SOMETHING YOU MUST BELIEVE
SOMETHING YOU MUST BELIEVE
“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” (Heb. 11:6).
Hebrews 11 is called the “Faith Chapter” of the Bible. Every verse in this chapter deals with some aspect of faith. The chapter begins by explaining that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (v. 1). Next, the power of faith is illustrated by the fact that “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made of what was visible”(v. 3).
Then two great heroes of the faith are mentioned, Abel, and Enoch. Both lived in obscurity, yet God chose to honor them because of their faith (vss. 4 – 5). Remember! “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chron. 16:9). Note that God has a habit of honoring those overlooked by the world.
Then comes our text: “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” (v. 6).
YOU MUST BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
Yes, you must believe the Gospel. The Gospel is “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that he was buried, that he raised on the third day according to the scriptures . . .” ( 1 Cor. 15:3,4). As we have said, to be saved you must believe the Gospel. You “must confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead . . .” (Rom. 10:9).
Now please focus your mental and spiritual energies on our text. This text adds something else that must be believed.
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The first part of the text is clear. We MUST believe that God exists. This is an essential part of the Gospel. Only a fool would say in his heart that there is no God (Ps. 14:1).
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Second, however, is something that may not seem obvious. We also MUST believe that God rewards those who “earnestly” seek Him. This is difficult for it involves being confident about a reward we cannot see. The ant works hard to lay up food for the winter (Prov. 6:6-8), but the ant can “see” what it is saving. We are commanded to lay up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19- 21) but we can only “see” these treasures by faith.
JESUS HAS A GREAT DEAL TO SAY ABOUT REWARDS
Aristotle said: “Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals”. This is true! A man who aims at nothing often achieves nothing. Young Bobby Fischer set his goal to become the greatest chess player in the world. He achieved that goal! In 1958 he became the youngest grandmaster in history at age 14. In 1972 he won the world chess championship. He worked hard to become a champion, but died on Jan. 17, 2008 and left all of his chess achievements behind.
The followers of Christ have a different goal. “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Paul pointed out that athletes go into strict training to obtain a crown that is corruptible. By contrast, we go into strict training to obtain a crown that lasts forever (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Paul lived a successful life even though he died with virtually no earthly possessions. At the last he was imprisoned in a Roman dungeon and didn’t even have a cloak to wear (2 Tim. 4:13). Paul, however, knew whom he had believed and was confident that none of his treasure in heaven would be lost (2 Tim. 1;12). Consequently, he expected to receive an eternal crown that doesn’t fade away (2 Tim. 4:6-8; I Pet. 5:4).
Jesus has a great deal to say about “rewards”. Note:
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When you are persecuted falsely “Rejoice and be glad” because great is your “reward” in heaven (Matt. 5:11, 12).
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If you love those who love you what “reward” have you, even the tax collectors do that (Matt. 5:48).
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Do not do your acts of righteousness before men for if you do you will have no “reward” from your Father in heaven (Matt. 6:1).
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If you do your alms in secret your Heavenly Father will “reward” you openly (Matt. 6:4). •
Similarly, if you pray to be seen of men that is the only “reward” you will receive. But if you pray in secret then you will receive a heavenly “reward” (Matt. 6:5, 6).
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The same is true of fasting. If you want to receive a heavenly “reward” then you fast in secret so that you can only be seen by your Father in heaven (Matt. 6:16-18).
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Those who receive a prophet will receive a prophet’s “reward”. Those who receive a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s “reward”. Even if you give a cup of cold water to a disciple of Jesus you will certainly not lose your “reward” (Matt. 10:40-42).
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When Jesus comes in His Father’s glory with His angels, then He will “reward” each person according to what he has done (Matt. 16:27).
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Jesus said: “Behold I am coming soon! My “reward” is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12).
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Etc.
TREASURES ON EARTH
Jesus once told a parable to illustrate that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his earthly possessions (Lk. 12:13-21). The parable featured a rich farmer who had a bumper crop. In order to store his abundant harvest he tore down his barns and built bigger ones. In triumph he said to himself “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry” (Lk. 12:19). While many would admire this man for his wisdom, the Lord said he was a fool. He died that very night and someone else enjoyed his earthly riches.
This is why we need to be concerned about laying up treasure in heaven. Jesus said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).
To further illustrate the importance of treasures in heaven Jesus told the story of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31). The fact that Lazarus is named leads many to believe this is not a parable, but a real story about real people. The rich man lived in luxury every day and Lazarus lived in poverty. Lazarus was lying at the rich man’s gate covered with sores and begging for crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. When both men died their roles were reversed. Lazarus was carried by the angels to a place of eternal reward, and the rich man was taken to a place of eternal torment. Lazarus had obviously laid up treasure in heaven while the rich man didn’t!
REMEMBER OUR TEXT! “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” (Heb. 11:6). WE MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM!
