Hebrews 11, I have a very straightforward message today. I have a declaration from God, and we're gonna see a few scriptures concerning this declaration, and then we're gonna be done. Our text is Hebrews 11, verse six. But I want to point out that the last word in verse five is God. This is speaking of God. Verse five says, 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. Verse six says, but without faith, it is impossible to please God. Him. You know, a man can have his good works. He can have his good religion. He can have his good morality. He can have his baptism. He can have his decisions. He can have his whatever he wants to have. Verse six 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. Faith is believing that he is. Without faith causing us to believe that he is, we will never please God. We cannot please God. We, human beings, men and women in the flesh, on the earth, living life as we do, we cannot please God. Without faith, no one can please God. And with that being said, faith is something that no one possesses. Nobody has it. until God gives it to them. No man or woman can conjure up in himself or herself the kind of faith that he's talking about right here. Faith that believes God is. That's spiritual faith. The faith he's talking about right here is spiritual faith. No man or woman can produce that faith on his or her own. God has to give it. God has to give it. As human beings, we can have physical faith. We can have physical faith in our parents. We can have physical faith in our preachers, our teachers. We can have faith in the pew we're sitting in. thinking I'm going to sit down in this pew because I believe the pew is going to hold me up. The reason you sat in the pew is because you had faith in the pew. We can have physical faith in ourselves. We can have physical faith in our work ethic. I believe I can do it. We can have physical faith in our own decisions and our own abilities and we can have physical faith in anything. But we cannot have spiritual faith in God unless he gives it to us. We are not born with spiritual faith. God has to give it to us. Turn with me over to Galatians chapter 2. Galatians 2 verse 16, it says, knowing that a man is not justified, that means justified before God, where God will look at a man or woman and say, I'm happy with that, justified. The opposite of justified is condemned. I'm not happy with that, condemned. knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. That means obeying the commandments of the Bible. But by the faith of Jesus Christ. I love this verse because it shows the difference in of and in. the faith of Jesus Christ and faith in Jesus Christ. Verse 16 says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ. What do we believe? Here it is, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. And not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Why? We can't do it. The law says you better love your neighbor as yourself. I promise, you can't do it. You just can't do it. Just too selfish. The faith of Christ, it's his faith that he gives To his people, he gives it to whoever he wants to give it to. And that causes them to believe, causes them to believe on him. All right, turn over to Ephesians chapter two. Just a few pages over. Verse eight says, for by good works are you saved. It doesn't say that, does it? For by grace, that's God's grace, God's gift, God's kindness. Are you saved through faith? And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is his faith that he gives to his chosen people causing them to believe. Turn with me to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12 verse 2. looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. It's his faith. He is the author of it. He is the finisher of it. He is the giver of it. And when he gives it to his people, that makes his people pleasing in his sight. They look to Christ, they believe on Christ, and that makes them pleasing in God's sight. Their works don't make them pleasing. You know, people think, well, I better do good works and obey the Bible because I want to be pleasing to God. Our works don't make us pleasing. I would rather people do good works than evil works, but that's not what makes us pleasing. Our religion does not make us pleasing. He's a religious man. Well, that's not what makes us pleasing. Our morality does not make us pleasing because we really don't have a morality. We are sinners through and through. But the faith, the faith that God gives to his elect, the faith that he authors and performs and perfects, finishes in them. What he does, not what we do, but what he does, what he produces in his people causes them to be pleasing in his sight. By his own doing, they're made pleasing in his sight. His faith. Have I established that? That's the only thing in us that pleases him, his faith. The scripture says, Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. So our text back in Hebrews 11, right here, Hebrews 11 verse 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. How can I know if I possess God's faith? Here's how I can know. I will believe that he is. Not just that he exists, but that he is. All right, now the question