PLEASING GOD

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:5, 6).

 

It should be evident that the goal of every Christian is to please God, although many live as though it were God's sole task to please them.  If asked, however, they would still tell you that they wish to please Him. 

 

Scripture tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.  We are then presented with two truths which faith must embrace.  First, we must believe that God is - that He exists.  Secondly, we must believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  Let's examine these two beliefs so that we can better understand what is necessary to please our heavenly Father.

 

Believing that God exists is the simplest part of the equation.  We are told by the Psalmist David that only the fool says there is no God.  So, unless we are utter fools, it is easy to understand that there is a Creator Who has made, and Who controls, all things.  The intricacy and vastness of His creation testifies of His existence and His magnificence.  Even the devils believe that God exists, and tremble in fear of Him (James 2:19).  Believing in God alone is therefore not sufficient to please Him, although it is a very necessary first step. 

 

The real weight of the matter lies in the second belief that we must have if we want to please God.  This is the belief that God rewards those who seek Him diligently.  The Greek word that is used in the original text and is translated "diligently" means to "search for, seek out for one's self, enquire, investigate, and crave."  This would imply that those who simply attend church, listen to the sermon, and live as they please the rest of the week, are not pleasing God!  God will reward us if we seek Him, if we search for Him, and if we crave Him.  God spoke through Jeremiah the Prophet and said, “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13).  Jesus told His followers that if they would seek, they would find; if they would ask, they would receive; and if they would knock, doors would open to them.  This suggests a totally interactive faith, one that is engaged with God on every level and in every circumstance.

 

We can only please God if we know Him.  It is no different than buying a gift for a loved one.  You can't buy her what she truly wants, and what will really please her, unless you spend time to get to know her.  Once you know her, then you know what it is that will please her.  This is why Enoch is used as an example in the Bible of one who pleased God.  What was it that Enoch did that was so phenomenal and noteworthy as to be set up as a model for us of pleasing our Maker?  Simply this: he walked with God.  "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."  (Genesis 5:24)  This man pleased God to the extent that he did not have to die a conventional death because God simply took him to be with Him!

 

Walking with God is the very picture of intimacy.  As they walked, they talked; and as they talked, the heart of each was revealed to the other.  Enoch shared his hopes and fears with His LORD, and God shared His truth and His plan with Enoch.  They were of one mind concerning their destination: Enoch was content to go where God led. 

 

We often think of God as One Who is hiding behind some veil, or obscured within some fog, and we cannot understand or know Him in an intimate way; but nothing could be further from the truth.  The fact is, the veil has been ripped away by God Himself so that we can come to know Him.  “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

 

When God commanded Moses to erect the tabernacle in the wilderness, and later, when Solomon's temple was built, He directed that a veil be placed between the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies.  The priests were allowed to enter the Holy Place on a routine basis, but the Holiest was a place that only the High Priest could enter once a year.  This was the place of God's holy presence.  If a man would enter behind the veil any other time, he would immediately fall down dead.  When Jesus was crucified, however, the veil was torn from top to bottom signifying that God Himself had torn down the barrier that separated man from Himself.  God was now accessible to every man who would wish to know Him. 

 

Faith is the key that unlocks all of God's promises to us, and without it, pleasing God is impossible.  Faith without works, though, is dead.  If we truly believe, we will truly seek to know our Father.  We will learn to walk with Him day-by-day, and not merely give Him lip service occasionally, and then live as we please the rest of the time.  Instead, our works (our actions and our choices) will testify of the faith we have in God to change us into His likeness.  How can we bless God with one breath, and curse man with the next, when man is made in God's image?  How can we be mean, angry, bitter, vindictive, cheating people Monday through Saturday, then come into worship on Sunday without feeling the need to repent?  We can't hope to please Him this way.  If we do not seek God diligently every day of our lives, then He is under no obligation to reward us, either temporally or eternally!  Let us, therefore, learn to seek God with all our hearts; and let us learn to walk with Him as Enoch did.  Then, we will learn to please Him.

 

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:17-21).