What Pleases God? – Hebrews 11:1-7
Nov 25, 2025 84
[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation. [3] By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. [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 commended 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. [7] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (ESV)
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What Pleases God?
Here’s a question that cuts to the heart of the Christian life: What pleases God?
The answer isn’t what you might expect. It’s not your achievements. Not your moral performance. Not even your religious activity.
As we see in verse 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.”
Without faith, it is impossible to please God. That’s scandalous. You could be the most moral person in your neighbourhood. You could donate to every charity. You could volunteer every weekend. But without faith? You cannot please God.
Why? Because faith is foundational. If you don’t believe God exists, how can you possibly please him? You’d be trying to please someone you think isn’t there.
But here’s what’s more common: many people are functional atheists. They believe God exists – at least theoretically – but they live as if he doesn’t. They assume that if God does exist, he’ll accept them because they’re decent people. They’ve been good enough. Moral enough. Kind enough.
But verse 6 demolishes that thinking. You must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him. You have to take God at his word about who he is and what he requires. Without that faith, it’s impossible to please him.
Faith pleases God because faith takes him at his word. Faith says, in the words of a well-known worship song, “I believe you are who you say you are, you do what you say you’ll do.”
Faith Defined
So what is faith? Verse 1 gives us the definition: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
David Peterson puts it like this in his commentary: “Faith gives substance to the hope that God has set before us, enabling us to live in its light.”
Faith is not just wishful thinking; it is a trust and dependence upon God, grounded in God’s dependable character and certain promises. Faith is trusting that God, even in the absence of sight, will keep his promises.
Faith in Action
Then we meet three men whose faith pleased God.
Abel brings an offering. By faith, he approaches God the right way. As verse 4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”
Abel’s sacrifice points forward. It shows us that approaching God requires faith in what God provides, not in what we bring.
Enoch walks with God. Verse 5 tells us, “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 commended as having pleased God.”
How did Enoch please God? By faith. He believed God exists and that God rewards those who seek him.
Noah builds an ark. Look at verse 7: “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.”
Noah acted on God’s warning about a flood he couldn’t yet see. He trusted God’s word about the future and responded in obedience.
The Good News Is…
The good news is that Abel’s sacrifice, Enoch’s walking with God, and Noah’s obedient faith all point us to Jesus. Abel showed us we need a better sacrifice, and Jesus became that sacrifice, once for all. Enoch pleased God and was taken into his presence, and through Jesus’ blood, we can now draw near to God with confidence. Noah was saved through judgment, and we are saved through the judgment Jesus bore in our place.
These three witnesses show us that faith pleases God. And the faith that pleases God looks to Jesus, who is both the founder and perfecter of our faith.
Reflection
How does knowing that faith – not performance – pleases God change the way you approach him today?
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