Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
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.
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” That’s certainly a direct statement, isn’t it? The author of Hebrews spent the entire 11th chapter of the book talking about people who had great faith.
However, before the author got to that point, he or she explained that without faith, we cannot please God.
As disciples, we know that pleasing God is the most important thing in our lives. In the same way that building physical muscle is a process that takes dedication, building your faith muscle requires the same things.
Today, we’re going to look at five steps that you can take to build greater faith so you can live a life that is more pleasing to God.
What is Faith?
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Before declaring that we can’t please God without faith, the author of Hebrews explained what faith is. When you’re putting together a physical fitness plan, you first have to know what it is that you’re building. Faith works under the same principles.
First of all, faith Is confidence in what we hope for. When we truly have faith in God, we are confident that He is doing the things that we ask Him to do. Additionally, faith is an assurance of things that we haven’t seen yet.
Assurance is a strong word, but that’s exactly what the author said.
During the course of this study, we’re going to work on building confidence in God, and increasing our assurance. Begin by thinking about the biggest needs in your life in which you need God to provide. Ask Him to do those things, and then begin to build your confidence and assurance.
Hearing the Word
Romans 10:17 (NIV)
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
When Paul met Christ on the Damascus Road, he had an intellectual knowledge of God, but he didn’t have faith. He knew the Law of Moses, but he didn’t have any faith in the Giver of the Law. Paul, who would eventually become the most prolific preacher and church planter in the New Testament, recognized that the best way to build faith is to hear the Word of God.
In the same way that you need to go to a facility that has exercise equipment in order to build physical muscle, you must put yourself in a place where you can hear the word of God being preached and taught in order to build faith muscle.
Thanks to technological advances, we now have access to preaching and teaching at all times. In addition to attending a local church that preaches and teaches the Bible, consider listening to podcasts throughout the week. The more you hear the Word, the more your faith muscle will grow.
Resistance Training
1 Timothy 6:12 (NIV)
Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the ternal life to which you were called when you made your confession in the presence of many witnesses.
The most time-tested method of building muscle mass is through resistance training. Building faith operates under the same foundational principle.
It’s easy to say that we have faith as long as that faith is never tested. However, faith grows when we put that faith to work. In this passage, Paul told Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith.” He was telling Timothy that he needed to put his faith to work in order to make it stronger.
While we have a tendency to shy away from adversity, adversity is beneficial to our faith and its development. When we have to have confidence and assurance in things that we cannot see, faith is tested, and faith is developed.
Personal Training
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Most people who set a physical fitness goal for themselves don’t have access to a personal trainer. Obviously, these specialists are incredibly good at what they do, and they must go through a rigorous licensing process before they can become personal trainers.
However, most people who join a gym or set a goal don’t have the ability to pay for those special services.
When working on building your faith, the personal trainer that you have access to provides His services free of charge.
The author of Hebrews said that we can look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Other translations call Christ the “author and the finisher of our faith.” The underlying theme is that Christ not only gives us faith when we submit our lives to Him, but He also provides us with the resources to grow that faith.
The “great cloud of witnesses” that the author references in this passage serves as Christ’s resume as a faith builder. Throughout Hebrews 11, the author tells stories of people who let their faith guide them.
When you read the stories discussed in Hebrews 11, you will find that God rewards those who faithfully seek Him and trust Him. If He did it for them, He will do it for you.
Making Gains
Mark 4:37-40 (ESV)
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
By the time that this interaction between Jesus and the disciples, they had already seen Him perform multiple miracles. Yet, when they faced a storm that was too big for them, they became afraid.
They ran into the part of the boat where Jesus was sleeping and asked if He even cared that they were about to die.
While the question seems ridiculous to us, that’s because we know how the story ends. Obviously, Christ cared about His friends. The disciples asking the question seems insulting. Unfortunately, we often take the same approach.
When we face adversity, we wonder where God is. Does He even care? What’s taking so long? Is He even going to respond? In those moments, we need to make some gains in our faith’s development.
In the storm, build your faith. When you’re afraid, build your faith. When you wonder if God is even listening, it’s a powerful opportunity to build your faith.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to develop my faith. I know that You have nothing but good things for me, and I want to trust You more deeply. Help me to trust You even when I don’t see any progress.
I want to be a stronger Christian whose live pleases You. Thank You for providing me with Your Word, ways to hear Your Word, and stories of people who have lived their lives based on faith. In Christ’s name, Amen.