What about our faith pleases God?
Part I
Hebrews
11:6 “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.”
The first part of this scripture intrigues me and makes me seek
the answer to the question: what is it about our faith that pleases God? The verse says, “But without faith it is
impossible to please him:” Him, being God.
We know that faith is more than just belief. As Hebrew 11:1 puts it, “It is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Therefore, faith is a tangible thing. Jesus could not do many works in Jerusalem
because they lacked this faith. Jesus
was sometimes disappointed in his disciples because they possessed too little
of it. Here in this verse in Hebrews,
the writer says without it we cannot please God. With it, we can please God. Therefore, what is it about this substance;
this evidence that we can possess that pleases God. I wondered.
I prayed. I even asked God was I
seeking or looking too deep into something that is easily explained. Am I trying to look too deep to become super
spiritual? On the other hand, is there
something to this question of what about our faith pleases God? In my search for this answer, God revealed
to me three components to this pleasing faith.
The components to a pleasing faith are obedience, sacrifice and
belief. Without these three in action,
our faith cannot please God.
When we look at how we can please God, one of the hardest and
usually the first thing mentioned is our obedience to the Word, Spirit and man
of God. Obedience is the most important
aspect of our faith that pleases God. In
verse five of Hebrews 11, it talked about someone who pleased God. Enoch pleased God so well, He never
died. Enoch never tasted death. Jesus, the son of God, God himself, tasted
death. Enoch didn’t. I looked real deep into the eleven verses in
the bible that refer to Enoch. The first
two don’t count because it was the wrong Enoch.
I did find, however, something interesting about Enoch and how he
pleased God. One thing I found was that
Enoch pleased God before the first law was ever given to Moses. Before the Pentateuch author, Enoch pleased
God. How? There were no guidelines, no laws, and no
outlines that we could use as a basis for pleasing God. What did he do to please God? Yes, Enoch walked with God. Yes, there are hundreds of teachings, tapes,
seminars and classes that discuss walking with God, yet, the one thing about
those tools are that they contain a law we could not keep. Enoch had no law to reference. Abraham, the father of faith, father of
Israel, talked with God, and even walked by faith. God said go and Abraham went. God gave no commandment to Enoch, as written
in the Word. Noah was told to build an
arc because of the great flood that was coming.
Thank the Lord for his obedience, but Enoch lived before both of them and
still no commandment from the Lord toward him was recorded. Yet, he was obedient; he sacrificed and
believed in God.
So; what about obedience pleases God? Well, that is a no brainer. If you’re a parent, you know how obedience
pleases. The kind of obedience that God
desires is deeper than the simple go where I told you and do what I say. Obedient faith goes into doing all that the
Word of God says, or what God actually said.
Let’s look at King Saul for instance.
As we read, we will see how obedience to what God says is pleasing.
1
Samuel 15:1-35 (1) Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee
to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the
voice of the words of the LORD. (2) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that
which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came
up from Egypt. (3) Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy
all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and
suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
(4) And Saul gathered the people
together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten
thousand men of Judah. (5) And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid
wait in the valley. (6) And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart,
get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye
showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of
Egypt. So the Kenites departed from
among the Amalekites. (7) And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah
until thou comest to Shur that is over against Egypt. (8)
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed
all the people with the edge of the sword.
(9) But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the
best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all
that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile
and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
(10) Then came the word of the
LORD unto Samuel, saying, (11) It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be
king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my
commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. (12)
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told
Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is
gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. (13)
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the
LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. (14)
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine
ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
(15) And Saul said, They have
brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep
and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
(16) Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will
tell thee what the LORD hath said to me
this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
(17) And Samuel said, When thou
wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of
Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? (18)
And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy
the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. (19)
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly
upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? (20)
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and
have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly
destroyed the Amalekites. (21) But the people took of the spoil, sheep and
oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice
unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
(22) And Samuel said, Hath the
LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (23)
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as
iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (24)
And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the
commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed
their voice. (25) Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin,
and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. (26)
And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king
over Israel. (27) And as Samuel turned about to go away, he
laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. (28)
And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from
thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than
thou. (29) And also the Strength of
Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man that he should repent. (30)
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the
elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may
worship the LORD thy God. (31) So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul
worshiped the LORD. (32) Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag
the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death
is past. (33) And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women
childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the
LORD in Gilgal. Then Samuel went to
Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. (35)
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death:
nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made
Saul king over Israel.
As we see, Saul had done what God said, but not completely. Like Saul, we have a tendency to do what God
says, but we start to think that we can do it a little better. Saul felt that
by keeping the best of the flocks and gold and spoils, and by not killing the
king, he had done a good thing. He even
proclaimed that he did what God said.
