection.
It has been said that true faith is blind; and. as we close our eyes to the indecencies of this world, we will be guided by His unmatchable power. Faith in a sense can be compared to or defined as our spiritual eyes. Truly there are more things that are unseen then those things our eyes can see. If we allow ourselves to discard the frivolous and the unnecessary, we can see what God truly wants us to witness. Unless we are willing to go where He is leading, we will never see all that He has intended for us to imagine; we will never receive all that He has intended to give. God’s grace truly provides us more than we can visualize; and, as He leads, we will be shown, by our faith in Him, the magnificence of His perfect will. True faith is being held within the unfailing hands of Jesus. Without craving His wonderful goodness, we will never trust in His power and grace. Without faith, the Bible says it is impossible to please Him. This statement has often intrigued me in this way. God says that we cannot please Him without having faith in Him, but he also says that we cannot have faith unless He gives it to us. This, to me, seems to be saying that in the realm of faith, I can do nothing without Him. Before I can have faith in Him, He must give it to me. If he does not give it to me, I cannot please Him (Hebrews 11:6). This one incident shows us the importance of God’s Word in the lives of His children as well as in the lives of humanity as a whole. God gave us His Son to die, but just as important, He gave us His infallible Word as evidence of His inexhaustible love. If He had not died, we would have no hope; but, if we did not know about His dying, how could we believe in something, someone we knew nothing about? As we gain faith by reading His Word, we also gain the truth about who He is and what He has done to redeem us.
Faith can only be given us when, by the revelation of the Holy Ghost, we are shown the true evidences of God’s immortal existence. To have faith, we must first believe that He exists and that He has the power over all things. Without faith, I know that I would not recognize the awesome power and presence of an eternal God and would, in fact, disbelieve in His existence. Faith must be given to us in small increments or measures because we as sinful man cannot grasp the total magnificence of His matchless splendor. As we lean upon Him each day we are privileged to see what only He alone can see. That may sound impossible and confusing, but it is God’s intention that we see Him as He truly is. God will reveal Himself unto His children; and, as we view what He has intended, we will become more in harmony to His will. He will not show me those things I am not ready to see; but, as I become anxious to know Him, He will reveal Himself more clearly. As I see Him for who and what He truly is, I will be willing to give more of myself. The relationship or bond between my God and me is allowed to grow as I see Him at work, not only in my own life but in the world as a whole. There is nothing more wonderful than the relationship between a man and his God. There is nothing more powerful than the faith that is there to bind them. Faith is the confirmation of those things that are promised and revealed, the true evidence of those things that are assured and needed.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:1-5. Many of the lost do not believe there is a God. The only justifiable reason to deny God’s existence would be that He did not exist, but then you must explain the phenomenon of life itself. To create a much bigger question by refusing to accept what has, by creation, already been proven is pure absurdity. I am sure that God’s intent for His creation was not that they waste their precious time denying the truth and then having to continually perpetuate foolish possibilities to explain away His marvelous reality.
To me, believing there is a God is only exercising my common sense, and to not believe would be foolish. I believe myself to be smart and reasonable enough to acknowledge that there is a presence in this world much greater than myself, and I feel a peace and calm knowing this higher presence will protect and sustain me. Unlike many, I do not believe that just knowing He exists is sufficient. Without my personal relationship with Him, it becomes impossible for His existence to work any significant purpose in my life. Just to know the truth without applying it to your daily living is not beneficial. If this were not so, if I were not being granted His protection and deliverance, I know deep within my heart I would not have been given the grace that has provided me many years of life upon this earth. For me to believe that everything is a mere happenstance is preposterous. Without using what I know His Word has told me, I have at times suggested to myself that everything in life is relative. To gain a deeper understanding, I have toyed with the possibility that God did not exist or, at least, was not as important as many consider Him to be. No matter how completely I tried to imagine a world, a universe, without a supreme overseer, I was always led back to the undeniable conclusion that the only impossibility was that He did not exist. Whether we call Him God or use one of His other titles of excellence, His existence is undeniable; it is not in doubt. Whether we are talking about faith or any other truth or characteristic of God, I know and readily agree that I am totally dependent upon Him and His love for me. I can do nothing without Him, and if I would consider this in a worldly demeanor, I would feel worthless and unproductive. I can’t imagine how lonely and afraid I would feel if it were not for Him and His unfailing presence. By my faith, I know He exists; and by His continual presence, my faith is made to increase. As He lovingly meets the needs of my life, I am made to depend upon Him, and His joy is made to permeate my total existence. Knowing that He is there to meet my many needs does not give me the right or opportunity of taking Him for granted, and if I am to be wise, I will always be continually appreciative of His eternal presence. Where am I to go if I am unwilling to trust Him? What am I to do if I willingly disregard all His precepts? Life to me is difficult enough without something substantial to hold upon, without someone trustworthy to rely upon. The unknown is truly my worst fear, and living without a purpose only gives way to waste and recklessness. I find no true joy or satisfaction living for a reason undefined, and for me to obtain what is needed for my allegiance, I must see God. To me, He is all that is precious and all that is reasonable. He has proved Himself worthy, and unlike all others, He will forever remain my one true friend. I will not let go of His goodness; I will not refuse His love. I feel His awesome presence all around me, and when I am in despair, I feel Him there to comfort me. If to exercise faith in God is to be considered foolish, then I am a fool of the highest rank. As I view all the possibilities presented unto me, I see nowhere else to go. What has this world offered me that is sustainable or reliable? Am I to be considered foolish for accepting the only sound option presented? As I seek to please Him, I must first do as He has commanded. Doing what he has asked of me cannot make me worthy, but it will guarantee my acceptance. Praising Him for His marvelous redemption cannot make me deserving, but it will give me a true feeling of joy.
I find no true solace in doing what this world considers as desirable, and when I am tempted to sin, I am not made to feel at ease. Truly, the mercy of God has been given me as a means of forbearance, and by my faith in Him, I am made to triumph. As I trust in Him, I pray for His indulgence to give me those things I do not deserve. Without Him, I am without hope, and as I place my faith in Him, I am made to know that He is my eternal future. What a wonderful God. What a precious Savior. May my faith be allowed to grow as I seek only to serve Him.