Faith is the key

(Hebrews 4:1-2 – Faith is the Key)

If there is one point that sticks out in these verses I am looking at today, it is that faith is the key.

In the Gospel of salvation, there are many things to be done and believed upon. We need to understand baptism, freedom, why Jesus came, how He sets us free, receiving the Holy Spirit, growing the fruit of the Spirit, and so much more. But at the root of all of these things there is one thing. Faith.

So, today let us consider this key and some of the other scriptures that likewise point to the key of faith/

Faith is the key

If we look at this scripture we see an important thing for all Christians to understand.

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers. (Hebrews 4:1-2)

Note that the writer of Hebrews is speaking about people who had heard the Good News. The words of the Gospel had come to them. They had the opportunity to hear and believe.

But the didn’t.

They did not believe and so they did not receive the fullness of the Gospel, because faith is the key. As the scripture above says, when they heard the word, they did not benefit from the words. Why? Because it did not meet with faith in the hearers.

Today, faith is the key…still!

We have a serious problem in much of the church still today because the word is not being met with faith.

Much of the modern church believes that their salvation is based upon works. Some even think they can “buy” their way into the kingdom of God through tithes, offerings, fasting, and so on.

The bottom line is that you cannot “do” anything to receive the salvation of Jesus Christ. You cannot enter the kingdom of God through any means other than through faith. Faith is the key.

Sure, we have to change the way we live. We have to reject the evil ways of this world and seek what pleases God. But these things will not by themselves lead us to salvation and His kingdom. Faith is the key that brings us into the presence of God. Consider these next few examples.

Doing the work of God

If you wanted to try to find God and His salvation by works, then what works would you need to do? What is it that we can do that would be acceptable to God?

It is clear from scripture that nobody will be righteous in the sight of God through doing works of law.

20 For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:20-22)

Paul wrote to the Romans explaining that no one will be justified in the sight of God by works of the law. But he explains also how we CAN be justified.

Faith is the key. The only righteousness that has any value in the sight of God is the free gift of righteousness given by God to those who believe. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ are reckoned righteous because they believe that Jesus died and was resurrected by the Father. And when we believe God did this, He proclaims us righteous.

It’s not because we did anything. We just believe what He did and He proclaims we are righteous by faith, just as He did with Abraham.

But back to the work of God, and what works we can do that are acceptable.

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

The ONLY work of God that we can do that is acceptable to Him, is to believe in Jesus Christ. That is the work of God that is acceptable in His sight.

None of the works mentioned earlier will achieve this. Not tithing, offerings, fasting, even building great cathedrals. None of those things are of any value in the sight of God.

Neither will building a ministry like this that I do on the web bring me into the kingdom of God. If I do this but don’t have faith, then I might as well write fiction and sell them. The only thing that will get you and me entry into God’s kingdom is faith. Faith is the key.

The Rock on which the Church is built

Recall when Jesus spoke to Peter asking who Peter thought that Jesus was.

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:15-18)

What was this rock upon which Jesus would build His church? It was not the rock they were standing on at that time. It was not Peter, whose name actually means “stone” or “rock.”

No, the rock that the church would be built upon was a faith like Peter had. This is the rock upon which the Church was to be built.

And we see in the scripture that the rock in this case was Peter’s faith in Jesus Christ that He was the Son of God, the one sent by the Father to be the Christ. Once again we see that faith is the key. Faith is how we open the door to the kingdom of God

It is not a blind faith either. This faith that Peter had was a belief in Jesus that He was the Son of God and the Christ sent by God to save the world from sin. This is the key of faith that opens the door to the kingdom.

You cannot please God without faith

Faith is such an important part of the Gospel that we see it again and again in the ministries and letter of the early disciples. We are even told in one place that the Jews failed to keep the law because they approached it as if it were based upon works.

Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone. (Romans 9:31-32)

As we see here, even the law was based upon faith. You needed faith to keep the law correctly. And there were great men of faith under the law like David the King, Solomon, and many others.

But the Jews failed to realise this and thought that by doing the works of the law, that is, fasting, tithing, sacrifices, and so on, that they were righteous before God. They missed the mark because they failed to understand that faith is the key.

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way.

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)

Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. This is probably the strongest evidence that faith is the key, because no-one will enter God’s kingdom unless they please Him. And to please Him, you MUST have faith.

It is the will of God to have faith as the key to salvation, because it levels the playing field. Not everyone can do great works, or give huge amounts of money, or build cathedrals. But everyone can believe and have faith. By making faith the key, the opportunity for salvation is open to the whole world, if they will come to Christ and believe in Him.

You might also like:

The Revelation To The Babes In Christ
Crumbs From The Masters Table The Canaanite Womans Faith
On This Rock I Will Build My Church
The Promise To Jesus Followers
Doing The Will Of The Father
Repent And Believe In The Gospel
Your Sins Are Forgiven
Have Faith In God
Believe In The Lord
Seek To Enter By The Narrow Door
Increase Our Faith
Doing The Works Of God
Peters Confession
Faith Is More Important Than Knowledge
Jesus Came To Save The World
You Are Clean
Not All Will Believe
Righteousness Of God
Faith Like Abraham
Children Of Faith
We Walk By Faith Not By Sight
What Is The Stumbling Block Mentioned In The New Testament