Faith,
I have a provocative verse for you: “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” (Hebrews 11:6). Why would it be “impossible” to please God without faith?
Perhaps it would be helpful to remember that Christianity is fundamentally about relationships–love God, love others. Every relationship requires a faithful commitment to the relationship where one not only believes that the beloved exists, but earnestly seeks the beloved. Put this in the context of a friendship. Could you and I build a healthy friendship if I believe you exist but don’t earnestly seek you? How about marriage? “Honey, I believe you exist, but I don’t really want to earnestly seek you.” If we put this in the context of our faith in God, perhaps we can see why it would be impossible to please God if we don’t believe He exists or earnestly seek Him. The One who is Love eternally loves to love. If we don’t reciprocate by believing in the Lover and earnestly seeking Him, the Lover cannot help but be displeased because we are rejecting His love.
This Sunday, as we continue to love God by seeking Him in worship and through His word, we will discover the faith of Joseph in Pharaoh’s court. Famine is coming to Egypt, and God wants to bless the world through His servant. Feast or famine, Joseph continues to faithfully trust God’s faithfulness. We will find Christ in the Beginning and find ourselves in His story.
In Christ alone,
Pastor Brad
***Message notes are here.
And here are this week’s deeper dive videos:
The Main Message of the Book of Genesis, pt. 2 (5:07)
What is Faith? (5:38)