What Pleases God
Faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. – Hebrews 11:1
“To have faith in God is to believe, rely on, and put your trust in God. God’s plan of salvation through faith is revealed in the Bible: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes or puts their faith in who Jesus is and what he did for us on the cross, shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). The book of Ephesians explains that we are saved by grace (unmerited favor) through faith (Ephesians 2:8). In other words, salvation is a gift from God; and, figuratively speaking, faith is the hand that receives the gift. Furthermore, once we are saved, Scripture tells us that we are kept by the power of God every day—not through our own efforts but through faith, or childlike trust (1 Peter 1:5). So we see that faith is basic to Christianity. In fact, Scripture says that without faith it is impossible to please God. We read in the book of Hebrews that faith is confidence in what we hope for. This means that faith brings us into a confidence about future things, including the promises of God; and this affects the way we live now. Faith is also an assurance about what we do not see; i.e. faith makes us aware and sure of things that the natural senses can’t pick up. By faith, we ‘see’ God, who is invisible. Faith therefore enables us to approach God with confidence and to live victorious Christian lives.” – Pastor Cymbala
- What role does faith play in our salvation?
- What role does faith play in our everyday lives as Christians?
- Why does faith please God?
- Explain what it means to have confidence in what we hope for.
- Explain what it means to have the assurance of what we do not see.