Hebrews 11:6 - Faith is a Relationship with God. (part 2)
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
him must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Since We Owe Our Existence To God Seems Like
We Should Live To Please Him;
So What Does It Mean To Live By Faith?
COMMENTARY PEARLS
It seems so basic. Anyone who wants to
seek God must believe He actually exists. But
since most people - and probably all of those in
the original readership of the letter to the
Hebrews - have believed God exists, the statement
hardly seems necessary. Add that the statement is
made to those who want to come to God, and it
seems even stranger. Those who come to God
wouldn't be coming if they didn't believe in His
existence.
But the statement may be more insightful
than we assume. For all our belief in God, many
of us have lived as practical atheists - people
for whom God is a rock-solid concept in our
minds but who has no practical relevance to our
daily lives. Many think about God, pray to Him
sometimes, and assume He expects good moral behavior,
but HIS SPIRIT DOESN'T ENTER INTO THEIR
MOMENT-BY-MOMENT DECISIONS, THEY DON'T HEAR OR EVEN LISTEN
FOR HIS VOICE, AND THEY DON'T LIVE IN HIS
STRENGTH RATHER THAN THEIR OWN. So though God exists,
He doesn't exist in any way that's meaningful
to them. And that doesn't lead to any kind of
meaningful experience with Him.
The first foundational truth in
experiencing God's Presence in a real way is to believe
that He exists in practical terms - as an
accessible, relatable personality. That's the first
step, but it's so simple that we often forget it.
God drifts to the back of our minds, and before
we know it, He's an idea, a quiet piece of
background music to our lives. We have to continually
bring Him back to the forefront - the object of
our worship and the Person we relate to
constantly. When we do, we begin an adventure into His
very real Presence.
Lord, I not only believe You exist, I
believe You want to be an integral part of every
minute of my life. Let me not forget like many do;
give me reminders of Your Presence moment by
moment. [The One Year Experiencing Gods Presence
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
Deists believe that "the supreme
Architect" created the world and left it alone. Like a
master clockmaker, He carefully crafted the
universe and wound it up. Now it's running on its
own, no intervention necessary. No miracles, no
special revelations. God may be watching from a
distance, they say, but He isn't active in our
affairs. He's simply there.
The writer of Hebrews has told us that
those who come to God must believe that He is, but
that isn't enough. We also have to believe that
He rewards those who sincerely seek Him - that
pursuing Him makes a difference in how He responds to
us. If we simply believe God is there, watching,
or that we have to twist His arm to notice us
or bless us, then we aren't perceiving Him
well. According to His own Word, HE LONGS TO BLESS
US, TO HAVE COMPASSION ON US, TO ANSWER OUR
PRAYERS, AND TO ENTER INTO A DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH
US. HE INVITES US TO SEEK HIM ZEALOUSLY AND
FAITHFULLY. AND HE ASSURES US THAT WHEN WE DO, HE
REWARDS.
If you really want to know and experience
God more fully, you'll have to approach Him with
the expectation that He rewards those who seek
Him. If you think He might respond, you'll
interpret any delays or hiddenness as reluctance on
His part. If you think He only responds to those
who live up to His standards, you'll interpret
any delays or hiddenness as a sign of failure on
your part. But if you assume - by faith - that He
is eager to respond to your pursuit of Him,
you'll begin to interpret all of life as a
conversation with Him. And your awareness of His Presence
will increase dramatically.
Father; I know You enjoy my pursuit of
You and are zealous in pursuit of me, too.
Please reward me with Your Presence quickly and
clearly enough that I don't get discouraged but am
inspired to press even further into You. [The One
Year Experiencing Gods Presence Devotional by
Chris Tiegreen]
INTRODUCTION
Hebrews 11 is one of the most extensive
essays on faith in the New Testament and one of the
most loved sections of Scripture, yet
misconceptions about faith abound. Some see faith as being
any form of spirituality. Others understand it
as a resolute belief that something good is
going to happen to them. Still others think that
faith is a blind leap against known facts. None of
these represents biblical faith.
Instead, faith involves confident action
in response to what God has made known (Hebrews
11:1-3). As seen in the examples listed in Hebrews
11, faith comes into play in a variety of life's
circumstances. And the results of faith are just as varied.
Some people get rescued, achieve success in life,
and see some of what God has promised in their
lifetimes. Others get mocked, beaten, tortured, put in
prison, and killed. Faith is sometimes rewarded
sooner and sometimes later, but people of faith
anticipate the rewards because of their confidence in
God's character.