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING GOD HAS EXPECTED MAN TO “DO” SOMETHING
Our Hispanic brethren have an interesting saying. When someone asks them what they are doing they sometimes reply: “Estamos arando”. This means “we are plowing”. The saying becomes significance when you realize that these words were spoken by a fly riding on the horn of a giant ox. When someone asked the fly what he was doing he replied “estamos arando”. Because the fly was riding on the ox he felt a part of what the ox was doing. In a similar way, we are “fellow workers” with God (I Cor. 3:9). God, of course, does the hard work and we are only along for the ride.
Yes! God always does the hard work! God did the hard work when He created the heavens and the earth, but He still wanted man to do something. God did the hard work when he planted a garden in the east in Eden, but He still wanted man to do something. God did the hard work when He planted all sorts of trees and vegetation in the garden. Finally: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it” (Gen. 2:15). At last, man could do something. God could have taken care of the garden by Himself, but He wanted man to do something. As we have said, God wanted Adam to be His “fellow worker”. No matter how small and insignificant was Adam’s contribution, he still did something.
Again, God did the hard work when He created thousands upon thousands of birds and beasts. Then God went to the trouble of bringing all of these creatures to Adam so he could name them. So you see, God again did the hard work but Adam still did something. All Adam had to do was name these creatures, and whatever Adam called each creature that was it’s name (Gen. 2:19,20). For your information, taxonomy is a branch of science which involves naming and classifying organisms. Adam, therefore, become the world’s first taxonomist.
It is important to remember that man is never to boast about his works. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:8-10).
A fly riding on a giant ox may feel he has a part in plowing the field, but what he does is nothing to boast about!
SOME EXAMPLES OF THINGS GOD COMMANDED MAN TO DO
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Please note the contrast between the great works of God and the tiny contribution of man. •
As we have said, God commanded Adam to dress and keep the garden and also to name the creatures God had created (Gen. 2:15-20).
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God commanded Moses: “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen” (Ex. 14:26).
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God commanded Joshua to march around Jericho for seven days, blow their trumpets and shout, and then God would cause the walls of the city to fall down (Josh. 6:2-5).
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God commanded Naaman to dip in the river Jordan seven times to be cured of his leprosy (2 Ki. 5:10).
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When Jesus performed His first miracle by changing water into wine He commanded the servants at the wedding to fill six jars with water (Jn. 2:1-11).
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On another occasion Jesus put mud and saliva on a blind man’s eyes and commanded him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam that he might see (Jn. 9:1-7).
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At Pentecost the people asked Peter and the other apostles: “Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:37,38).
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Jesus told Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus: “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). In the city of Damascus a man named Ananias told Saul: “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16).
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Paul certainly didn’t boast about what he did for he was the very man who wrote to the Ephesians “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
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These examples can easily be multiplied. In each instance, no matter how simple and insignificant was the command, obedience was still required! Nobody can call Jesus Lord and not do what He commands! (Lk. 6:46-49).
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YET NOT ONE TIME WAS ANYTHING THAT MAN DID SOMETHING TO BOAST ABOUT!
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Yes! Moses stretched out his hand and the sea covered the Egyptians. But Moses knew God did the miracle! That’s why he composed the “Song of Moses” giving 100% of the glory to God! (Ex. 15:1-21).
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It is not by accident that when we get to heaven we will also be singing the “Song of Moses” (Rev. 15:1-4).
OWNERSHIP
In Egypt the Hebrew people were slaves and basically didn’t own anything. When they came into the Promised Land, however, God wanted every family to own their own property. The division of the land was first assigned by lot to the tribes of Israel. (See Joshua 15:1-19:51) The Levites, as you know, didn’t own land like the other tribes but received the tithes as their inheritance (Nu. 18:21). They did, however, have certain Levitical towns assigned to them (See Josh. 21).
Not only did the tribes own land, individuals owned land too. Naboth, for example, was a lowly peasant who owned a vineyard close to the palace of King Ahab. (See 1 Ki. 21). The vineyard of Naboth was something he inherited from his fathers and he told the king: “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Ki. 21:3). Property rights were so strong that if hardship forced you to sell your property, the transaction was only temporary. The land was returned to the original owner on the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:25-28). Therefore God ordained that Ahab had to die for taking the property that belong to Naboth (I Ki. 21:19).
Jesus told a parable involving ownership (see Lk. 16:1-12). The point of the parable involves the ability to distinguish between earthly treasures which are temporal, and eternal treasures which last forever. Therefore Jesus said: “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Lk. 16:9-12).
Yes! We can “own” property on earth but this “ownership” is only temporary! In heaven we will “own” true riches because in heaven we will not die and those riches will be ours forever!
DILIGENCE
“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” (Heb. 11:6).
It goes without saying that “earnest” and “diligent” people prosper on earth while lazy people do not. The Bible is filled with praise for the diligent, and warnings against laziness. Here are just a few examples to prove the point from the book of Proverbs.
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“Go to the ant you sluggard, consider is ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man” (Prov. 6:6-11).
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“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son” (Prov. 10:4,5). •
“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgement” (Prov. 12:11).
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“Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor” (Prov. 12:24).
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“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied” (Prov. 13:4).
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“All hard work brings a profit but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Prov. 14:23). •
“A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing” (Prov. 20:4).
