faith’s gateway

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. Hebrews 11:6

Sandwiched between the brief “faith biographies” of Enoch and Noah is this important observation on the nature and importance of faith. It stands as a call to faith for all people everywhere and is where trust in God and belief in the gospel embark on a journey of revealed truth and increased trust in it. I believe this definition, though broad, is essential to saving faith… although by itself is is not saving faith.

The faith described here is the gateway to the gospel. The place to start is with God. We must believe that God exists and that He wants people to draw near to Him. He is approachable… and personal. Faith first seeks God for the salvation the soul desperately needs. We must be theistic in orientation in order to come to know the fullness of salvation that God has provided in Christ.

Some quick observations:

1. It is impossible to please a God that you deny. Atheism is in substance a clear path to the displeasure of God. It is not possible to find grace by rejecting the premise of God, therefore those who reject God outright forfeit concepts like grace, mercy, and divine acceptance. In order to be accepted by God, we must accept Him.

2. It is possible to draw near to God by starting with theistic belief. In fact, that is the only logical first step toward really knowing Him. Denying God, daring Him to show Himself, but expecting to find Him in your denial, is not promised to be a rewarding experience. Those who choose to walk toward Him, believing that He is somehow there, will find God, and be found by Him.

3. Faith is essential, not optional. We “must believe that He exists” in order to have knowledge of God. Faith is the ecosystem where spiritual trust thrives in the fact of God’s being. And the final promise in this verse is that God Himself personally rewards all those who believe that He exists. He makes faith real for them!

All this must precede hearing the gospel and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. Once that gate opens however, the path of eternal life stands gloriously before us!