By Faith

One of my mentors was fond of saying, “God likes this faith business.”And he does.We receive him by faith.Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith… (Colossians 2:6-7).We trust his guidance by faith.Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).We follow him by faith.For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).We live by faith.The righteous shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).We hear from God and then obey. That’s faith: getting a report from him and acting upon it.So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).Without faith, we can never hope to please God.And without faith it is impossible to please him… (Hebrews 11:6).But not only that, the secret of contentment is having faith in God’s ability and willingness to give us strength.Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13).Your satisfaction in life, and in God himself, is wrapped up in faith. You can know Christ only through the practice of faith-only through the receiving of his truth and then living with complete trust in him. We hear and then we do. It is the only way to intimacy with God. My satisfaction and your satisfaction with God is dependent upon the practice of faith in him.The staggering truth is this…Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and without faith, it is impossible to be pleased by him.