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“Do not join with those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them with rags” (Prov. 23:20,21).
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“I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgement; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins” (Prov. 24:30,31).
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“The sluggard says, ‘there is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it to his mouth” (Prov. 26:15).
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Etc.
The focus of this lesson, however, is not to be diligent in laying up treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt and thieves break through and steal. The focus of this lesson is to be diligent in laying up treasure in heaven.
In this regard we MUST believe that God rewards those who diligently seek Him!
In His last days on earth the disciples of Jesus called to His attention the buildings of the temple. That’s when Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, not one still here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matt. 24:2).
The disciples came to Him privately and asked: “When will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3).
The temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70 just as Jesus predicted. Jesus said: “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is near” (Lk. 21:20). This is a fact of history that can be easily substantiated.
No one knows, however, when Jesus will come again and the world will come to an end. With reference to that day Jesus said: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matt. 24:36).
So Jesus said: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come!” (Matt. 24:42).
BECAUSE JESUS COULD COME BACK AT ANY TIME, EVERY PERSON IN EVERY GENERATION MUST CONSTANTLY BE READY FOR HIS RETURN! IF WE ARE DILIGENT WE WILL BE READY EVERYDAY FOR THE RETURN OF CHRIST. THAT’S WHY IT DOESN’T MATTER TO THE DILIGENT ON WHAT DAY JESUS COMES AGAIN!
Then Jesus used a series of illustrations emphasizing our need to be diligent:
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First He used the example of the owner of a house diligently protecting his property from a thief. No one knows when the thief will come, therefore we must always be ready (Matt. 24:42- 44).
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Then He used the example of a faithful servant whose master suddenly returned and rewarded him for doing a good job (Matt. 24:45-47).
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Then He used the example of a wicked servant whose master suddenly returned at an hour when he was not expected. This resulted in the wicked servant being punished (Matt. 24:48-51). •
Then Jesus used the illustration of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and were prepared. Five of them were foolish and were unprepared (Matt. 24:1-13). •
Then Jesus told the parable of the talents (Matt. 24:14-30).
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A man went on a journey, called his servants, and entrusted his property to them.
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To one he gave five talents of money, to another he gave two, and to another he gave only one. Each was given the amount of money corresponding to his ability.
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After a long time the master returned.
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The man who had been given five talents had worked and gained five more. Because he was faithful over a few things his master made him ruler over many things.
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The man who had been given two talents had gained two more. He too was honored and placed in charge of many things.
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The man who was given one talent, however, buried his talent in the ground and did nothing. The master condemned him for being wicked, lazy, and worthless. The lazy man was thrown into outer darkness and his talent was given to the servant with ten talents. •
THE POINT IS THAT WHEN JESUS RETURNS DILIGENT PEOPLE WILL BE REWARDED AND LAZY PEOPLE WILL BE PUNISHED!
THERE WILL BE A JUDGEMENT
(See Matt. 24:31-46)
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It is appointed unto every man once to die and after that the judgement (Heb. 9:27).
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Remember! God has given Jesus the authority to judge (Jn. 5:27).
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When Jesus returns with His angels He will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
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All nations will be gathered before Him and He will separate them like a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.
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The sheep will be on His right hand and the goats on his left.
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Those on the right hand Jesus will say: “Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matt. 24:34). •
Those on the left hand He will say: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 24:41).
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SAVED AND THE LOST WAS DETERMINED BY WHAT THEY DID ON EARTH. IN PARTICULAR, BY THE WAY THEY TREATED OTHER PEOPLE!
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Jesus said to the saved: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matt. 24:35,36).
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“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go and visit you?” (Matt. 24:37-39).
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“THE KING WILL REPLY, ‘I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, YOU DID FOR ME’” (MATT. 24:40).
REMEMBER OUR TEXT
“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” (Heb. 11:6).
Many heroes and heroines of the faith are mentioned in this chapter. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Heb. 11:13-16).
WE MUST JOIN WITH THESE FAITHFUL WORKERS AND BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL REWARD US FOR EARNESTLY SEEKING HIM!
There are many ways we can serve Jesus and lay up treasure in heaven. We quoted earlier from the Sermon on the Mount that persecution, loving your enemies, doing acts of righteousness, giving alms, praying, fasting, and honoring prophets and righteous men, Etc. will result in eternal rewards. Even a cup of cold water given to a disciple of Jesus will not be forgotten by God!
The Judgement scene mentioned in Matt. 25:31-46 especially emphasizes ministering to people in need. This is a godly thing to do and will certainly be remembered in the Judgement! When we minister to those in need, take care of the hungry and thirsty, lodge the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and prisoners, we are actually caring for Christ. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (Ja. 1:27).
WHATEVER WE DO FOR JESUS, HOWEVER, NEEDS TO BE DONE EARNESTLY! FOR WHEN WE BELIEVE THIS AND ACT ACCORDINGLY GOD HAS PROMISED TO REWARD US!
(This study was written by Boyce Mouton. No rights are reserved! You are free to use this material in whole or in part for the glorification of Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom)