Faith is our great need for we are saved by grace through faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. But love is greater for whereas we obtain salvation by faith, love brought the salvation to us in the first place. The giver is greater than the recipient. However, love and faith support each other because love sent the gift, but faith accepted it. When I receive the gift, the giver is pleased with me. So then without faith it is impossible to please God.

Jesus is the only one with whom the Father is well pleased because he had absolute faith. That is why he was obedient unto death. When I become one with Christ the Father is pleased with me. I share in the favor Jesus receives. The obedience of faith is the obedience unto death, but faith conquers death, therefore when the faithful dies, faith is the victor and God is pleased.

Faithlessness surrenders to despair and hopelessness. Faithlessness is not the failure of faith but the absence of it, because faith never fails. Faith is the victory, so faith always expects victory. We must understand the distinction between our expectation and that of faith. We expect many things good or bad based on our circumstances but what does faith expect? A victorious future despite the uncertainty. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God. As understanding of the word grows faith increases. The strengthening of faith brings patience that enables us to persevere through all types of suffering. In this endurance we participate in the redemptive suffering of Christ and God is pleased.

Faith never complains about the situation because it never focuses on the condition, it sees the eternal. When we exercise faith, it transforms us in the situation and takes us beyond it. We abide in hope instead of despair. When we see the situation, we are not living in faith, fear has taken the place of faith. The expectation of fear is despair. In despair we cannot please God. So then, without faith it is impossible to please God.  

We need faith to believe and if we do not believe God, we make him a liar. We will never believe one we consider a liar. He who comes to God must believe that he is, and he rewards those who come to him. But what is it to believe? The demons believe but God is not pleased with them. Faith goes beyond belief and receives. Faith does more than assent to the truth it lives the truth. It abides in truth. So, faith pleases God.