In verse 6 we read this. It says, 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. By faith Noah, being warned of
God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear. prepared an
ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world
and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Abraham,
when he was called, go out into a place which he should after
receive on inheritance obeyed. And he went out not knowing whether
he went. By faith he sojourned in the
land of promise, as in a strange country. dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself
conceived strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a
child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful
who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of
one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky
in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth. For they
that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful
of that country from whence they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better
country that is in heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. Now this is a a very important verse as we
look at faith as we read verse 6. But without faith it is impossible
to please Him. Now, some look at this passage of
Scripture and they conclude that God is looking for faith. They conclude
that God has some particular regard to faith. And we read
about faith in the Scriptures, whole chapters about faith, but
I'm declaring to you that God is not pleased with faith per
se. if we understand by faith what
men generally mean by faith. Now what faith generally means
to most people is that they had an expectation and a confidence
that something was going to happen. I mean, you know, you've got
to have faith. I mean, that's what they tell
us. I mean, they tell us that now if you get sick, what you
need to do is have faith that you're going to be healed and
you're going to be healed. You've just got to believe it.
And so that it comes to pass in the minds of men that that's
what it is that this passage of Scripture is saying, that
God is looking for somebody that's got faith and he's just... Man,
it doesn't really matter what the basis of your faith is, it's
just that you've got to have faith. You've just got to have
it. But that's not at all what this
passage of Scripture says. Especially when we look at the
context of what Paul has been saying here in the book of Hebrews
in chapter 10 and chapter 11 and then even as he goes on into
chapter 12 and he says this, looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith. Now here's what the faith is. God's just not running around
out here looking for somebody that's got faith and then he's
just happy when he finds somebody. But the Scripture says here that
without faith it is impossible to please God. Now what is the
faith that it is impossible to please God without? It is the
faith of Jesus Christ. the one who is the author and
finisher of our faith. That is the basis. Now, remember
as this chapter started off, faith is the substance. That is, the persuasion is that
which we are persuaded of, that which we are convinced of, that
which our hope is built upon. That is the faith. And so without
the faith of Jesus Christ, that is that faith which is in Christ,
that faith which is of Christ, that faith which rests upon that
which Christ done, it is impossible to please God. God is not just
looking for men of faith. Now you hear, and especially
in this political climate that we have in this present time,
people talk about regarding the faith of all men. We're not sent
out into the world to despise and overturn and destroy other
people's religion. I mean, let people have the religion
they want. But we're sent out into the world
to declare that there is one faith with which God is pleased. Now, if that offends people,
it just offends people. Now, we can't help that. You
know, we're not trying to offend them. We're just trying to tell
people what the truth is and the faith that is pleasing unto
God is that which is in Jesus Christ. No other. I mean, it doesn't make any difference
how strong somebody believes. Now, those men that destroyed
the World Trade Center, Now, they were men of faith. I mean,
they had some kind of faith, did they not? Now, was God pleased
with that faith? I believe it would overturn everything
we understand about what the Scripture says if we said yes.
No, because that was a faith that was built on the wrong foundation.
It was not the faith with which God was pleased here. And without
this faith, it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, who is, that Jesus Christ is
God. If we believe God is... Now,
see, some people say, oh, well, we just believe in God. Well,
we don't know about Jesus Christ. We don't believe in Him, but
we believe in God. Well, I'm here to tell you that
according to what the Scripture says, it is impossible for a
man to have a right understanding or knowledge of God if he does
not have a knowledge of Jesus Christ. How do we know that?
He said, I and my Father are one. He said to the Pharisees,
if ye had known my Father, ye would have known me. And so it
is, dear brethren, if a man knows God, he must know Jesus Christ. There's no ifs, ands, and buts
about this. Now, men can have all sorts of
religious experiences and things that go on in the world, but
that of which we declare is that which is set forth here in the
Scripture. There is one faith with which
God is pleased, not general faith, but the faith of Christ, that
one of whom Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is that bedrock, that one
upon which it is built. Now is there another faith? with
which God would be pleased. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father
but by me. Now did He mean that nobody but
just those that know about this and all these people that don't
know about it, they've got another way? No. He said, I am the way. I am the
way. There's not another way. Well,
what about all these other people in the world? I don't know. The
Lord knows them that are His. He knows them that are His. And
I believe this. He'll bring them to Himself in
His own time, but He's not going to bring them through another
faith, is He? He's not going to bring them through another
Savior, is He? I mean, would we not all absolutely conclude
that there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ? And there is
no faith with which God would be pleased except that which
is in Jesus Christ. And this is one of the things,
you see, that was offensive as Paul went preaching the Gospel.
Because men don't like to be told that what they believe is
not good enough. They don't want to hear that,
see. Men will get mad at you. See, Ralph Barnard, he said that
you could preach anything you want to to men, but he said when
you start killing their God, he said that's when they'll rise
up against you. When you start laying axe to
the root of that which they hold dear, then they will fight against
you. Now, we're not sent into the
world to slay God. I mean, the Lord's quite able
to do that on His own, but we're sent into the world to declare
the truth. And that's what He says here, by faith, without
faith, it's impossible to please Him, for He that cometh to God.
