Pleasing God

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

It takes faith to please God. This verse shows faith is twofold. First, we must believe God exists. Second, we must believe he rewards those who seek him. We often can believe in God. Many of us call out to him, even if only occasionally or in distress. But, to believe he rewards us for seeking him is another level of faith.

A lot of us believe that God is simply angry and desires to destroy us for every mistake we make. We picture him on the edge of his throne waiting to bolt us with sickness or pain. That’s when we need to read Hebrews 10. The priests used to make sacrifices all the time because there was sin all the time. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, came once for all, so that, when you turn to him all your sin is covered, from past to present to future. But, we must diligent seek him.

This proves he is not simply angry and waiting to smite us. No, he is arms open wide, giving us an amazing grace we do not deserve. He is a good God and desires to reward those who seek Him.

It is funny to think that God is pleased to reward us, but that is fact. Let’s please God.

 

Belief as Righteousness

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:19-25 ESV)

Sometimes we doubt Jesus and his resurrection. Mainly because we were not witnesses. Seeing is believing in our culture. I doubt. These are my dark times. I ask, Is Jesus really worth it? Or am I being played the fool?

Belief is counted as righteousness. Abraham was not counted righteous by his works or circumcision, just as I am not saved by works or baptism. He believed in his God as he got super old and his wife was barren. He believed the promise given to him, namely, that he would be the Father of many nations. This belief was counted as righteousness. He never saw until it happened. He didn’t even have Scripture. Yet he believed.

Paul tells us that we then can be counted as righteous, if we Believe in Abraham’s God who raised Jesus from the dead, the Jesus who died in our place, for our sin.

No exhaustive list of to dos, but simple belief. This is refreshing. As the prayer of a sinner earlier in scripture says, “I believe, help me in my unbelief.”