Faith for many is hard to come by. A lot of people are skeptical and must see or touch to believe. However, it is one of the most important things we can do. To please God we must have an abundance of faith.

Through Scripture we are told how important faith is. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews clarifies it: Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” NLT

Christ gave us a new covenant that told us that we were no longer under the law if we accepted Him as our Savior. The Jews had developed a religious work system with many different traditions and legalistic requirements. It was not the supernatural system that God had intended. The Bible is very clear you cannot work your way to heaven because works cannot redeem anyone. It has always been by faith starting with Abraham. Faith believes the future promises made by God and Christ.

Hebrews 11:2 – 3 – “Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.” By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” NLT

Faith allows us to believe that God created the world out of nothing by speaking His Word. In Genesis God said “Let there be” and what He asked for happened. It takes faith to believe things we cannot understand can actually happen. Abraham and the prophets accepted what they were told, believed it and wrote about it. Possibly it was their contact with God or His Spirit that convinced them. More people believe God’s description of creation is not possible than believe that it is.

This chapter goes on to point out those who had faith, how they pleased God and how they were blessed. Hebrews 11:4 – “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.”
We know God is more concerned about our heart and our motives than He is about what we sacrifice. Abel’s sacrifice made him a righteous and faithful man. We learn that faith and our attitude is a choice. What we also learn was Cain and Abel came to sacrifice at the same place at the same time suggesting that God had specified a time and place to worship. The difference was that Abel gave God what God wanted and Cain gave God what Cain wanted. By faith, one was obedient and the other was disobedient. It is apparent that Cain was religious, who believed in God and even in worship but on Cain’s terms and not on God’s terms. How many Christians make the same mistake today?

James 2:14 & 17 says that faith without works is dead. Believing but not responding is not true faith. True spiritual faith is always obedient. God comes to man by faith. Man must accept God’s ways above his own and sin is ultimately punished.

Hebrews 11:5 – “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.”

Scripture tells us that Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Many today do not understand the concept of walking with God. We must understand that God wants a relationship. It comes through prayer and Bible study. Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Faith grows when we read and hear the Word.

Hebrews 11:6 – “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
Faith is an absolute requirement. Science has not been able to prove there is a God, but it shows evidence of a planner, designer and a maintainer. It takes faith to believe that God exists. II Corinthians 5:7 – “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

Our self-centered nature rebels against God. It is only through salvation that we can become reconciled to God and atone for our sinful past. Once we have become reconciled with God there will be evidence by the way we live, the things we say and the things we do. The way we think and our behavior must change. Satan continually tries to confuse Christians between works and faith. Satan wants us to believe the only way to please God is through our works.

God wants us to trusts him in the trials we go through, the temptations we are faced with and the decisions we make daily. God wants us to worship Him, be obedient to His ways and have a personal relationship with Him. All who had the faith to believe in God and live according to His ways was considered righteous. Romans 3:22 – “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,” God looks through the eyes of Christ and see us as He sees Christ.

I John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” Our actions may seem pure but inside our hearts are still hard. Faith responds with action. Are we willing to step into the unknown as so many in the Old Testament were if we believe God is calling?

Do we realize the unlimited eternal promises God and Christ have made to believers? God cannot lie or fail to tell the truth. Would you be willing to live God’s ways if Heavenly promises were to be rewarded while we were still on earth? If everyone could see and knew those promises were just a few years away and would have them on earth, probably there would be more believers than non-believers.

Matthew 17:20 – “He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

It surprises me the number of Christians who throw in the towel when things get tough and they believe happiness can be found somewhere else. But for those who remain faithful and obedient, God has prepared an unbelievable Heaven with fantastic rewards that are available for those who have adequate faith and had a servant’s heart while on earth.