What Pleases God?
Dearly beloved, thanks be to God who gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. God gives us the victory, we do not earn it. It is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ; he earned it. The victory was the purpose of the ages that our Father purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our part is to believe God’s revelation concerning Christ. Our Father calls us believers, believing ones; those who consistently believe what He says - faithful. We live by believing, not by sight.
It is impossible to please Him without believing; He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Believing comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Isaiah asked, “Lord, who hath believed our report?” Believing pleases God. Those who hear God’s Word and believe Him will not be disappointed in their expectation.
On the other hand, unbelief does not please Him. It grieves Him. He delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt. He delivered them from plagues, from the pursuit of their enemy, even when they had them cornered at the Red Sea. He parted it so they could walk through on dry ground. He gave them the promised land, but they would not go in and claim what He gave them.
He was grieved with that generation and said, “They do always err in their heart; and they have not known My ways.” They could have entered His rest, but they did not because they chose not to believe what He said.
How does God describe their unbelief? In this chapter alone He calls it an evil heart of unbelief. He says it grieved Him. He says unbelief provoked Him. He says that they hardened their heart in unbelief. He says that they erred, departing from the living God. He calls it sin. Their unbelief kept them from entering into His rest. He says that His Word did not profit them because they did not mix it with believing. This is rather instructive, is it not?
God freely gives us all things with Christ. God says to confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead and he saves us. The victory was His idea; we simply receive it by believing it. Such grace!
We are to approach God with a true heart in absolute certainty of believing. The just will live by believing, and if anyone withdraws He will not be pleased with him. Beloved, we are not of those who withdraw unto destruction but of those who believe unto the saving of the soul.
Believing is the foundation of matters hoped for, the proof of things not seen as yet. By believing the elders received a good report from God.
By believing, Abel offered a greater sacrifice. By believing Enoch pleased God and God transferred him so that he did not see death. By believing Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen was delivered. Abraham believed Him when God called him to go out into a place which He would later give him for an inheritance. Read the record in Hebrews 11. Believing pleases God; unbelief does not.
The gospel of God concerning Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Beloved, we live by believing and by it we obtain the victory. Beloved, we walk by believing, not by sight.