Trust and Obey by Faith

Hebrews 11:4-7 

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
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.
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Abel offered the gift (Genesis 4:4) that cost him something, an animal created to help him (Genesis 2:18-20), but his brother Cain only offered what he worked for out of the ground (Genesis 4:3).  God respected the gift and giver of the animal sacrifice, just as He had killed the first animal to cover their parents’ sin (Genesis 3:21).  The more excellent sacrifice was both the type of sacrifice and the heart of the one giving of all he had, knowing it came from God and pleased Him.  Then there was Enoch, who pleased God enough by his obedience of faith so that he did not die, but was brought straight to God from life to life.  Enoch pleased God by faith, the faith which we should also have - believing who He says He is, trusting in His promises and rewards, and trusting in order to please God, not to appease Him.  We should seek Him and all that He tells us diligently.  Then we come to the example of Noah who also trusted God.  He was told what God would do - execute judgement on the world by the flood - and he took the warning to heart.  Noah feared God and trusted His word, and so followed God’s plan in building the ark.  By trusting and obeying, he agreed with God’s judgement and was used to deliver those God chose.  This is how Noah inherited righteousness by faith.  We can see that our faith, our taking God at His word and relying on His grace and righteousness alone is the work of faith that pleases Him, is trusting His choice and willingly obeying what we know to do.  By doing this we save ourselves and others (1 Timothy 4:16).