If a man would approach unto God, he must believe that he
is, that he is God. Would he believe that God's just
a God? The thought of God? See, a lot
of people just have the thought of God, don't they? Well, I believe
in God, but... Well, dear brethren, there's
no buts associated with believing God is. Now, if God is, He is an absolute. And he absolutely
has revealed to us that he is Jesus Christ. So if a man cometh unto him,
he must believe that he is. He said to Abraham, I am. I mean unto Moses, he said, I
am. Now the same one that said, I
am, is the one of whom we speak when the Lord Jesus Christ said,
I am he. He said, I am He. When they came
to get Him in the garden, and with all their spears and
swords and everything, and He said, Whom seek ye? And they
said, We seek Jesus of Nazareth. And you know what He said? He
said, I am. Now, it's in italics if you look
in the Scripture. It says, I am he. But what he
actually said was exactly what the Lord said to Moses. He said, I am. And you know what
happened? The Scripture says they all fell
backwards. They were swept off their feet.
Now you talk about being slain in the Spirit. They were slain
in the Spirit. Brother, they were knocked off
their feet. Without faith it's impossible
to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is,
that He is that one of whom He says He is, that Jesus Christ
is not exactly and one hundred percent who He said He was, then
He is the biggest deceiver that ever walked upon the face of
the earth. And you can't trust anything
that He says. You know, when people say, oh, well, we believe
most of what Christ said. Well, brother, you can't believe
most of what Christ said. Because if he didn't mean what
he meant and he didn't say what he said, and it's not true what he said. I
mean, if a guy, if you know a guy will lie to you about one thing,
are you going to believe him on something else? If he said,
I and my father are one, If he said, no man comes to the Father
but by me, are you going to believe if he lied to you about that,
or are you going to believe something else that he said? But see, you've
got a lot of people that believe that Jesus taught good things,
so we believe in the teachings of Jesus. Well, dear brethren,
if you don't fall on your face and worship Him, you do not believe
in the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. because He said
that all men must worship Him. 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.
Now over and over in the Scripture we read that whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now we believe
that to be an absolute fact. Now we know a lot of times people
get the cart ahead of the horse and they think that men are causing
God to save them because they believe, but the reality of the
matter is that that's backwards because those that believe are
those who are caused by God to believe. Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power. And so it is the work of God
in a man to give him faith to believe. And everyone who believes
and comes to him, what did he say? He said, I'll no wise cast
them out. So this is an absolute truth,
that if a man calls upon the name of the Lord, he shall be
saved. Now, if he just calls out because
he's in trouble, shall he be saved? That's not what it says. It says, for whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord. What is the name of the Lord?
You know, a lot of people, they go into a great big study and
they'll tell you, you know, it's a certain combination of vowels
and stuff. Well, it's not a combination
of vowels and consonants that are put together that make up
the name of God. But the name of God is the name
of the One who came into this world and He said, I am the Father
of One. He's the One who came and He
went to Calvary's cross and He poured out His blood for sinners. That's the One whose name we
call upon. And the Scripture indicates that
His name is Jesus. The angel came to Joseph, and
he said, Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save
his people from their sins. Now, dear brethren, it says that
we, for a man must believe that he is, that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him. What is the reward of those that
seek him? His very presence, His salvation,
that is the reward of God's people. Now a lot of people get hung
up on rewards. I remember there was a song that
you sang, Will there be any stars in my crown when at evening the
sun goeth down? When I stand with the blessed
in the mansions of rest, will there be any stars in my crown?
And people are looking for all these rewards they're going to
get for all this stuff they've done. Dear brethren, that's not
the picture. The reward of God is the salvation
that the Lord gives to those whom He is pleased to call by
His grace. And He's pleased to give them
faith. And He's pleased to see that faith in operation. And
He's pleased to cause them to believe that He is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek Him. You see, no man who, by the grace
of God, has been moved of the Spirit of God to cast himself
upon the mercy of God shall ever be cast away. Because nothing
that ever moves a man to come to that place except the Spirit
of God. And the Spirit of God doesn't
do things halfway, does He? He doesn't try to do things,
but he does things according to the good pleasure of his will.
And so without faith it's impossible to please him, a specific faith. For he that cometh to God, not
any God, but a God, the God, that One who has revealed Himself
unto men, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him. We believe that what he said is true. Because you see,
he said, in my Father's house are many mansions. And he said,
if it were not so, I would have told you. The Lord's not in the
business of fooling people. You know, He's not in the business
of bringing people all along only to disappoint them in the
end. But he that believeth that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him, such is the place upon which we stand. Then he said, By faith
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen, is yet moved
with fear. Noah was a man that he believed
that the Lord was going to do what He said He was going to
do. Well, how did he believe it? Did he just study the stars
and he came up with the idea? What made Noah believe that God
was going to cause it to rain on earth? Was he just an eccentric? No, God gave him the faith to
believe it. He caused him to believe it. Now, can you explain it? Can
you explain how a man out in the middle of wherever he was,
surrounded by all these people that didn't believe what the
Lord told him, goes about and starts building a big boat? Can
you explain that? Does that make any sense at all?
