impossible...

Hebrews 11:6

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.

Faith that is pleasing to God is not merely believing in something. We believe many things: that the buses will come tomorrow, that the sun will rise, that a red light will eventually turn green, etc. Everyone has faith. The justifying faith spoken of here is whether we believe the right thing about God.

Faith, this right believing, is what is credited to us as righteousness (Romans 4).

The Father has instituted a covenant of grace through faith where right believing, not right doing, is pleasing to Him. That’s why when we believe on Jesus and His sacrifice for us we are put in right standing (Romans 10). What we believe about Him matters.

Who do you think would know the most about Jesus? God himself. And God puts His own testimony in those who believe in Jesus (1 John 5:10)!

What a vicious cycle it would be if we were rewarded and punished based on what we did. The hope of man is not in doing good things but in believing the right thing.

Prayer for the week: Father, thank you for the covenant of grace that is by faith. Your love poured out in your blood speaks a better word than any sacrifice I could make. I can expect great things not because of my great acts but because you reward faith. I ask for right believing so that it may lead to right living.