May it please Almighty God to
bless us together as we meditate in his word this morning. Let
us turn to the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews chapter 11 and
we'll read verse 6. The epistle of Paul to the Hebrews
chapter 11 and reading verse 6. 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. It is a great blessing that we
have such a record of God's faith given to so many people and we
have in this chapter that we read a glorious list of the wonderful
blessings that it brought and produced in the lives of many
and perhaps particularly in the lives of those which are recorded
in the Word of God and direct us to show very clearly that
they all were blessed with this great gift of faith. And it is a great gift. And all of us need this wonderful
gift to be granted to us. It was granted to those that
we read about, and all of us need it. And so the Apostle says,
without this faith, it is impossible to please God. Well, often I
think we fail to realize the relevance and the importance
of true faith. Of course, the Apostle commences
this chapter with a definition. And the definition is this. Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. So we must realise it's not something
which is physically tangible. It is something which God graciously
gives and therefore It's referred to as faith. And what a mercy
for us today if we have received faith. And if we have received
faith, well, that faith is God-given and it's pleasing to God. And if we receive this blessed
faith to believe, that is, of course, so necessary and so essential. And then the apostle goes on
to say, and that he is, that God is, a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. And so we should realize that
there is a blessed requirement toward us, that we don't just
turn away from such a statement as this and say, well, of course,
I don't possess faith, so therefore nothing's going to be achieved.
But the Word of God here directs us to being diligent in our seeking
Him. Well, I hope that all of us really
desire to know God as our God. And if that is a true desire,
what it means is that we will be found seeking, discovering
God for ourselves. Not as something which is abstract,
but as something which is very real and very personal. And we should recognise that
God is very real. As we've read together in this
long account, right from the very beginning, when the Lord
says, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by
the Word of God. So that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear. Referring there very
clearly to the creation of the earth, indeed creation of the
universe. And as we look around and see
the greatness of these things, again many people will not receive
the great truth that these things were made by God because they
do not possess faith to believe and it's because they want to
be able to work things out in accordance with their own natural
understanding that's why evolution is attractive although of course
that doesn't have any real Good theory because it cannot ever
really be so because there are so many parts missing in Evolution,
but yet it's something that people can naturally grasp Whereas faith
cannot be grasped It is that which is given by God and What
a mercy therefore to realize that the definition given is
so true It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence
of things not seen. Well, we have this glorious list,
which is very wonderful for us to recognise how God gave faith. And the first example after this
verse, not before, there was of course Abel and Enoch, but
after, we're told, by faith Noah, being warden of God of things
not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving
of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became
heir of the righteousness which is by faith. That was an amazing
and wonderful occurrence when we think that the Ark took some
100 years to construct and all the mockings that Noah would
have faced during that time. especially as there had never
been rain before upon the earth and there hadn't been the great
fountains of the deep broken up before. So we can believe
that Noah would have been greatly mocked, but the Lord God gave
him faith to believe that what God had said would come to pass. and that was that God would flood
the earth and of course it did come to pass the little couplet in the hymn
which says faith laughs at impossibilities and says it shall be done well
there may be things then in our lives which appear to our natural mind
as impossible. But the things which are impossible
with men are possible with God. So let us realise here then the
great blessing it is to be given this great gift of faith and
to realise if we don't possess it It's impossible to please
God. But if we do possess it, then
we shall believe. And we shall believe that all
things are possible with Him. And therefore, really this verse
encourages us to come to our God in true prayer. He says, for he that cometh to
God, and the only way that you and I can come to God is, of
course, through prayer. We can't come to God in a physical
way, but we can come to God in prayer. And so the statement
here is really very clear. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. And so when we pray, we must
believe that God is God and that God is, as we read here, is a
rewarder. He does hear and he does answer
prayer if it is in accordance with his will. We must always
remember that because sometimes our will And our plan is really
very opposite to what God's will and purpose is for us. And if
we had received answers to such prayers, it wouldn't have been
for our good and it wouldn't have been for the honour and
glory of our God. But nonetheless, the encouragement
for us is here, this morning, to come to God believing that
he is, that he is a God who hears and that he is a God who answers. Well it'll be a blessing for
us today then if we come within the bounds, the compass of such
a great truth and to realise how necessary, how utterly essential
it is that God gives us this great gift of faith. We read about it and it's a mercy
though when the Lord does grant it to us. And of course there
is that very relevant and important verse in the Ephesians which
I often like to refer to because it's so wonderful it's the 8th
verse in the 2nd chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians
and we're told for by grace are ye saved for we know, I hope
you know that means the free unmerited favour of God for by
grace are ye saved through faith through faith and that not of
yourselves It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man
should boast. What that means is very simply,
God gives us faith, and it's his gift, as grace is, and it's
not something, therefore, that you and I can exhort ourself
about. It's all of his favor toward
us, It's all of his mercy toward us. And the result must be, therefore,
to praise and honor and to extol our God for what he's done for
us. And so as we think of this wonderful
gift of faith this morning, well, how do we react to it? How do we react to it? We all
stand before God and we all need to be able to look into our hearts
to see whether we've prayed to God in faith, believing that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God it is that does these great
and wonderful things And of course we read about Abraham, which
is a very wonderful character indeed in the Word of God. And
it's good to be able to read such accounts and to realise
they are there for our encouragement. And we read about Abraham in
the Romans. The fourth chapter in the Romans,
and the 18th verse we'll start at, which says, who against hope
believed in hope. That means that really the situation
