The Importance of Faith
From The HeartPublish date: 03/18/2012
You cannot come to God on any basis other than faith:
Hebrews 11:6
KJV - 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.
AMP - But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
K. E. Wuest - Now, without faith it is impossible to please Him at all. For he who comes to God must of the necessity in the nature of the case believe that He exists, that He also becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out.
GWNBS - No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
It is impossible to please God if you have no faith in Him. Having faith in God, means that:
You believe in Him – you believe that He exists.
You believe His word and His testimony to you.
You believe that if you diligently seek Him, that you will receive an answer or a response.
You believe that if you diligently seek Him, that He will reward you.
Diligently seek means: to search out; (figuratively) investigate; crave; demand; worship; enquire; seek after (carefully, diligently). It means constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything; pursue with persevering attention; painstaking. You can’t give up halfway – you have to press into God, and continue to press in – expecting to receive from Him and you will receive.
Faith is believing without seeing, or before seeing:
Hebrews 11:1
KJV - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
AMP – Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
ERV - Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.
NIV - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
GWNBS - Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.
HCSB - Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
BBE - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the sign that the things not seen are true.
Faith believes in the unseen over what is seen or perceived with the senses. If you have a title deed to a piece of property, it is the proof that you own it and it belongs to you, even if you have never actually seen it yourself. That title deed is a sure thing – it will hold up in a court of law. Faith is like the title deed – it’s the proof that you have what you are believing for, without having actually seen the manifestation of it yet. Once you see it – you no longer require faith. People say, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” but when you see it, you will know it. Believing is only operational before you see it!
Unbelief and fear do not please God:
Do not throw away therefore your confidence which is of such a nature that it has great recompense of reward, for you have need of patience in order that, having done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little, a very little while, and He who comes will come and will not delay. Now, my righteous person shall live by faith. But if he draw back in fear, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But as for us, we are not of the shrinking-back kind who draw back to perdition, but of the believing kind who believe to the end of the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:35-39 K.E. Wuest
Your faith – your confidence in God and His word – will result in a great reward. Faith is a requirement for receiving anything from God. He is only moved by our faith – not just our hoping – and we can receive nothing from God without faith. We need to have faith in God for salvation, healing, provision, protection, and any other thing that He’s promised us. If we shrink back in fear, or allow unbelief to quench our faith, we risk displeasing God.
There is only one way to get faith – by hearing and believing God’s word:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 KJV
You can’t pray for faith. The Bible tells us that faith comes when you hear God’s word and faith increases the more you hear and meditate on God’s word and His promises. Surround yourself daily with God’s word and with people who speak faith in God’s word. At the same time, refuse to allow negativity, doubt and unbelief to come into your spirit through unbelieving, faithless sources. Don’t share with unbelievers what you are standing in faith for and look for their input – you know it’s going to be a faith destroying conversation! If you have to be around them, don’t ask for their opinion on spiritual things. Your faith has to be stronger than their unbelief, or they will end up pulling you down.
When you hear God’s word, in order for it to benefit you or profit you, you have to believe it and put your trust in it:
Hebrews 4:2
KJV - For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
AMP - For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe).