Without faith...

Writing this blog has been so good for me.  It is keeping me in the Word and it is making my dialogue with God more consistent.  I am realizing more and more how much I need Him--his presence, his strength, his wisdom.  I'm also realizing that I am praying "Lord, help me overcome my unbelief--increase my faith!"

Lets pick up where we left off in Hebrews 11.  I absolutely love the  next two verses. 

"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."   Hebrews 11:5-6

Here is the Genesis 5 passage on Enoch:
When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.  And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.  And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years.  Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Enoch was descended from Adam's son Seth (the son he had after Cain killed Abel).  The actual lineage is Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch. (To continue in the line it was Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and then Noah).  Just FYI did you know that this is Jesus' geneology too?  Check out Luke 3.  You will find a lot of righteous people in this line--righteous by their faith.

There is another intriguing passage on Enoch, taken from the book of Jude in the NT.
"Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands  to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

By these verses, we can infer that Enoch walked with God, was righteous, and was some kind of prophet.  Needless to say, Enoch's life was pleasing to God.  Why?  Because of his faith.

Then, the writer of Hebrews seems to interject into his "Hall of Faith" a reminder to the reader,

"And without faith it is impossible to please God..."

Read that statement again and speak it out loud.  Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.  The Greek word for impossible also translates, "powerless."  In other words, all of our "good deeds" and "righteous acts" are completely powerless and ineffective when it comes to pleasing God.  All that God requires is our faith.  And, interestingly enough, when we have real, active faith, the righteous acts follow.  We cannot turn the equation around and put works before faith.  Works FOLLOW genuine faith.  Without faith, our works are DEAD.

I have known this truth for sometime now, but I still catch myself trying to please God with my actions, rather than just simply trusting Him.  I find that sometimes its easier to be busy doing ministry (righteous acts) while I am stubbornly holding on to areas of unbelief.  So, the people around me may think I'm some "great" Christian, but God knows better.

Here is an example:

I may give money to the poor, but I won't give sacrificially unless I am trusting God to provide for my needs.  That is why we don't tithe like we should.  Sure we give a little each month to our church, but we don't give what He requires because we feel like we won't have enough money.  God is not pleased with that.

I may sit down and have a short quiet time with God, and check that off my list as having pleased Him.  But, if I don't live out and apply what I just read and prayed about, then is that genuine faith?  If I really believe what I read, then I will live it out.  I should read my Bible out of a love for Him and out of a child-like faith that wants to spend time with Him.  My daughter Caroline just wants her mommy and daddy to play with her-she wants time with us more than anything else.  I should want that with my God.

I must constantly remind myself that my "righteous acts" are as filthy rags.  Is. 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." Okay, all you men reading this...be warned...the definition of "filthy rags" in this verse is not a pretty one.  Ready for some hard hitting truth??  Did you know that the Hebrew word for filthy literally translates "menstruation" and rags translates "clothing/garment".   Enough said.

Righteous acts that are not outgrowths of faith are nothing better than menstrual cloths.  Sorry, I know that is gross, but I think God is trying to make a point here through Isaiah.

When will we get it through our thick heads that God wants our trust and love more than anything else.  Ephesians 2:8-9 shows us another reason God wants faith rather than "filthy rag righteousness".

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast."  Why is salvation not achieved through works?  "so that no one can boast."  In other words, so GOD gets the glory NOT us.

When we are fully trusting Him, the actions and works that flow out of us give Him glory!  When we are just performing religious acts of so-called righteousness, we are in it for our own glory.   I have often noticed that when I do something "good" pride can easily slip in.  That is why God designed salvation to be based on FAITH not WORKS.  This is true in both the Old and New Testaments.
I'm not saying that God doesn't use our "filthy rag righteousness"--because he does--out of his grace.  But to truly make a difference for the kingdom, we have to trust Him first and THEN obey.

If we are earnestly seeking Him, then he will give us reward.  This reward is so much better than man's praise, which is temporal and fleeting.  This reward is eternal in nature.

So, join me in examining our daily "good deeds" and see if they pass the faith test.  Or, I guess you could also call it, the Enoch test.  If my actions are self serving in any way, they don't pass the test. 

Paul, in talking about the Israelites in Romans 10, said:
 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.  Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” ....That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”





I close with one of my favorite verses in Scripture.  Paul has just finished telling the Philippians all the religious acts that he has performed, and why, in man's eyes he should be commended.  But Paul's regard for these "righteous acts" is as though they are rubbish--pure trash. 

Let's make this our motto:

Phil. 3:8 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

O Lord, increase our faith!