The truth of the matter, Saul did what God said filtered through his own
pleasing. Then, when the word was
brought forth to show truth, Saul, like us, them puts the blame on someone
else.
Ever tell your child or little brother or sister to do
something. Gave specific instructions,
and when they returned, they had not done it like you said. How did you feel? I know I’ve felt disappointed at times
because there is a reason why we give those specific instructions. We, like God, see results a far off and give
instructions not only for the now, but for the then also. God said utterly destroy the Amalekites. He even goes as far as to call them sinners. What has happened in Saul’s disobedience, the
people took the things that were not clean (spiritually) and tried to offer
them to God. Eventually, those things
would lead the children of Israel to idolatry.
So God tells Saul, I would rather you be obedient to what is in my word,
than to sacrifice unto me. Sacrifice
without obedience is not a worthy sacrifice and does not please God. If we
would only grasp the benefits of complete obedience, then and only then, would
we see how pleasing our faith is to God.
What
about our faith pleases God?
Part
2
In my search for this answer, God revealed to me three
components to this pleasing faith. The components to a pleasing faith are
obedience, sacrifice and belief. Without these three in action, our faith
cannot please God.
The second part of God pleasing faith is Sacrifices. I thank God
that we do not have to bring bullocks, rams, lambs, doves and other forms of
sacrifices of yesteryears. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for being my one and
only sacrifice for my sins. I praise God for his baptism in water and for his
Holy Spirit that dwells in me with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Yet, do
we not have to sacrifice to God? Yes, we do. He enjoys and is pleased in our
sacrifices. What do we sacrifice? So glad you asked. I asked the same question.
In Hebrews 13:15-16, God shows me what sacrifices are pleasing to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16, “By Him (Jesus Christ) therefore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips
giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for
with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
I wanted to take some time and meditate on this second part of
our God pleasing faith: Sacrifice. From every point of view that I have seen
and heard of sacrifice; that is the part that seems to be hard to fulfill in
one’s walk with the Lord. Obedience is hard, sometimes, but then to sacrifice
makes it even harder. Alternatively, are we making it harder than it really is?
In the obedience, we see that by being completely obedient to God’s Word and Spirit,
we please God and receive benefits. Therefore, what about this sacrifice? My
mind began to wonder. I thought of what sacrifice meant. My thoughts were not
becoming any more pleasant. I decided to look up the word sacrifice. According
to Webster’s Collegiate and to summarize what I read, a sacrifice is the
surrendering of something of value, i.e. human life, animal life, or a thing of
value to either a deity, or for the sake of something that possesses a higher
purpose or value. One definition was to dispose of goods regardless of profit.
What a sad and dismal representation of sacrifice. With that definition, no
wonder why the world has such a sad viewpoint and understanding of the
sacrifice Christ made for us. Then we turn that inward and find it hard to
sacrifice to God. I wonder if Cain thought that when he sacrificed. I wonder if
Cain was thinking, “I’m disposing of my goods for nothing. No profit.” Then we
read Hebrews 13:15-16 and see the “sacrifice of praise” and when we are going
through, do we feel that we are disposing the “goods” of our energy for no
profit.
Let us take a real look into sacrifice and what it really means
in the life of a Christian and how it pleases God. A great story and lesson in
sacrifices can be found in the very beginning. Genesis chapter 4 gives a very
accurate and thought provoking account of sacrifice. It also gives a very good
definition of what type of sacrifice God is wanting and is pleased with.
Read Genesis 4:1-8
Cain and Abel show us the first example of sacrificing unto God.
Now, before I get into this, I want to make clear that I am in no way saying
that the scholars, teachers and others before me are wrong, but when the
subject of this particular sacrifice comes up, it is always said that a blood
sacrifice was needed because God killed an animal for Adam and Eve. I have read
Genesis chapters 1-3 at least an hundred times and have not seen that verse of
scripture saying that. We can assume that it happened, we can hypothesize that
God gave Adam specific instruction on sacrifices and then later told Moses the
complete picture. I want to give my hypothesis on this particular sacrifice
since it is the first recorded version of a sacrifice in the Word of God. It
says that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground as an offering unto God. Then
it says Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and the fat there of as an
offering unto God. Before this, it says that Cain was a farmer by trade and
Abel was a keeper of sheep. Suffice it to say that both Cain and Abel brought
the best of their profession to God. Now, and I will accept the touché, it does
not say Cain brought the firsts of his fruits. However, this is not their first
rodeo. I do not believe Cain brought a substandard sacrifice. Why? When you
read further in the scripture, God never once mentions the type of sacrifice.
