Is Your Faith Pleasing God?
“…Now apart from faith it is impossible to be well pleasing (to God)” (Hebrews 11:6)
That sounds great and Christian’s quote it a lot. Next time you hear someone quote that ask the question…Faith in what?
The writer of Hebrews had just defined faith in verse 1 as follows…
“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed”
In order to "expect" something, promises must have been made, in this case promises from God. And when we know what God has promised we are to assume that those promises will come to pass if we are to please God.
That sounds great and Christian’s quote it a lot. Next time you hear someone quote that ask the question…Faith in what?
The writer of Hebrews had just defined faith in verse 1 as follows…
“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed”
In order to "expect" something, promises must have been made, in this case promises from God. And when we know what God has promised we are to assume that those promises will come to pass if we are to please God.
We are not to get concerned if we are not now observing what God has promised but are to have the assurance they will come to pass later in this age, or in the ages to come, because God made the promises.
And remember, failure to have faith does not prevent the promises from happening...they will happen because God has promised. Having faith does not make the promises happen, it simply pleases God when we believe what He says.
Religion makes a lot of promises, but faith in the promises contained in the creeds and church covenants of religious men do not please God.
So, what are the promises of God? Here is the most important to me...
"Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified...we all shall be changed,in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For He will be trumpeting, and the dead will be roused incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory." (1 Corinthians 15:20-54)
Religion makes a lot of promises, but faith in the promises contained in the creeds and church covenants of religious men do not please God.
So, what are the promises of God? Here is the most important to me...
"Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified...we all shall be changed,in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For He will be trumpeting, and the dead will be roused incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory." (1 Corinthians 15:20-54)
So...is your faith pleasing to God?