.  Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor 

WITHOUT FAITH

by Pastor Kevin Badgley,

     Hebrews 11:6.  It says, “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.”

     If you don’t have faith, then you’re not believing God!  If you’re fearful, trembling, disobedient and rebellious, stubborn and stiff necked, and self willed, and yet you claim to know God - you are a liar!

     God’s Word teaches against those ways.  If you are like that, it means you are without faith.  It is when you submit to God’s Word and obey it that you have faith in God.  When you walk in His statutes and ordinances, then you walk in faith as you live for Christ Jesus, God’s Son.

     It goes so far in Romans 14:23 as to say, “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

     The Bible says if you aren’t walking in faith you are walking in sin.  If you’re not trusting and believing God, he’s not going to hear you, because John 9:31 says, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

     Many people come to God believing that he is a rewarder, yet they don’t diligently seek him!  They just come to him and ask him for things, quoting the scriptures at him and demanding things.  They tell God that He has to honor His Word, yet they aren’t even living for Him.  That’s not faith.  That’s foolishness, that’s vanity, and it will get you into hell if you don’t back out of it, repent, and get real with God.

     The Bible declares that without faith it’s impossible to please God, so we MUST get faith.  Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  However, if you get a version of the Bible that has been messed up, what shall you do to hear the truth?

     Those who change the true Word of God will receive their reward for it according to Revelation 22:18-19.  “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

     God rewards those who fast, and pray, and seek God.  By the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of truth) He will tell them what He’s saying to them in the scriptures, even the scriptures they don’t understand.  When they understand it, they will obey it.

     Some people read God’s Word mainly so they can have knowledge, but 1 Corinthians 8:1 says, “. . . Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”

     However, you can know the Word and it be unprofitable to you. 

     James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

     If you don’t come on and do what you know to do according to God’s Word, how do you expect God to reward your prayers for those around you?  God will reward you according to the faith and amount of diligence (painstaking

effort) that you put into the things of God.

     You may say that you don’t have time for all of that.  Check your leisure time, and see how much time you spend in front of the TV or reading a newspaper or magazine.  You may spend eight hours out of twenty-four in sleep or you will not.  Some will spend eight hours at a job, and others will not. 

     Whatever you do, find time in every twenty-four hour period, all of your life, to seek God.  God rewards them that seek him diligently.

     You can dig in and seek out God even during work time, before going to bed at night, or when you get up in the morning.  God won’t reward those who don’t diligently seek him.  It’s just that simple.

     Don’t wait on somebody to bring God to you.  You must hear the Word and its teachings, but you still have to seek after God for yourself. 

     Anything without faith is just religion.  Real faith is not a knowledge of something, but an obedience to God’s Word.

      Mark 11:22 says, “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.”