He does, however mention the attitude. In the first four verses of this
particular scripture, we see and are given the definition of sacrifice. It’s
not that we are disposing of something of value for no profit, or that we are
surrendering something of value to a deity or some god. Here we see that a
sacrifice is offering up to God the best of who and what we are. Cain, as a
farmer, offered up the best of his labor. Likewise, Abel, a keeper of sheep, offered
up the best of his labor. God only wants us to offer to him the best of our
labor. Hebrews says, let us offer up the sacrifice of praise…which is the fruit
of our lips”. We cannot offer God one heck of a discount on a tune up or brake
job. We cannot offer up to the Father of wisdom a free tuition or scholarship
for learning. We cannot give the Great Deliverer a get out of jail free card.
What we can offer up to God is our thanksgiving and praise for who He is and
what He has done.
The other part in our God pleasing sacrifice is our attitude in
the sacrifice. As we look closer to the scripture, it does say, “Abel, he also
brought of the firstlings of his flock.” So it would be safe to assume that
Cain brought the best of his crops. So since we know that they brought the
best, and since I can safely hypothesize that a blood sacrifice was not the
only requirement here, why was Cain’s sacrifice unacceptable? Well, let’s go
back to what the world’s authority on the meaning of words says about
sacrifices. Disposing of goods for no profit, surrendering something of value
to a deity or to something that possesses a higher value or purpose. Now, let
us look at what God said to Cain, “Cain, Why is your countenance fallen. (in my
momma’s term, what’s wrong with your face) If thou doest well, shalt thou not
be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” Both brothers
brought the best of their offerings. God shows his approval for Abel’s offering
and disapproval to Cain’s. Cain becomes angry. In fact, Cain was wroth. To be
wroth or have wrath is to have an intense anger. I remember a time when I had
did something for somebody, and they treated me as if I was a nobody and didn’t
accept what I did for them. I was wroth. I mean I was so angry I know why Jesus
taught on being angry with your brother is like killing him anyway. If I knew
what “raca” meant then I would have said it. Cain was angry. More importantly,
he was angry because his sacrifice did not please God. So what made this time
any different from the other: attitude. Could, over the course of time, Cain
have become worldly in his thinking? Felt that he was working too hard and
after sacrificing, felt he wasn’t getting enough of the “good stuff”. Did he
feel that he was disposing the goods of his labor for little return? Do we, in
our giving, feel that we are getting little in our return? Do we not praise
like we should, or give like we should, or study like we should, or pray like
we should because we feel that we are sacrificing a lot for little return. Our
attitude should not be about what we are getting back. We should think about
what we already have. We have salvation through Jesus Christ and that provided
by God. We do not have to go to hell. We do not have to suffer spiritual death.
We do not have to live in an eternity of damnation. We have life, hope and
freedom in Christ Jesus. I’m sure that Adam told his children of the Eden
experience. I’m sure Cain and Abel knew of the mistake their parents made and
how God had mercy upon them and the rest of mankind. However, like so many of
us before we come to know God and some of us before we get to know God, Cain
offered from a selfish point of view. Cain’s attitude was not pleasing to God.
Thus, his attitude marred his sacrifice. That is why it is written that we
should offer up the sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (22) And let them sacrifice
the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and will call upon the name of the LORD.
Jer 17:26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from
the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain,
and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and
sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise,
unto the house of the LORD.
Jer 33:11 The voice of joy, and the
voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the
voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good;
for his mercy endureth forever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of
praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of
the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.
What
about our faith pleases God?
Part
3
We now enter the third component of God pleasing Faith: belief.
This probably should have been first because without this, you wouldn’t and
couldn’t effectively, if at all, do the other components. That is why it is
followed by, “for he who cometh to God must believe that he is…” Now, to be
clear, faith and belief are not the same thing. Some people would say that it
is, but its not. We know that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Belief is a confidence in the truth
or existence of something not immediately susceptible (accessible) to rigorous
proof or evidence. In other words, to believe is to have confidence in the
truth of, existence of, or value of something. Faith is tangible, belief if
internal. Faith will cause action, belief will cause faith. Lack of faith will
cause inaction; lack of belief will hinder the power of faith. Look in the
gospels and notice how often Jesus was disappointed in the world’s lack of
faith and non-belief in his ministry and who Jesus was. So much, that he even
asked his disciples if they believed in whom he said he is. Mat 16:13-17
In this portion of scripture, Jesus has just finished another
debate with the Pharisees and Sadducees and was warning his disciples about
their teachings by way of a parable. Then before he explains the teaching, he
rebukes them by saying, “Oh ye of little faith….”. Then when they are off by
themselves, he asks them whom do men say that I am? What Jesus is asking is,
who do men believe that I am? This is a vital question. Just a few chapters
earlier, in chapter 13, we see what men believe in Jesus: Mat 13:54-58
The world tries to reason out Jesus. They try to find flaws in
his perfectness. It wants to deny the very the truth so that they will no longer
feel condemned in what they do. But, that is another lesson. (Smiling) So the
world says that he is another prophet, just another man of God. Just another
man; not willing to accept or believe in the deity of Christ. So after Jesus
hears these answers, He then comes to the main question. “But, whom say ye that
I am?” In other words, ok, forget what the world believes, who do you, my
disciple, the one who walks with the Word, believe that I am? Who is this Jesus
Christ? Has God asked you that? What was your answer?