appears to Abraham to be impossible, that he should be the father
of a child given to Sarah, his wife. who, against hope, believed
in hope that he might become the father of many nations according
to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, when
he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness
of Sarah's womb. He staggered not, at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he
was able also to perform. You see, he came to God, he came
to God believing, believing that God was able to perform. And so as we come to God today,
in our little lives, no doubt we all have needs, we all have
those things that we so desire God to do for us. Well, says
the Apostle, therefore, for he that cometh to God, he that prays
to God, must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him how often perhaps we do not
come in that wonderful way of possessing living faith and we
do not receive the answers because we have not believed and we can think of that in relation
to our own personal spiritual life. We may long that the Lord will
speak to our souls. And he may indeed give us to
know that we are one of his children. The Lord has come to us. The Lord has dealt graciously
with us. Well, have we come then to God,
believing that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him? So easy to fall into the snare. And what is that snare? well
we read it's an evil heart of unbelief because really we come
to God in one of two ways we either we come believing or we
come with a heart which is full of unbelief whatever we pray for in our lives
and when we pray it's really A request, isn't it? We come
requesting our God. And do we come then, blessed
with faith, believing? Or do we come not really believing? And the Word of God also is a
very solemn statement, and that's this. That which is not of faith
is sin. So we either pray in faith, believing, or we pray in faith with an unbelieving
heart, which is sin. And of course, such prayers will
not be answered. And we therefore should come
truly desiring that God would enable us to come believing. believing and earnestly praying. Indeed, as this word says here,
diligently, diligently. You may think that's quite obvious. Well, it is quite obvious, but
it doesn't go along very often with our prayers. We're not very
diligent in our true prayers. And so that's why we should be
very thankful that we have such a wonderful statement as this. The Word of God is very concise. And it's very concise in these
words before us. Directs us very clearly to the
importance of receiving this great and blessed gift of faith
let us just go back to the beginning where we're told without faith
it is impossible to please him so we see therefore don't we
surely it is essential that we do possess faith because if we don't possess faith
It means really that we're lost. We're lost eternally. We have
no true faith to believe that our souls will be saved. And yet how necessary and how
essential that is. We might think, well, I just
seem a hopeless case. I just don't think God will ever
bless me with faith. I'm just too far the opposite
way. I've just gone too far from God. Well, we should realise no one
can go too far from God. Because God knows exactly where
we are and exactly the faith that he gives to us. So it's
not dependent on our ability. It's dependent upon God's grace. And what a blessing for us then
today to come to God expectantly believing that he will hear and
answer our prayers. And that means then that we come
to God believing, doesn't it? Well that's a great blessing
for us today to come to God believing. And we've read together in this
11th chapter of some amazing occurrences when God granted
blessed faith. And one which is perhaps a very
wonderful favourite is that case of Moses. And we're told about
Moses. And this is what we're told about
Moses. He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Now just
ponder that for a moment. it's very easy for you and me
in our lives to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and what
that means is the pleasures of sin they just pass away they're
only there for a season they're only there for a very short time
and they pass away and you and I might want to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for just a season. Now Moses of course had the opportunity
to enjoy the pleasures of sin in Pharaoh's palace. He was brought
up there and obviously he was welcome to stay there. But God
called him. God spoke to him and God enabled
him therefore to not remain there, but to choose rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure
of sin for a season. Because he realized it was only
for a short time. Whereas also the suffering affliction
with the people of God was also only for a short time. But as he was, by the grace of
God, enabled to suffer with the people of God for a short time,
he would then enjoy the blessings of God eternally. See the comparison? It's very
vast, isn't it? It's very great, and yet how
wonderful it is if you and I today are blessed with this right choice. And it means, if we are, God
gives us this faith because the Word of God goes on to tell us,
esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches and the treasures
in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward
by faith he forsook Egypt what a blessing therefore if
God gives us grace to forsake spiritual Egypt the things of
this world which do not profit our soul He received faith. What a blessing it is when you
and I receive faith. What a wonderful thing it is
to realize that we have such a God who still gives us faith,
like he did to Moses. We read it, we accept it, we
believe it's true, and it's recorded for the encouragement us today. I mean we're not living in Egypt,
we're not living in Pharaoh's palace, but nonetheless we are
living in this world and the Lord does give us that gracious
and glorious position to choose rather to suffer with a people
of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteeming
the reproach of Christ That means that Moses looked forward to
that day when Christ would come and was able to testify because
he kept the Passover. And people might say, why do
you keep the Passover? There's no purpose. It's past. The Passover was a glorious time
every year to remember the glorious Saviour in all his sufferings. That was really the whole aim
and purpose of it. And so we're told, through faith
he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he
that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. Well what
a mercy it is today. It's the same really as it was
for Moses. When we read this great statement
that he kept the Passover and that he esteemed the reproach
of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. I wonder
if you and I have received faith to bear the reproach of Christ. That means to be mocked. And that means people to say,
surely you don't believe in the Lord Jesus? Surely you don't
believe he's God? Surely you don't believe the
truth of the Bible? When people speak such words,
and usually in a very sarcastic way, it's not easy to retort
and say, And remember, humbly, not in any arrogant way, humbly
to say, well, by the grace of God, I do. And you do, why? Because God
has given faith. Faith. Reason, isn't it? To praise God. To think that
God has singled us out. and given us faith to believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a great gift that is. It
is an eternal gift. It's not something
that just disappears, but it's something that all of us need
to receive from the gracious hand of God. The wonderful gift
of faith. Because it means if you and I
received this gift of faith, it's because we've also received
the gift of eternal life. You see, they're joined together.
Blessed with faith, we receive eternal life. And that really
is the vital and important truth of the whole Word of God. and
the finding that we've been looking to the Saviour, looking to the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle, when he wrote to the Galatians,
and just right towards the end of the third chapter, there are
some beautiful words to strengthen us. From verse 22 we read, but
the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, no doubt about
it, all under sin, you and me, all under sin, that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. That's put
very clearly, isn't it? Very clearly. That the promise
by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. And then he says, but before
faith came, before you and I possessed faith, this gives us a little
account really of the reality of God-given faith and the test
as to whether it emanates from God or not but before faith came we were
kept under the law and the law says do this and live shut up
unto the faith which should afterward be revealed The door was shut. We didn't really understand it, which should afterward be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster. Well, I'm sure we all know what
a schoolmaster is. All you children know what a
schoolmaster is, I'm sure, or schoolmistress, whatever it is.
The law of God is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ. That means to know that you and
I are condemned by the law of God, that we are a sinner before
God. That's what the law is for, is
to convince us that we are sinners. And so here it is. The law was
our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. Not by things that you and I
have done, but made just by receiving the gift of faith. But after
faith has come, when God gives us faith, We are no longer under
a schoolmaster, for ye are all the children of God by faith
in Jesus Christ. You see, we've been liberated. We've been freed. We're in union
with Christ. We're in communion with Christ. What a wonderful change that
brings about. Blessed with living faith. Without faith it is impossible,
but with faith, God-given faith, for as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, there is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. The unity of
the Spirit, the bond of peace, united together, whole church
of God all possess living faith, praised God because of it and
if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according
to the promise, the promise of eternal life. Well that's a wonderful
little analysis really you can Read it carefully yourself, it's
in Galatians 3 from verse 22 to the end. A great and wonderful
truth. And we should be indeed so thankful
for it. But without faith it is impossible
to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is
and it is a reward of them that diligently seek him. And again, the Apostle Paul,
when he wrote, again referring to the Romans, he gives a wonderful
statement in the 10th chapter about the need that you and I
have and the need that you and I possess. And it's towards the
end of this chapter, this 10th chapter. He says, but they have
not all obeyed the gospel. Not all obeyed the gospel. We
might say here we have this gracious statement, diligently seek him. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who hath believed our report? Well, have you and I believed
the great truth of God? And then he says, verse 17, 10th
chapter, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You know, you and I should be
so thankful to hear the word of God. Billions of people today
do not hear the word of God. But let us remember this. We
are also without excuse. We will never be able to stand
before God's judgment seat and say, well, I was never told,
I never heard the word of God, because all of us have. And so
he says, but I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily, their
sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends
of the world. But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses said, I will provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people. And by a foolish
nation, I will anger you. Well, I wonder if you and I have
been jealous for the truth of God, jealous to receive the faith
of God. And then we're told, but Isaiah,
that means Isaiah, is very bold and says, I was found of them
that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. Perhaps that's been our position. God has come to us graciously, wonderfully. We didn't actually seek Him.
We didn't really pray to Him. But He came to us. What a mercy
that was. What do we say? It was the sovereign
will of Almighty God. Well, what a mercy then. to receive
such a truth and receive his grace and to receive this grace
and glorious gift of faith. It is a gift. And so you and
I read down this morning this wonderful account to think that
God has also enjoined us that we are by his grace one of those
who have received this wonderful blessing of faith and can to
praise him for and bless him that he's given it to us and
therefore you and I this morning can truly rejoice in such a word
as this. Without faith it is impossible
to please him. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is and that he is a reward of them that diligently seek
him. We have to say, really, by grace
we are saved. Yes, by grace we are saved. Through, by faith we are saved. Through grace and that none of
yourselves, it is the gift of God to his honor and glory and
praise. Amen.