is, he is what? He is whatever he says he is in his word. All right, well, what does he say he is in his word? He says he's a lot of things. And if we possess his faith, we will believe it. We will believe it. I wrote down a lot of scripture. As soon as I wrote it all down, I thought there's no way we could we could turn to all that. I wrote down a lot of scripture that tells us what he is, who he is, what he is. We're gonna read some of them. We'll look at some of them. I'm gonna quote some of them. And then at the end of this, every person here can ask himself or herself, do I believe? That's all we're gonna do. Do I believe that? If we do, then it means God has put his faith in us and made us pleasing to him. And if we don't believe what he says about himself, who and what he is, the opposite is true. And I pray that won't be the case for anybody here. I pray no one will say, I just don't believe that. Because verse six says, without faith, it's impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is. He is what? Let's find out, all right? Go with me to Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Verse 23, take heed unto yourselves lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you and make you a graven image or the likeness of anything which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. Four, the Lord thy God is. A consuming fire. Even a jealous God. The scripture says God is a consuming fire. That's what it says. This verse is repeated in Hebrews. It says this in the Old Testament. It says this in the New Testament. We must believe that about Him. He's not just a fire. He's a consuming fire. He is a consuming fire, a devouring fire. What does He consume? Well, He consumes sin. He consumes sinners. He consumes people. He consumes places. Eventually, He's going to consume this entire world. 2 Thessalonians 2 says, when He comes back, He will take vengeance in flaming fire on every soul that does not believe on Him. 2 Peter 3 says, on the day of judgment, the heavens and this earth, they're going to melt with a fervent heat because they've been kept in store reserved unto fire and destruction because of ungodly men. He's gonna burn up people, he's gonna burn up this place. Revelations 20 says, after that happens, every soul that doesn't believe on Christ is gonna be cast into the lake of fire. Fire, fire, fire. He that cometh to God must believe, number one, he's a consuming fire. He is a consuming fire. Why is God a consuming fire? It's because He is holy. He is holy. People love that word holy. What does that mean? That means He has to do what is right. He must do what's right according to the law. He must judge justly according to the law. I told you that story a good little while back. I was taking Sophie to school one morning, and we went a different way, and I got pulled over doing 43 in a 45. And the officer came up and he said, you don't know why I pulled you over, do you? And I said, no, sir, I don't. He said, you're in a school zone. He said, it is 45, but at these hours of the day, it drops down to 25 or something, 20. I said, I am so sorry. I didn't realize that. He took my license. I checked out. He said, I'll give you a warning. Just remember, have a nice day. That was unholy. That was unjust. That was a wicked law, lawman. that would not stand in God's eyes. People think that because that was nice of him, that was very kind of him, they think that's how God is. Well, now God is kind, so he'll let it slide. No, he will not. I deserved a ticket. I deserved a punishment for what I had done, and that's what God is gonna give. He's holy. God is, people don't, people love the word holy. Holy this, holy that, holy everything. They don't understand what it means. God has to punish you. You're a sinner. I promise you, you're a sinner. And God is holy and he's gonna deal with you. In Christ or out of Christ. One of the two ways we must be dealt with. He is going to judge according to the law. Daniel chapter 9 says, God is righteous in all his works which he doeth. He will not sweep one sin under the rug. Not one. Acts 10 verse 34 says, God is, he is no respecter of persons. You know, people think me and Jesus have a good thing going. We're buddy-buddy. He is no respecter of persons with anybody. Every man and woman is going to get exactly what is owed to him or her. If we don't believe that, so look at the cross of Calvary. The Son of God. The Son of God. was hanging on that cross, bearing the sin of His people, and because of that, the Father of God poured out His consuming fire on Him. It didn't matter who He was, but that was God's Son. It didn't matter who He was. God is no respecter of persons. Whoever bears the sin is going to bear the punishment. Whoever bears the sin had to die. That's what He said. I know that many people do not believe and they don't want to believe that God is a consuming fire, but He is. And we have to believe that. Verse 24, the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. He is a jealous God. Look at Deuteronomy 6 verse 13. Deuteronomy 6 verse 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shalt swear by his name. You shall not go after