WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD

Proclamation:

“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." Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

Explanation:

Under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God the unknown author of The Bible Book of Hebrews wrote that it is not possible to please God without believing that He exists, without having faith in Him, without actively seeking Him, and without believing that those who honestly seek Him will find Him and will be rewarded.

Application:

We cannot walk with God without wholeheartedly believing in Him.  Having faith in God and believing in Him, is more than intellectually knowing that there is a God.  The devil and his demons know that there is a God and they know who He is.  They just choose not to follow Him and His ways. (James 2:19)  We demonstrate our faith in God by following His way and by being obedient to The Word of God. (John 14:15 and 14:23)  We cannot have faith in God without also having our actions demonstrate that faith. (James 20:26)  If we sincerely believe in Him and seek Him, we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, and Luke 11:9)  Those who truly have faith in God are blessed. (Galatians 3:9, Hebrews 11:20-21)

Familiarity Breeds Contempt Not Respect

"When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there. Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?' they asked. 'Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'Only in His hometown and in His own house is a prophet without honor.' And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." Matthew 13:53-58 (NIV)

After Jesus spoke the seven parables, the people in His home town, who thought that they knew Him well as a boy and as a young man, questioned where He learned all that He spoke. They took offense at Him because they felt that He was nothing special.

It is hard to get respect and honor from people who knew you "way back when," especially if they did not have a very high regard for you then. People will frequently remind you of your past when your present situation, and your future, is brighter than theirs. This is especially true if they feel that they were better off than you were in the past. The best thing to say to them is, "Thanks be to God, I have moved on from there." Remember, we are not here to get the praise of men, we are here to please God and to give Him glory.