Mission Venture Ministries

But 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 diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) 

Faith is necessary to please God and if our faith is genuine and true, we will live a lifestyle characterized by righteousness, following the example set for us by Jesus Christ. We obey His commands, not because we have to, but because we want to, because we love Him. We are enabled to obey because, once we believe in Christ and are saved, we are a new creation. We are not the same people we once were because, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

The author of the book of Hebrews points out two critical convictions of believers.

• First, “anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists.” Those who desire to draw near to God must believe that He is real. Such belief is not mere intellectual knowledge but a wholehearted devotion to His presence and letting the Holy Spirit participate in every part of one’s life.
• Second, the Lord’s followers must believe “that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” This aspect of faith trusts in the character of God as a good, loving, generous, gracious, and merciful Father (James 1:17; Psalm 84:11; Lamentations 3:22-23). These two certainties are the groundwork of saving faith, which is a faith that pleases God. 

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because faith is the path by which we come to God and trust Him for our salvation. In His infinite goodness, God provides the very thing we need to draw near to Him: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). God gives us the faith required to please Him. 

Hebrews 11:1 defined faith that pleases God: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the foundation that strengthens our hope. It is an absolute conviction that comes from experiencing God’s love and the faithfulness of His Word. The term translated “assurance” is also translated as “evidence” or “proof.” With our natural eyes, we cannot see the realities of God’s kingdom, but by faith we receive the evidence or proof that they exist. 

The entire Christian life is lived out by faith: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). This same principle is also stated in Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. The apostle Paul affirmed, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). 

Hence, what purpose could God have in allowing us to face hard times? 

1. God allows trials to test our faith. However, He doesn’t do so with the expectation that we will fail. Rather, He wants us to learn greater dependence on Him. Unproven, untried faith can’t grow without a challenge; if it has not been tested, how do we know what we can endure in life? 
2. He uses trials to display His sustaining power. Everyone faces painful periods in life. By relying on God’s strength during these times, we can live out a powerful testimony in front of those who do not know Christ. 
3. Our trials equip us to help others. When we go through a hardship, we become specifically equipped to sympathize with and encourage others who may later face a similar ordeal. This principle was an important part of the Apostle Paul’s ministry (2 Corinthians 1:4-8). 
4. God allows trials in our life to purify us. Hardships put pressure on us, especially in areas where we try to hide sin. The Lord knows these things must be brought to the surface and faced openly and honestly if we’re to become mature believers. 

We need to understand that without faith, it is impossible to even begin to approach the Lord and experience a personal relationship with Him. Faith is the atmosphere in which the true believer’s life is lived. We are called “believers” because we are continually putting our faith, trust, and confidence in God. By faith the Christian life begins, and by faith it perseveres until the end. 

When we have faith and obey the Lord, we can live a life of joy, without shame, rooted deeply in the Lord and confident in our eternal hope. Therefore, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Our obedience is actually part of our assurance that we truly know God (1 John 2:3). 

When God’s children obey their Heavenly Father, He is glorified and it is a powerful testimony that God is at work in the world. Therefore, “blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to Him” (Psalm 128:1). 

Faith and obedience to God proves our love for Him (1 John 5:2-3), demonstrates our faithfulness to Him (1 John 2:3-6), glorifies Him in the world (1 Peter 2:12), and opens opportunities of blessing for us because, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). 

Finally, faith is what sustains us to the end, knowing that by faith we will be in heaven with God for all eternity, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9). 

God has a purpose for every trial He allows to come into your life. Stand firm and let Him accomplish His will in you, by whatever means He deems necessary. 

Therefore belief without wavering as James tells us: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” (James 1:2-8). 

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