other gods of the gods of the people which are around you, round about you. For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you. Lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. God is a jealous God. He that cometh to God must believe that he is a jealous God. He's jealous over his holiness. He's jealous over his righteousness. He's jealous over his people. Like Boaz told Ruth, he said, don't you go into any other field. The Lord has said to his people, don't give credence to any other God. No other God but the God of this Bible. If, you know, the Apostle Paul spoke of another Jesus, they're preaching a different Jesus from this Jesus. If another Jesus is being preached out there who is not a consuming fire, when people talk about Jesus Christ, our God, if he's not a consuming fire, And a jealous God, if he's not a jealous God, turn and run. Turn and run. Don't believe in that Jesus. Don't look to that Jesus. He that cometh to the Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the eternal almighty God, Emmanuel, God with us. God was manifest in the flesh. He that cometh to him, must believe that he is a consuming fire and a jealous God. Turn over to Psalm 7. Psalm 7 verse 11. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Well, that's how God used to be. God has changed. No, God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He that cometh to God must believe that he is angry with the wicked every day. I know, believe me I know, many people don't believe he gets angry, they don't believe he hates. I personally know some people who don't even believe there's a hell. There is. And that's where he puts those that he's angry with and hates. Look at Psalm 5, turn back a page to Psalm 5, verse 5. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing. The Lord will abhor, hate the bloody and deceitful man. He that cometh to God must believe that he is angry And he hates workers of iniquity. Why? Why must we believe that? Well, number one, we must believe that because that's what all men and women are. And we need to know who we're dealing with. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And we need to know and believe that because that's where the fear of this Lord comes from. Without that fear, there is no wisdom. And without that wisdom, there's no cry for mercy. There's no begging for mercy. Turn over to Psalm 62. Verse 8, it says, trust in Him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. He that comes to God must believe that he or she needs a refuge. I'm a sinner in need of a refuge. I need a place to run. I need a place to hide. from this judgment that I have come into me. He that comes to God must believe he or she needs a refuge because we've sinned against God. And he or she that comes to God must believe that our judge is also our refuge. This is, let me see if I can make this clear, this is important. The just one over us is also our justifier. Sometimes I tell you, if you leave here only getting this, get this. Get this. We are not our own justifier. Okay, okay, I've sinned against God. Okay, listen, we are not our own justifier. He is our justifier. The law is not our justifier. Okay, I've sinned. All right, let's see here. I've sinned. The law is not our justifier. He is our justifier. He is our refuge. He's our place of safety. That's wonderful to me. That's wonderful. You know, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they ran and hid. They knew immediately, they all of a sudden knew they were naked. And when God reveals himself and reveals sin to a person, we don't go through this life knowing anything of our own sin until God reveals it. But as soon as he reveals it, we're like, oh, I didn't know I was like, I was like this all along, but I didn't know I was like this. And they ran, they saw they were naked and they ran and hid themselves for fear of the Lord. They sinned against him. But do you know the Lord himself is the one who slew a lamb and covered him? The Lord himself. Psalm 46 verse 1 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 84 says, God is a sun and a shield. That means our judge is also our advocate. Same person. If we ever come to understand what that means, if the Lord ever causes us to believe that, we will understand what happened on the cross of Calvary. What happened on the cross of Calvary? Here it is. God was our sun, S-U-N, blazing, high noon, fire, judgment, heat. God was our sun and he was our shield. He was our judge and he was our advocate. He was our justice and he was our justifier. He was all of it. Christ was all of it. He that cometh to God must believe that. Must. Turn over to Psalm 116. Psalm 116 verse 5 says, Gracious is the Lord, and righteous, yea, our God is merciful. Merciful, most think they're gonna go to God, you know, expecting to get what he owes them. Okay, here I am, give me what you owe me. No, no, no. We need mercy. We don't need rewards for everything we've done. If he rewards us for what we've done, he'll cast us straight into hell. What we need is mercy. We need mercy. If God is a just God, okay, if all have sinned and if God is a just God, if he is a jealous God over his holiness and