Faith toward God Hebrews 11 6 But without

Faith toward God Hebrews 11: 6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”

� The Faith toward God need for strong foundations – Hebrews 6: 1 – 2 � Faith is defined in Hebrews 11: 1 and can be translated as: “Now faith is the ground, or confidence, of things hoped for, a sure persuasion or conviction, concerning things not seen. ” � Whilst there are different meanings of the word “faith” outside the Bible within s: cripture there are two definite, distinguishing features of faith - it always originates from God’s Word and is always directly related to God’s Word.

� Faith toward God is not based on the evidence of our physical senses – We walk by faith and not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5: 7 � If we are not spiritually minded (i. e. we are carnal) then we will not be able to deal with spiritual things � Faith deals with the revealed truths of God which are invisible, eternal and unchanging � Faith is the gift of God (Ephesians 2: 8 – 9) � “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” John 3: 27 � Everyone 12: 3) has a measure of faith (Romans

Faith toward God is necessary for salvation – “the just shall live by (his) faith” – Habakkuk 2: 4, quoted in the NT - Romans 1: 17, Galatians 3: 11, Hebrews 10: 38 � Faith is formed in our hearts and lives by the Word of God – hearing, reading, studying, meditating, memorising � It is through God’s Word that our attitudes towards and understanding of God come � It is through faith that God works in us and through us � Faith

� It Faith toward God is by faith that we comprehend who God is � It is by faith that we understand who we are in Christ � It is by exercising faith that we grow more Christlike � It is by faith that we see God at work in our lives and in His world � Faith is based on God’s character � Faith can be developed but it takes effort on our part. Having received the gift from God we need to use it

Faith toward God CONCLUSION � If repentance laid the foundation for our relationship with God, faith lays the foundation of purpose for our life with God � Do not allow any gift from God to lie dormant, this is especially true of faith – if you do not exercise this gift then all other gifts will remain powerless � Take a picture from the garden - if it is alive it will grow, if it is dead it will decay – so it is with faith toward God