What does it mean to live by faith? It
means that, in our various circumstances, we live
out our belief "that God exists and that he
rewards those who sincerely seek him" (Hebrews
11:6). Those who live by faith take confident
action based on what God has revealed about his
character, seeking to do his will in all things....
Believing that God exists is only the
first step toward faith - even the demons believe
that much (James 2:19-20). God will not settle
for mere acknowledgment of his existence.
Growing faith leads to a personal, dynamic
relationship.
Some Christians think that it is
ultimately impossible to understand God, so they give
up trying. Others believe that nothing true is
irrational, including true faith. The truth is God gave
us minds that should be developed and used. But
we also need to realize that there are things
about God that we won't understand this side of
heaven. We can't know God completely because he is
infinite and eternal.
God wants our trust and faith, even while
we wonder about so many things that are
mysterious to us. Even so, faith is not a leap into the
dark. Faith is reasonable - though reason alone
cannot explain everything. So use your mind to
think things through. But leave room for the
unexplainable works of God, and be willing to take steps
forward, trusting him for what you don't have figured
out. [One Year NLT SB]
Faiths bedrock foundation is belief that
when God speaks, it will happen. And the
consummate example of the power of Gods word was
when Gods word created the universe out of
nothing. Faith believes that Gods word can make
the invisible visible. This world was created
out of nothing, without the use of preexisting
materials. Each example that follows illustrates that
belief in the unseen is based upon a promise of
God. Hebrews 11:6 presents two unseen truths for
faith: Gods existence (that he is there) and
nature (that he is consistent and good). Faith is
the key to knowing God. As people respond by
faith to the general revelation of God in nature
(Rom. 1:19-21), God directs them to the special
revelation of himself found in his Son through his
word. [New Bible Companion]
COMMENTARY
No one can approach God without faith. It
takes faith to believe that God exists when He
cannot be seen. And it takes even more faith to
believe that God rewards those who seek Him, when
rewards so often are delayed.
Anyone who walks with God will find his
faith tested. When you and I flip a light switch,
the light goes on. When you turn the faucet,
water flows. Push the on button, and your TV
screen is filled with flickering pictures. The
reward of our actions is immediate, and invariable.
But many times you and I pray, and it seems no
answer comes. We cry out to God, but our troubles
persist. It takes very little faith to expect a light
to go on when it always does. It takes much
more faith to walk with God. For your belief that
He is a rewarder of those who seek Him will be
sorely tested again and again.
But dont be discouraged. As each hero
in this hall of fame demonstrates, your faith
will make a difference in the way you live your
life. And in the blessings you enjoy. [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
Faith Is Basic For Prayer
This verse highlights the two essential
elements of prayer; faith in God's existence and
faith that he cares enough to listen, answer, and
move on behalf of those who seek him. Each of the
men and women in the Hebrews 11 Hall of
Faith" who saw the invisible and believed God could
do the impossible, pleased God and received
great rewards because of their confidence and
faith in him. By faith Enoch was taken up to
heaven without dying. Noah's family was saved;
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob left their homes and
followed God; Sarah bore a son in her old age. What
did this faith look like? Although their
circumstances were different, it was faith in what God
said, faith in who God is, faith that God would
show them the way into a future they couldn't
see. But in believing, they would see what they
had believed. This is a faith we can build our
lives on, and without it, we can't please God at
all. Pray earnestly that through the Holy Spirit,
your faith in God will grow. [Praying Through The
Bible By Fuller]
He is faithful who has promised.
When we do not receive the very things we
asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to
believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer
our prayers. We are so erring and short-sighted
that we sometimes ask for things that would not
be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in
love answers our prayers by giving us that which
will be for our highest good--that which we
ourselves would desire if with vision divinely
enlightened we could see all things as they really are.
When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are
to cling to the promise; for the time of
answering will surely come, and we shall receive the
blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will
always be answered in the very way and for the
particular thing that we desire, is presumption. God is
too wise to err, and too good to withhold any
good thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do
not fear to trust Him, even though you do not
see the immediate answer to your prayers. Rely
upon His sure promise, "Ask, and it shall be
given you." [SC96,7]
Possibility for Doubt Not Removed.
While God has given ample evidence for
faith, He will never remove all excuse for
unbelief. All who look for hooks to hang their doubts
upon will find them. And those who refuse to
accept and obey God's word until every objection
has been removed, and there is no longer an
opportunity for doubt, will never come to the light.
Distrust of God is the natural outgrowth
of the unrenewed heart, which is at enmity with
Him. But faith is inspired by the Holy Spirit,
and it will flourish only as it is cherished. No
man can become strong in faith without a
determined effort. Unbelief strengthens as it is
encouraged; and if men, instead of dwelling upon the
evidences which God has given to sustain their faith,
permit themselves to question and cavil, they will
find their doubts constantly becoming more
confirmed.]--GC 527 (1911).