his righteousness, And if he is angry with the wicked and if he is a consuming fire, how can God be gracious and merciful? If he doesn't sweep sin under the rug, how can he be gracious and merciful? Here's the answer. God can be gracious to whom he will be gracious and merciful to whom he will be merciful because of his just, jealous, anger and consuming fire of his cross. That's the reason why. God made Christ to be the sin of his people. God made Christ to stand in the very place of his people. Christ went to the cross because he took all the sin of his people unto himself. It was pressed into himself. He stood there in the sin of his people. And in doing that, once he took all that from his people, God made his people to stand in the actual place of Christ. He became the sin of his people, they became the righteousness of him. On the cross, in the sin of his people, God poured out his justice and his jealousy and his anger and his consuming fire on Christ. He poured it all out on Christ, and then he turned and he poured all of his grace and all of his merciful kindness on his people. Everything that was owed to us, he poured it on Christ. Everything that was owed to Christ, he poured it on us. By the sacrifice of Christ, in that sacrifice of Christ, God can, and he is, gracious and merciful to his sinful people. And he or she that comes to God must believe that, must believe that. 1 Corinthians 1 says, he is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. End that transaction. He is our wisdom. Everything I need to know, he knows it for me. He is our righteousness, but what about good deeds? Don't you have to be good to go to heaven? Yes. Look at Jesus Christ. He is my righteousness. If you want to see my righteousness, do not look to this sinner. Don't look to this wretched flesh. He's our righteousness. Don't you have to be holy to go to heaven? He is our sanctification. And he paid the price in full on the cross of Calvary. He is our redemption. Let me show you one last thing. All right, one final thing. Turn over to Romans 8. Romans 8, and then once you get there, hold your place and go over to 1 John chapter 4. Just before Revelation, 1 John chapter 4. First John 4 verse 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. He that cometh to God must believe that he is love. God is love. But here's what we must know and believe. That love is only found in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Flip over to Romans 8 and look at verse 38. Romans 8 verse 38 says, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The love of God is not in us. Well, how could God love me? The love of God is not in us. The love of God is not in our works. The love of God is not in this world. People say God's love is everywhere. No, it's not. It's in Christ. It's in Christ, all right? Now you say, what do you mean by that? Here's what I mean by that. God said, Noah, build an ark. And Noah was a preacher of righteousness, holiness, justice. God is gonna judge this world because of sin. You have one hope. There's only one place of safety. You must be in this ark. for a hundred years. And then when the time came, God shut the door. And here came the judgment of God on this world. And men and women were drowning, dying, and that ark was floating up. Every soul inside that ark was in the love of God. You could put a bumper sticker on the inside of the ark, smile, God loves you, but you couldn't put that on the outside of the ark, as men and women were dying in judgment. That's what it means. All of God's love is in Christ. Our focus, our attention needs to be on Christ. God's love is to every soul that he placed in Christ. And to see that and to believe that and to need Him because of that, that's what it is to seek Him. That's what it is to seek Him. It's to seek everything from God in Him. Every blessing from God in Christ. Christ is everything. It's to seek His glory. It's to seek His will, His work, His praise in everything. Him. It's Him. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and he's a rewarder of them that seek him. Not their own self-righteous works, not their own religion, not their own glory. In coming to God, everything must be ascribed to Jesus Christ. Everything to Jesus Christ. Now, do we believe? Don't speak out loud, please, but go into your soul. Look at your soul for just one second. Do you believe that? The answer is yes. It means God has put his spiritual faith in you. You could not believe that had he not put his faith in you. Yeah, I believe that. I believe God is sovereign and holy and just, and we're sinners, and He chose who He would save, and He saved them, and it's finished, and I can't do anything, and He's gonna call me and save me, and it's all in Him, all of Christ. I just don't know if I'm one of His. You couldn't believe that if you were not one of His. I used to worry when I first started preaching, I don't want to give anybody a false hope. That is an impossibility. If you believe that, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you, the Father which is in heaven did that. And if you do believe that, it means in Christ you're pleasing to him. I hope we all do.