Hebrews 11:6 - "And 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 seek Him."
Faith honors and pleases God because it says you believe two things about Him:
1) He is God (I am not)
2) He is good and worth seeking
Fear dishoners God because behind all fear there are two things you believe about God: (Both or either.)
1) He isn't powerful enough or
2) He doesn't care enough
There is a very important 'AND' in the Hebrews 11:6 verse. Both "believe that He is" and "He is the rewarder of those who seek Him" are needed. What happens when one of these two is missing from our faith? The result is unbalanced faith, and an unbalanced relationship with God.
When we talk about faith and focus only on God rewarding those who seek him, that can lead to misunderstand. “He who comes to God must believe that He is”. This means on HIS terms. He is God, I am not. God is the one who understands true rewards. We have to remember 2 Corthin 4:17-18 - "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." Let's make sure we define rewards as God does. – Let's not fall into the trap of thinking that God must want me to be happy so He will give me health, wealth, and a problem free life. That's not what He means by rewards.
But, if we emphasis the "believe that He is" without knowing the later, we could end up with a distant, fearful view of God that prevents us from enjoying his goodness and love for us.
NO FAITH – “Who is this?”
Mark 4:35-41
"On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." (Jesus called them into the danger to reveal, test and grow their faith) Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith ?" (Without faith it is impossible to please Him. But, He isn't looking for our capabilities. He doesn't say "why didn't you row harder, or bring bigger oars." He is looking for trust in him. ) They
became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
LITTLE FAITH – “Lord, IF it is you”
Matthew 14:22 – 33
Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. (Jesus left them alone) And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear . (They didn't believe "that He is God") But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened,
and beginning to sink, he cried out, " Lord, save me !" Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith , why did you doubt?" (Not a harsh reprimand, but a sense of “Oh what could have been!” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, " You are certainly God's Son! "
GREAT FAITH – “Just say the word”
Matthew 8:5-13
And when Jesus entered Capernaum , a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, " Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof , but just say the word, and my servant will be healed . "For I also am a man under authority , with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel . "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, " Go
; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment. (But the centurion didn't SEE it until he had walked home by faith)
Remember our main verse - Hebrews 11:6 "And 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 seek Him ." The King James version puts it "diligently seek”. The New International version “earnestly seek”. Faith needs to diligently, earnestly seek, to honor God as worth seeking.
Luke 15: 8 "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
Three points that these examples show us:
- Faith cannot be separated from action.
- Faith that won't get out of the boat is not faith.
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Faith needs feet to make it real.
No Easy Guarantees, but a Good God.
A friend... said, "You were healed by faith." "Oh, no," I said, "I was healed by Christ." What is the difference? There is a great difference. There came a time when even faith seemed to come between me and Jesus. I thought I should have to work up the faith, so I laboured to get the faith. At last I thought I had it; that if I put my whole weight upon it, it would hold. I said, when I thought I had got the faith, "Heal me." I was trusting in myself, in my own heart, in my own faith. I was asking the Lord to do something for me because of something in me, not because of something in Him. ~ A. B. Simpson
How incomprehensible is the love of God! His ways are indeed past finding out. How many of His providences are like the cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians - if looked on by unbelievers, or those without faith, it is a cloud of darkness; but if viewed according to the privilege of the Lord's people, it is no longer darkness, but light and safety. May this be your experience; may you feel that the Hand which inflicts the wound supplies the balm, and that He who has emptied your heart has filled the void with Himself. ~ James Hudson Taylor
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Ask : Diligently, continually, ask God. He is the rewarder of those who seek Him!
Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"”
Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Mark 9:24 – “ Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."”
Hear : Get to know His voice through His Word.
When we know Him we will be able to recognize His voice (like Peter) and honor Him with ”Just say the word.” (like the Centureon)
Romans 10:17 “ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
Daniel 11:32 ….”but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.”
Come : When He calls, get out of the boat.
Leave the seen for the unseen, the boat for the deep blue, and the crowd for the call of your Lord. Obedience is faith at the gym.
2 Corinthians 5:7 ….”for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading." Oswald Chambers
Look : Make it all about Him.
Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”
Become overwhelmed by the beauty and greatness of our Lord, and faith isn't far behind.
Blessings,
Lisa