Reading the Word

Hebrews 11:4–7 (ESV)

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Do you want to please God? Then you must have faith in him. The writer of Hebrews, throughout chapter eleven, lists out many of the most well-known people of the Old Testament and shows that they were welcomed by God because each of them had faith. It was not their personal righteousness or their good works that pleased God. The Bible tells us that none of us are good enough on our own (Romans 3:23). If we want to please God, we must have faith.

The good news of the Bible is that Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. Every one of us is separated from our Creator by our rebellion against him and there is nothing we can do on our own to change this. However, Jesus paid our debt through his suffering and death. For all who repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and reconciliation, Scripture tells us we are saved and given the gift of eternal life. This is the only way to be reconciled to God. We must have faith in Jesus Christ.

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