I Please God

Walk up to someone and say, “I please God”.  What kind of response do you think you will receive?  The response from most people will be something like this: “who are you to say that you please God, who do you think you are?”  Their reaction will let you know immediately if they are religious or have a real relationship with God.  I have asked congregations this question, “How many of you want to please God”, and every hand will go up saying yes.  But then I ask them, “How many of you feel that you are pleasing God right now” and hardly any hands will go up.  This presents a dilemma, if we want to please God, yet we feel that we are not, this is a big problem.

Hebrews 11:5-6 (NKJV)
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Enoch was translated because he was willing to say that he pleased God, that was his testimony that I please God.  Enoch didn’t have the new birth experience, He was in faith looking forward to the day that Jesus would come, he was like Abraham who saw Jesus’ day and was glad (John 8:56).

What is the requirement to please God?  One thing-faith!  Faith is what pleases God and without faith it is impossible to please Him.  If an Old Covenant person who was not even born again could please God, how much more us in the New Covenant of God’s grace?  When you place your faith in Jesus Christ, you are born again.  You are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).  You have been placed in Christ.  Is God pleased with Jesus?  Yes!  Then God is pleased with you.

We struggle with this thought that we please God because we don’t know what is new.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

What does that mean?  It must be talking about our spirit man. The new you is truly new.  The new you still has your old mind and same body, but your spirit is brand new.   The key to victorious living as a believer is learning to live from the new born-again spirit instead of the old man.

Ephesians 4:23-24 (NKJV)
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Notice verse twenty-four says your new man was created that way, not will be some day.  When was, your spirit created in true righteousness and holiness?  When you were born again.  It is not a process of you performing or doing things to become that way, you were made(born-again) that way.  You do not grow in righteousness, righteousness is a gift (Romans 5:17,18).  You do not grow in holiness; you were created in holiness when you accepted Christ.  Now that’s Good News!

Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV)
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 12:23 (NKJV)
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Your spirit has been perfected forever, your spirit is perfect.  That’s not what the church and religion would have you believe, but that’s what the Bible declares.  In your spirit, you are righteous, holy and perfect!

1 John 4:17 (NKJV)
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

What does this mean?  In our born-again spirit, we are identical to Jesus.  As He is.  Is Jesus holy, righteous and perfect?  Yes!  Then so are we in this world.  Not, we will be in the next world, but right now in your spirit you are just like Jesus!  Learn to live out of this revelation, be led by your spirit and not by your flesh.  God is Spirit-He relates Spirit to spirit, not Spirit to your flesh.  God sees you as you are in your spirit.  He relates to you as you are in the spirit, not based on your actions/performance.  Man, looks at your outward, your actions, your deeds and judges you by them, but God looks on the inward man, on who you are in the spirit (1 Sam. 16:7).  God does not relate to you based on your sin but on His Son, not on your obedience, but on His obedience, not your righteousness, but on His righteousness.

I’m not saying sin doesn’t matter or that sin does not hurt, because it does.  I’m not making little of sin, but much of Jesus.  You’ve probably heard it said that there is not anything that you can do to make God love you more or anything that you can do to make Him love you less.  This is true.  God didn’t start loving you when you received Christ as your savior.  While we were sinners God demonstrated His love for us (Romans 5:8).  Not even my sins and my actions will not change God’s heart toward me, but my sins will affect my heart toward God.  My sins will not cause Him to love me less, but my sins will cause me to love Him less.

Be like Enoch, have as your testimony that you please God and you also will be “translated” to live a life led by the spirit, a life of victory!  Know that you are also His beloved son/daughter in whom He is well pleased.