LIVING BY FAITH

"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

Often at our church, we sing the old hymn, "Living By Faith."  It is an expression of faith in God during times of uncertainty. 

"I care not today what tomorrow may bring,

If shadow or sunshine or rain;

The Lord I know ruleth o'er everything,

And all of our worry is vain.

Living by faith in Jesus above,

Trusting, confiding in His great love;

From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,

I'm living by faith and feel no alarm."

Four times, the Bible states that the just shall live by faith (see Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38).  It is easier to read about faith than to live by it.  It is much simpler to sing about faith than to exercise faith during a crisis. 

Faith is needed most when trials come our way.  Faith shines brightest when darkness surrounds us.  Unbelievers respect our faith most when they see it exercised when we're in the valley, not when we're on the mountaintop. 

Knowing that the just shall live by faith, God dedicated a whole chapter of the book of Hebrews to honor Old Testament saints who exhibited great faith.  Near the beginning of the chapter, the writer makes the following bold statement:  "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."  This verse specifically teaches us several things.

1.  IT IS POSSIBLE FOR US TO PLEASE GOD

In the previous verse, the writer of Hebrews honored the life of Enoch.  Enoch was a man who never died because God translated him.  Prior to his departure, Enoch left a deep impression on those around him.  The Bible says that, "...  before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."  What a testimony to have!  Before you think that we can't please God ourselves, the writer goes on to state, "But without faith it is impossible to please him..."  It is possible for us to please God today.  Shouldn't that be our aim each day?

2.  FAITH IS REQUIRED TO PLEASE GOD

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  Let me state that again with emphasis.  Without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.  Regardless of the things you do, if faith is absent from your life, God is not pleased.  Faith pleases God. 

That brings up an important issue.  What is faith?  Faith is our dependence on Him.  Faith is our unwavering trust and confidence in the Lord.  Faith is taking God at His Word.  Faith simply believes the unseen as if it were seen.  Faith treats God's promises for tomorrow like they are a visible reality today.

3. FAITH IS HOW WE APPROACH GOD

The Bible says that, "... he that cometh to God must believe that he is ... "  When we approach God, we must believe that He is.  We must believe in Him as He really is & not as we wish Him to be.  Too many people believe in a god of their own choosing.  They have created their own god, while stating that they believe in the God of the Bible.  When we approach God, we come trusting Him to be everything He claimed to be.  Any attempt to approach God that lacks faith will utterly fail.

4.  WE MUST STAND ON GOD'S PROMISES

The Bible teaches us that those who approach God must believe that He is, "... and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  Notice a few things in this part of the verse.  First of all, God rewards those who seek Him.  Most people seek things from God instead of seeking Him alone.  Instead of seeking His face, we tend to seek something from His hand.  We are rewarded when we seek the Rewarder.  Secondly, we must diligently seek Him.  We must seek Him with sincerity and regularity.  Finally, we must approach Him with the confidence that He will reward us ... simply because He promised.  We must stand on the promises of God. 

God can be trusted, so trust Him right now.  Trust Him to the extent that you obey Him explicitly.  Rely on Him to take care of you.  Be confident that He will meet your needs.  Believe His promises.  Depend on Him for the future. 

As you depend upon God moment by moment, you can honestly say, "I'm living by faith and feel no alarm."