Impact of the Weight of Evidence.--Those
who desire to doubt will have plenty of room.
God does not propose to remove all occasion for
unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully
investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit,
and all should decide from the weight of
evidence. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid
mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight
of evidence because there are a few things
which he cannot make plain to his finite
understanding will be left in the cold, chilling
atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will
make shipwreck of faith.]--5T 675, 676 (1889).
{2MCP 672.3}
If we take counsel with our doubts and fears,
or try to solve everything that we cannot
see clearly, before we have faith, perplexities
will only increase and deepen. But if we come to
God, feeling helpless and dependent, as we really
are, and in humble, trusting faith make known our
wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees
everything in creation, and who governs everything by
His will and word, He can and will attend to our
cry, and will let light shine into our hearts.
Through sincere prayer we are brought into
connection with the mind of the Infinite. [SC96,7]
Faith is in no sense allied to presumption.
Only he who has true faith is secure
against presumption. For presumption is Satan's
counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God's promises, and
brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also
claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to
excuse transgression. Faith would have led our
first parents to trust the love of God, and to
obey His commands. Presumption led them to
transgress His law, believing that His great love would
save them from the consequence of their sin. It
is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven
without complying with the conditions on which mercy
is to be granted. Genuine faith has its
foundation in the promises and provisions of the
Scriptures. [DA125,6]
The tempter can never compel us to do evil.
He cannot control minds unless they are
yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith
must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan
can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful
desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every
point in which we fail of meeting the divine
standard is an open door by which he can enter to
tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat
on our part gives occasion for him to reproach
Christ... [DA125,6]
Mysteries We Cannot Fathom.
The Word of God, like the character of
its Divine Author, presents mysteries that can
never be fully comprehended by finite beings. The
entrance of sin into the world, the incarnation of
Christ, regeneration, the resurrection, and many
other subjects presented in the Bible are
mysteries too deep for the human mind to explain, or
even fully to comprehend. But we have no reason
to doubt God's Word because we cannot
understand the mysteries of His providence.
In the natural world we are constantly
surrounded with mysteries that we cannot fathom. The
very humblest forms of life present a problem
that the wisest of philosophers is powerless to
explain. Everywhere are wonders beyond our ken.
Should we then be surprised to find that in the
spiritual world also there are mysteries that we
cannot fathom? The difficulty lies solely in the
weakness and narrowness of the human mind. God has
given us in the Scriptures sufficient evidence of
their divine character, and we are not to doubt
His Word because we cannot understand all the
mysteries of His providence.--SC 106, 107 (1892).
{2MCP 671}]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Seeking the Savior
Simeon said, Can I stay alive until I
see him?
The Magi said, Saddle up the camels.
We arent stopping until we find him.
The shepherds said, Lets go.
Lets see.
They wanted the Savior. They wanted to
see Jesus.
They were earnest in their search. One
translation renders Hebrews 11:6: God rewards
those who earnestly seek him (NIV, italics
mine).
Another reads: God rewards those who
search for him (PHILLIPS, italics mine).
And another: God rewards those who
sincerely look for him (TLB, italics mine).
I like the King James translation: He
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him (italics mine).
Diligently - what a great word. Be
diligent in your search. Be hungry in your quest,
relentless in your pilgrimage. Let this book be but one
of dozens you read about Jesus and this hour be
but one of hundreds in which you seek him. Step
away from the puny pursuits of possessions and
positions, and seek your king.
Dont be satisfied with angels. Dont
be content with stars in the sky. Seek him out
as the shepherds did. Long for him as Simeon
did. Worship him as the wise men did. Do as John
and Andrew did: ask for his address. Do as
Matthew: invite Jesus into your house. Imitate
Zacchaeus. Risk whatever it takes to see Christ.
God rewards those who seek him. Not those
who seek doctrine or religion or systems or
creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but
the reward goes to those who settle for nothing
less than Jesus himself. And what is the reward?
What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short
of the heart of Jesus. And as the Spirit of
the Lord works within us, we become more and
more like him (2 Cor. 3:18 TLB).
CAN YOU THINK OF A GREATER GIFT THAN TO
BE LIKE JESUS? Christ felt no guilt; God wants
to banish yours. Jesus had no bad habits; God
wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death;
God wants you to be fearless. Jesus had kindness
for the diseased and mercy for the rebellious
and courage for the challenges. God wants you to
have the same.