I mean, that is the stupidest thing you've ever heard of in
your life. And I'm sure he got plenty of
ridicule until the raindrops started falling. And then, you
know, people probably said, well, wait a minute, maybe he was right. But you see, Noah didn't do anything
any different than anybody else. But he was caused by the grace
of God to believe something that he didn't know was true. But you see, what did he believe?
He believed the one that said it. How did he do it? Because what? Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. And by faith, you see, the persuasion
that he had was that which moved him to do what he was going to
do. Now, if he didn't believe that he was supposed to be building
the boat, do you think he would have been building the boat?
No, but how was he persuaded of that? Because he believed
God. How did he do it? By grace. By
faith. Noah being warned of God of things
not seen as yet moved with fear. He said, man, I've got to get
this boat built because God's fixing to send flood upon the
earth and He's going to destroy this earth. And he moved with
fear. He believed it. And it caused him to move. He moved with fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the
world. Now do we condemn the world? Well, in one sense we
don't condemn the world in the sense that we don't go out here
and, you know, speak out wrath and judgment on people in some
personal way. But we do condemn the world in
saying to the world that this world is going to be destroyed
and everyone who is not in the ark of God is going to be destroyed
with it. And so in that measure we do
condemn the world. And we do say with Noah, I'm
not part of this world. I'm preparing for a world to
come. He prepared an ark for the saving
of his house by which he condemned the world and became heir of
the righteousness which is of faith." He became an heir of
righteousness. Now that word became means simply
that he demonstrated. In other words, he didn't earn
a place of righteousness because he believed, but he manifested
the fact that he was an heir of righteousness. because the
Lord gave him faith to believe. How do we know who the chosen
of God were in the days of the flood? How would you know it? They were
the ones on the ark. Who were those who were the chosen
of God? They were the ones who were in Christ, had to get in
Christ by grace. How are they manifested to be
the sons of God through faith? I mean, how is it? The same way it was with Noah.
Then it says, By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out
to a place which he would have to receive for an inheritance,
obeyed. And he went out not knowing where
he went. Brother Owens has brought this out very well. How did Abraham
know that? Did he read it in a book somewhere?
No, God gave him faith to believe it. And he went. He didn't know where he was going.
He didn't know what he was doing. I mean, what are you doing, Abraham? I don't know. I don't know, but
God said to do this, and I'm going. How would he have known
that except God gave it to him? He was called to go out to a
place which he would after receive for an inheritance. Now, we're
called in the same fashion, are we not, to possess something
that we have not seen, but that afterwards it is an inheritance,
is it not? Because we believe that we have
been made heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. And it's been
made ours, not through some effort of our own. Abraham didn't think
that he could go and earn his inheritance, but he knew that
God alone could give it to him, just like he knew that when he
looked at what he had and he said, Lord, You've said that
You're going to give me an heir to those things that Thou has
given me. How can it be? Except you cause
it to come to pass. It can't be. I'm helpless. I'm
without any hope. I've come to the end of my road.
I don't see how this is going to work out. By faith. He went out not knowing where
he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promises in a
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles, tents, with Isaac
and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. See, God's
people are all heirs of the same promise. It's not a different
one for each individual one, but it's the same promise. And
God's people are satisfied with the same promise. You know, in
this world, we all like to get something a little better than
somebody else. I mean, if we get a, you know,
a truck that's got a stereo in it, then we won't, or if somebody
gets that, then we think, well, you know, what we need is let's
get us one that's got stereo surround sound. I mean, you know,
we've got to have something that's just a little better than what
the next fellow's got. But you see, we're heirs of the
same promise. Because it's the same Christ. And He is that which we are the
inheritors of all that which belongs to Him as this one seed
that was promised to Abraham, not to seeds as of many, but
as of one which is Christ. He's the inheritance. You see,
Abraham knew somehow, the same way you do, although he knew
less about it than you do, that he was an inheritor of a promise
that was in Christ, the promised seed, that one which was to come. For he looked for a city which
hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He looked for
something that was not of his own making. That's what the Christian faith
is in a nutshell, is that our hope is built on something outside
of ourselves. It's not what we did. It's not
because we believed, but we've been made to believe. And we
have a confidence in Him. And all of our hopes and expectations
are cast there. And that's why the Lord Jesus
gave us this, because it's upon this that every part and parcel
of that thing which we hold dear rests. Because if this doesn't
mean what He said it meant, if this is not an evidence of that
blood atonement which was made for our sin, then brethren, hope
or expectation. But we believe that He is and
that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. And
we believe that those that diligently seek Him are those whom the Spirit
of God has sought out and called by His grace and calls to believe
and calls to see that which Christ has done set before us. And he said to do this in remembrance
of him, he said, as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you do show or manifest the Lord's death till he come.
And it's given to us strictly as that, a manifestation, a reminder
of the broken body and the shed blood of Christ our Lord.