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 (Heb. 11:6).
As believers, our faith is built on the foundation that God exists, and that He treats people who seek Him differently than those who do not seek Him. As soon as we truly believe those things, we begin to please God, because we immediately begin to seek Him. Seeking God implies (1) learning His will, (2) obeying Him, and (3) trusting His promises. All three should be components of our daily walk.
This chapter focuses on our walk of faith. It is unfortunate that many have emphasized faith to the point of unbiblical extremes, particularly stressing the area of material prosperity. For that reason, some are apprehensive to approach the subject at all. But just because some people drown in their swimming pools is no reason for us to stop drinking water. We can remain balanced and scriptural. The Bible has plenty to teach on the subject, and God wants us to exercise our faith in His many promises.
Jesus set an example of one who had faith in God, and He expected His disciples to follow His example. Likewise, the disciple-making minister strives to set an example of trust in God, and he teaches his disciples to believe God’s promises. This is vitally important. Not only is it impossible to please God without faith, it is impossible to receive answers to our prayers without faith (see Matt. 21:22; Jas. 1:5-8). Scripture clearly teaches that doubters are deprived of blessings that believers receive. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).