He loves you just the way you are, but he
refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be
just like Jesus. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
Probability
Contrary to what you may have heard in
advertising or political debate or what you may believe
about science, real scientists don't "prove"
anything. Rather they hypothesize and test and develop
theories and models that best explain the data. And
throughout all this activity, they work with
probabilities, demonstrating that, given the conditions X,
there is a high probability that Y is likely to
happen (or little probability, whatever the case
may be). OK, if nothing else, perhaps scientists
have "proved" that everything in science is open
for debate. Take gravity for example. All of us
experience it every day. Isaac Newton presented the
universal law of gravitation to the Royal Society in
1686, a model that has worked wonderfully to
describe attractions between bodies, so much so that
we use his laws to calculate the orbits of
space objects even today. So it's settled
right? Wrong. Physicists are still trying to figure
out exactly how gravitation works. So even the
universal law of gravitation is still being debated.
A French mathematician and philosopher
who did much to refine and mature probability
theory was Blaise Pascal, a child prodigy and
inventor of the mechanical calculator. In his
Penses, a collection of notes published after his
death, Pascal wrote about the existence of God and
how to think about it. He believed that God is
incomprehensible - that we simply can't know much about Him.
Reason, he wrote, was not adequate to determine
whether God does or does not exist. So in note 233
of his Penses he suggested the following
logic to make a decision.
There are only two possibilities. God
either exists or He does not. You must make a
choice to believe or not believe - you don't have
an option. If you choose to believe in Him,
that leads to only two outcomes. If He does
exist, then you have won it all. But if He doesn't
exist, you have lost nothing. Think of the
alternative now. Say you choose not to believe in God.
Again there are two - and only two - outcomes. If
God does exist, you lose it all, but if He does
not, you lose nothing. Given the possibility then
of losing all if you don't believe and gaining
all if you do believe, Pascal decided that it
was a philosophical no-brainer. One should
choose to believe in God. This logic about the
existence of God is known as Pascal's Wager.
Fortunately, we have words from Jesus
Himself. "Most assuredly" means "without doubt." it
is not a gamble or a game of probability, but a
sure thing.
Lord, I choose to believe in You as my
God. [God of Wonders by David Steen re John
6:47]
Recognizing God
One Sunday a plainly dressed,
scholarly-looking man went into a church in the Netherlands
and took a seat near the pulpit. A few minutes
later, a woman approached the pew. Seeing the
stranger, she curtly advised him that he was in "her
seat" and asked him to leave. The man apologized
and moved to one of the pews reserved for the
poor. There, he devoutly joined in the service and
left afterward without further incident.
When the service was over, one of the
woman's friends asked her if she knew who it was
whom she had ordered out of her pew. "No," the
woman replied casually, "only some stranger, I
suppose."
To the woman's great dismay, her friend
informed her "It was King Oscar of Sweden. He is here
visiting the Queen."
People who refuse to acknowledge the
existence of God simply aren't aware of Who is walking
beside them day by day. We can refuse to recognize
God, but that does not mean He ceases to exist or
that He stops reaching out to us with His great
love. Although the Lord may be invisible to us
now, He is more real than anything we can see
with our natural eyes. Rest in the knowledge that
God is with you today, tomorrow and forever.
[God's Little Devotional Bible]
ONE LINERS
Faith views God as more real than the
material universe He created (vv. 1"3). [The
365-Day Devotional Commentary]
Nothing is more important than pleasing the
Lord. Make that number one in your life. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com re John 18:38]
Faith never knows where it is being led. But
it loves and knows the one who is leading.
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Seeking to please Me is a joyous way to
live. Of course, without faith it is impossible to
please Me. You must really believe that I exist and
that I reward those who earnestly seek Me.
Living to please Me is a wise investment
- not only for rewards in heaven but also for
daily pleasure on earth. I am meant to be the
Center of your existence, the Sun around which you
orbit. When you live this way - enjoying Me,
serving Me, desiring to please Me - you stay in your
proper orbit. When you live in a self-centered way,
you go off course.
The challenge is to keep Me central in
what you do, say, and think. This battle begins
in your mind, so work on taking captive every
thought to make it obedient to Me. Study My Word to
find out what pleases Me, and remember how
wonderfully well I love you. Awareness of My amazing
Love will help you stay in orbit around the Son -
enjoying the radiant pleasures of My Presence. (Heb.
11:6; 2Co. 10:5; Col. 1:9, 10) [Jesus Today by
Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Hebrews 11:6 - Faith is a Relationship with
God. (part 1)
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211010-1057.html
Hebrews 11:6 - What Does the Bible Say About
Pleasing God.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/pleasing_god
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
