Hebrews 11:6 is perhaps the most famous verse in a particularly popular chapter. Hebrews 11 has been affectionately called the “Faith Hall of Fame,” and it’s pretty obvious why. The author goes through a long list of Old Testament heroes that displayed an incredible amount of faith in God while accomplishing some mighty tasks. Figures like Noah, Moses, Abraham, and Sarah are all mentioned.
While verse six is arguably the most popular in the chapter, it is often taken out of context. All on its own, the phrase “without faith, it is impossible to please God” still holds water. It is true that without belief in God or an acceptance of who He is, it would be impossible for us to please Him. However true that sentiment is, that isn’t what the author of Hebrews is talking about.
More Than Belief
Chapter eleven’s entirety is looking at the similarities of some of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament. Each person mentioned has at least one thing in common: they were all obedient.
Too often, when we think of the word faith, we stop at the surface, which is belief. For many, to have faith simply means to feel or believe. The author of Hebrews is trying to show us that true faith requires that we go beyond thinking and venture into doing.
Noah had faith because he built the boat. Moses had faith because he rescued Israel. Israel had faith because they walked through the Red Sea.
Faith is something measured in the doing, not just the believing. James agrees when he says, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 1:17).
Not Only Works
The balancing act that Christian people must walkout is that while faith is not merely a belief but actions, we can’t swing the pendulum so far in the other direction that we are working our way into God’s favor.
The point of Hebrews eleven is that the people of faith presented as examples were obedient to God’s calling. God gave the command, the people heard, and then they acted. Work-to-righteousness gets it wrong because the order gets reversed; I work, God sees, and then He blesses.
Take another look at the subject verse. There are three ideas:
1. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
– Ok. So, what kind of faith do I need to please God?
2. You must believe that God exists.
– This is the belief part that is listening for God’s voice.
3. God rewards those who seek Him.
– Once God has spoke, we should be obedient to do whatever it is that He has asked us to do.
It’s indeed impossible to please God without faith. That isn’t solely because our beliefs are all that matter, but because we could never be obedient to God without hearing His voice. We could never hear His voice if we didn’t first believe He is there and speaking.