Peter, the beloved Peter, the first church apostle and preacher,
says, “Thou art the Christ, Son of the living God.” What an answer! Such
boldness and confidence. Jesus looked at him and said blessed art thou. Jesus
felt that God pleasing aspect of faith in Peter’s words. He felt the confidence
in a truth that was revealed to Peter by God. Peter believed. Jesus felt his
belief.
Now, I have been dealing with something that falls along the
lines of belief. Belief in God and belief in His Word. There is more to belief
than saying “it’s in the bible.” I’m not saying that we should question
everything that is written. In fact, there is nothing to question. However, we
should study, research, and seek God for the truth in his word. We should seek to
rightly divide the Word of Truth. Seek God for the truth yourself. I used to
believe that if I just confessed and believed that I was saved. I thought this
for over ten years. I read, prayed, studied; did all the things Christians
should do. Now, when I was asked if I was baptized in Jesus’ name and that true
salvation comes with the baptism and in-filling of the Holy Spirit with the
evidence of speaking in tongues, I questioned it. Yes it is written. (Acts
2:38) However, like millions of other people, I did not know it was necessary.
I was taught differently and now I was being told that if I would have died, I
might not have made it. So I researched and studied for the truth. Now, if I’m
asked, I can positively say, without a doubt, with boldness and confidence in
that truth. The Lord led me to another scripture that confirms my thought. John
11:21-27, 39-40.
In this passage of scripture, Jesus again asks another “belief”
question in regards to who he is and of his power. Martha, sister of Lazarus
who is dead, hears that Jesus is coming and goes out to meet him. She says to
Jesus that he is a little late and that Lazarus has past. Jesus tells her that
Lazarus would live again. Now, note the biblical answer Martha gives in
response to Jesus, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the
last day.” Praise God that we shall all live again if we pass from this world.
However, Jesus was referring to here and now. He meant that Lazarus would live
again on this earth not many moments from now. Jesus, perceiving that she lacks
the God pleasing belief that leads to great faith, gives a glimpse of who he
is. “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die.” Here is the Word. Jesus is telling Martha that I have the power to
resurrect Lazarus. He also is giving her the word of salvation saying that even
if she or he were not dead, they should not die (spiritually speaking). Then
the important question, “Believest thou this?” Do we believe the word? When God
says we shall cast out devils in his name, do we believe it? When God says he
will never leave us nor forsake us, do we believe it? When God says all things
are possible, do we believe it? Believest thou this? Notice, again, Martha’s
biblical answer. “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which
should come into the world.” Good answer, but not what God was looking for. He
just doesn’t want the bible verse memorization answer. Jesus is looking for
that I know it because I know you and have sought you for the truth answer.
Go to verses 39-40 in this same chapter. Jesus has talked with
Mary, seen the mourners, groaned in the spirit twice, wept, and arrived at the
tomb of Lazarus. He tells them to roll away the stone and then it happened.
Martha, bible scholar and verse memory expert, the one who knew the biblical
answers, says wait, is that a good idea? I mean, my brother has been dead four
days, I know it must reek in there. What happened to that thou art the Christ
who should come into the world? Jesus looks at Martha and says, “blessed art
thou Martha…”, oops, sorry. He says, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou
wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Wow, what a rebuke!
It’s not enough just to be able to quote and memorize the word. Belief is a
confidence; a without a doubt belief. I would not say that because it is
written, it is enough. If it were, then many people are not as lost as we
think. “easy beliefism”
With what God has shown me, I could
write the first part of Hebrew 11:6 as “But without belief, obedience and
sacrifice, it is impossible to please him: for he who comes to God must believe
that he is, and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Min Michael “Mike” Jones
Pew
2 Pulpit Ministries
Thoughts
from the Pew
