Faith Works and Rest in God

The Only Way To Please God

Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Our knowledge and understanding of God must begin by faith in Him, we must believe He is. By faith we know that God is the creator of all things and as a result, we give glory to God.

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The only way to please God, the only way to be righteous before God is to live by faith, to trust in God for righteousness and all things.

Rom 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

All who have faith in Jesus Christ are justified and righteous before God. God does not see us as sinners any longer because Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and died in our place, to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus Christ redeemed us with His blood; the price He paid for our redemption was His own blood. We receive the benefit of His redemption when we believe in Him. Through faith in Jesus Christ we are made right with God. God counts the righteousness of Christ as our righteousness when we believe in Him. Our faith in Him and in His redemptive work on our behalf enables God to justify us and to demonstrate His righteousness in the process. God is now justified in declaring us to be righteous because the penalty, the law demanded for sin, was paid in full by Jesus Christ when He died for us, in our place. Furthermore, God makes the offer of redemption available to all who will believe in Jesus Christ. Our new and eternal relationship with God begins by faith.

Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Justification is a gift from God and we can only receive it as a gift, by believing in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn justification; if we should try, we insult Jesus Christ because He has earned it for us at a price that no one else could ever pay. The person who trust in Jesus Christ is credited with righteousness as a gift from God.
Rom 4:18-21 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Abraham believed God’s promise that he would have many descendants and yet Abraham was almost one hundred years old and had not yet had any children by his wife, Sarah. Sarah was too old to have a child and yet he still believed God even as he and Sarah grew older together. The older they got the more impossible the promise of God seemed to be, but Abraham still continued to believe in God. The older Abraham became, the stronger his faith became. Abraham gave glory to God by believing God’s promise, and God honored His word and Abraham’s faith by giving him a son through Sarah. When we believe in the promises of God we honor God and give Him glory. God’s promises are as reliable as He is reliable. God is totally trustworthy; therefore, we should always trust Him even when the circumstances seem hopelessly impossible.

Rom 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We now have peace with God because we have been justified in God’s sight by faith in Jesus Christ. Being justified through faith, we are now in a position to receive all of God’s grace toward us, in all of our needs. God’s glory is our assurance of his goodness towards us. It is because of who He is that we can trust Him. We can be sure that He will always love us because He is forever faithful to all His word, and every word of God is a promise, God does not lie.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith has it’s beginning in our lives when we hear and believe the word of God concerning Jesus Christ. We live by faith when we live according to the word of God. We can trust God’s word as sure as we can trust Him.

1 Cor 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

God is able to perform all that He has promised. We can rest assured that God will not fail to keep every last detail of every promise made to us. God is faithful and His word is true. We can rely on God because He is all powerful to fulfill His word.

1 Cor 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

God’s will for each of us is that we be strong in faith, and stand firm in faith even when we are experiencing the most difficult trial. Our courage and our strength are in faith in God and not in ourselves. We must trust in His ability and faithfulness in all circumstances.

2 Cor 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Doubt will result in fear and weakness because doubt is sin against God and sin has its consequences. God is faithful to discipline us when we sin in order to teach us not to sin. He will teach us that we cannot have peace of mind except through faith in His faithfulness towards us. Faith in God is what keeps us standing firm. God, in His faithfulness, keeps us because of our faith in Him.

2 Cor 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Having faith in Jesus Christ and in the faithfulness of God gives us courage in all circumstances. We receive courage in believing that God has a wonderful future for us. We have not seen God but we believe in Him, because He has made Himself known to us, in Jesus Christ. We know that when we leave this body we will be with the Lord, because we have faith in Him.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Our union with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection is the basis of our relationship with God. Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian life. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and we live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

All the promises of Scripture are received through faith in Jesus Christ. No one can receive the promises of God as long as they are guilty of sin because sin separates us from God. Jesus Christ had taken our sins upon Himself when He went to the cross. He paid the penalty for our sins by dyeing for us, in our place. We receive forgiveness of our sins when we believe in Him. Therefore, we are no longer guilty before God and can receive all the promises of God.

Gal 3:23-27 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The law was given to show us that we are not perfect, to show us that we need a savior, to lead us to Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have not only been justified, but we have been made sons of God. We not only have forgiveness of sin, but we have been adopted into God’s family. We have been clothed with Christ. When God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Christ and not our sins. God sees us as His sons because that is what we are, by faith in Christ.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We have been saved through faith, and not by works. We cannot claim any credit for our salvation because it is the result of God’s work, not our work. Salvation is ours by grace, the unmerited favor of God toward us who believe in Jesus Christ.

Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can approach God. Not only are we able to approach God, but we are free to do so, at any time, with confidence in knowing that He loves us and is concerned about our spiritual and physical well being. If we don’t have faith in God’s love for us we will not have confidence to approach God, and we will not be able to experience the love He has for us.

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Faith is a shield to the believer. The evil one tries to destroy our effectiveness by causing us to doubt God’s love for us. He tries to get us to give up by telling us that we are too sinful to be loved by God, that God’s grace is not sufficient in our case. At other times He tries to convince us that God is not faithful, or that God may love others but He does not really love us. The evil one has many such schemes, but true faith in God will shield us from all of them.

1Thes 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Faith and love is spoken of as that which protects us from the evil one. The devil cannot destroy us, as he would like to do, as long as we have faith in God’s love for us, the love of God which was demonstrated in Jesus Christ when He died for us.

II Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

Faith equips us and makes us worthy to work for God. It is our faith in God’s love for us which prompts us to live for God and to do good works. Furthermore, the good works we do are accomplished by faith in God’s faithfulness to work through us with His power, not our own, that He will be glorified in all that we do.

1 Tim 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

The Christian experience begins with faith. Faith in God’s love for us is that which produces love for God and for others. As we grow as Christians, our love and our faith increases and we grow more and our faith and our love increases and we grow……..

1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
The Christian life is a fight, and it is a fight of faith. It is by faith that we enter the fight, and it is by faith that we continue the fight. We were saved by faith, we continue by faith, and we will triumph by faith, because God gave us faith and keeps us in our faith. Because it is all of faith and not works, God gets all the glory for all that is accomplished in our lives.

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We can only please God by living by faith in Him. Without faith it is impossible to please God. In all we do, we must trust in God for all ability, wisdom, strength, and all things. When we live by faith God is glorified through our lives.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The person that truly has faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is sure and certain of his salvation, and as a result is resting totally in the finished work of Christ. The person that has faith in God’s goodness and love is not anxious for anything, but he is sure and certain that he can trust in God to supply all His needs.

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The sin that so easily entangles us is the sin of unbelief, [doubt, anxiety, worry, depression]. To experience victory over unbelief, we must keep our eyes on Jesus and all that He has endured in our behalf. Jesus Christ loved us and saved us and will continue to love us and save us for His own glory. Because Jesus has done so much for us, we can be sure and certain that He will continue to love us and to meet our needs. Furthermore, all the witnesses of Hebrews chapter eleven are telling us that God is faithful and will not fail us, in life nor in death.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

The trials in our lives are designed to strengthen our faith so that we will not give up, so that we will be mature and complete, and so that we will be lacking nothing in our service for God. Trials strengthen us as the wind strengthens the wood and the roots of a tree. The more the trials and the stronger the trials, the stronger will be our faith in God.

James 2:18 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.

Faith always results in action and our deeds are proof of our faith. Faith will always result in works, and the greatest work we can do is to rest in God and what He has done for us and will yet do for us. The greatest work of faith is trust and rest in God.

1 Pet 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ by God’s power, and it is through faith that we are keep by God’s power until our salvation is complete when Jesus Christ returns for us. We also experience all kinds of trials that prove our faith and as a result we will receive praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ returns for us. We also rejoice even in trials because we have faith in Jesus Christ and His love for us. Furthermore, we rejoice with a joy beyond expression even in the midst of trials, because through faith we are able to see Him. Without faith we would not be able to endure but through faith we endure until we see Jesus Christ, face to face.

I Jn 5:3-5 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

The commandment of God is that we believe in Jesus Christ so that we might fully know and experience His love for us. We have victory over all that we experience in this world through faith in Jesus Christ. We must have faith in who He is, faith in what He has done, faith in what He is doing, and faith in what He will yet do for us. If we have true faith, resting faith, we will overcome the world.

2 Tim 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

We have assurance because His faithfulness towards us continues even when we doubt His love for us. Because we are forever united with Him and because we are children of God, He will always love us. We can rest in Him by faith.

All Scripture taken from King James Bible

* Bible Studies by Max Swan
Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. (NAS) Jer 9:23-24