Happiness Is Pleasing God

Godliness is pleasing God, which results in our happiness. The Shorter Catechism asserts that the chief end of man is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” Paul speaks in Romans 1 about the problem of pagans who suppress God’s truth in wickedness. If ungodliness and unrighteousness is our problem, then the solution is godliness that produces a righteous life. Happiness is godliness, and godliness is pleasing God by doing his will.

Godliness means to please God by living by faith in God and in his word. Those who obey God’s word are witnesses to God in the world. In this study we want to look at two such people, Abel and Enoch (Heb. 11:4-6).

Not only do we witness to God when we live by faith in the world, but God also witnesses to us. He commends us, saying, “Thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord,” rather than, “Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity!”

The author of Hebrews already spoke about what would happen to those who do not believe God and persevere to the end: “If he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him” (Heb. 10:38). In Hebrews 11 he gives a list of some who lived by faith in God and his word. Such people receive God’s approval: “This is what the ancients were commended for” (v. 2). It does not matter what man says about us. What ultimately matters is, does God commend us?

Either we live to please ourselves or we live to please God. But we must not be deceived; pleasing ourselves is really pleasing the devil. Concerning the forbidden fruit, Eve said, “It is good for food, good for the eyes, and good to make us wise; therefore, it is good for me.” She took and ate. She pleased herself, but, truly, she was pleasing the devil. Every time we disobey, we think we are pleasing ourselves, but, really, we are pleasing the devil. There are only two masters in this world: God and the devil. Yet God rules the devil and will dispose of him and all of God’s enemies in due time (cf. Rev. 20).

Are you a self-centered person who makes decisions on the basis of what gives you pleasure? Jesus calls us to deny ourselves daily. Denying ourselves means death to ourselves, to say no to ourselves and yes to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Take up the cross and follow me.” A Christian does not believe in himself; he is told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. A Christian is not self-focused and self-pleasing. He is Christ-centered, Christ-focused, and Christ-pleasing, even to the point of martyrdom.

The Example of Abel

Abel lived by faith. Biblical faith is not faith in faith or faith in ourselves. Faith has an object, which is God and his word. It is not faith in a god of human creation, a postulate of human minds. Hebrews 11:6 declares that those who come to God mustbelieve that he exists-it is a logical and moral necessity. We must believe in this personal, independent, moral being who is the cause of all creation. Faith is not faith in a god that we can research scientifically and finally discover, or learn about through philosophical reasoning; it is faith in the God who revealed himself to us in the Scriptures.

“By faith we understand the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible” (Heb. 11:3). Everyone who comes to worship God must not only believe that he exists, but that he also cares for us and rewards those who diligently seek him (v. 6). We must believe in God, who is the Creator and Redeemer. This Sovereign King revealed himself to us through the prophets and finally to us in his Son Jesus Christ, who the author describes as Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of all (Heb. 1). We must believe in this infinite, personal, holy, compassionate God who revealed himself to Moses as “I AM THAT I AM.” This uncreated, self-sufficient God not only created us but also preserves us even now so that we are breathing and our minds are working. In his will, we will die, whether of cancer or some other frailty of the body, but even that is not the end of us: “It is appointed for man once to die and then comes the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). So Paul exclaims in 1 Timothy 1:17, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Faith is the sine qua non, the indispensable condition, of every believer. The phrase “by faith” is repeated in Hebrews 11 to refer to all named believers. “By faith” does not mean to merely believe in God when first trusting in Christ. It means to trust God throughout our lives. We live by faith in this life and in the life to come. Paul says faith along with hope and love abides (1 Cor. 13:13). He who believes in God trusts implicitly in his promises regarding the future, no matter how great that promise is. Abraham and Sarah believed God’s promise to give them a son, though their bodies were as good as dead. God is so great he always performs what he promises. God cannot lie; he cannot die. He exists. He is the “I AM.”

Cain and Abel were both sons of Adam and Eve who both brought sacrifices to God. God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s (Gen. 4:4-5). Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice, a better sacrifice, and he did so by faith.

Cain, however, offered his sacrifice in unbelief. In fact, 1 John 3:12 tells us that Cain was a son of the devil, one who belonged to the devil. Jude warns of “the way of Cain” (Jude 11), which is the way of self-will and self-trust. Being a child of the devil, Cain would not please God by offering him a sacrifice with a pure heart. He would not follow the way of the word, the way of revelation. Cain never said, “Thy will be done,” but always, “My will be done.”

A true worshiper worships God in pure heart and brings to God the sacrifice God prescribes. Proverbs 15:8 says, “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.” How many people’s worship is not accepted because it does not come from a pure heart and is not offered in the prescribed way!

Because Cain’s sacrifice was detestable to God, it was rejected, and Cain became dejected. His countenance fell. Divine approbation brings true happiness, but when we seek to please ourselves, we become miserable. Cain was unhappy all of his life. He became a restless wanderer, a God-forsaken person.

Abel brought a better sacrifice. His heart was pure because he trusted in God, not only as Creator, but also as Redeemer. He knew he was born a sinner. He knew he was guilty and that the wages of sin is death. But he also knew of God’s mercy and the principle of substitution because he knew how God had killed innocent animals and clothed his parents with their skins. The blood of the animals was shed for the forgiveness of the sins of Adam and Eve symbolically, and Adam and Eve were dressed in God’s righteousness when they were clothed with skins instead of their self-made fig-leaf garments.

“By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice.” By this sacrifice Abel was confessing that he was a sinner who could not save himself. But he also knew that God is merciful and had provided a substitute who died in his place that he might live: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb. 9:22).

Abel sacrificed by faith. But we are told elsewhere that faith comes by hearing the word (Rom. 10:17). That tells us there was a prior revelation from God as to how Cain and Abel should worship. I believe they even knew about blood sacrifice because God himself in mercy and patience asked Cain, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?”(Gen. 4:7).

Abel worshiped by faith, and brought the right bloody sacrifice. But Cain denied his guilt and need for salvation. He refused to do what is right. What is right is what God says is right, not what we say: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12). But Cain refused to offer a bloody sacrifice with a believing heart. He would not kill a lamb as an acceptable offering to God for his salvation, yet he showed no qualms in shedding the blood of his own brother.

Abel believed God and sacrificed the right way as revealed to him, the way of a substitute, which pointed to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This man of faith was declared righteous and justified by God (Heb. 11:4). Jesus also called Abel righteous (Matt. 23:35) and said he was a prophet and the first martyr (Luke 11:51).

When all others stand against God, we must stand for God and truth. We must live by faith and please God. God is pleased with such people and will commend them.

Hebrews 11:4 says of Abel, “By faith he still speaks, though he is dead.” Abel is speaking to us through the Scriptures and from heaven, where he dwells with God. What is he saying? Believe God and his word. Believe in the substitutionary atonement. Believe in Jesus Christ the only Savior and be saved.

How do we know that Abel’s sacrifice was approved while Cain’s was rejected? Theodotion, a second century theologian, spoke of fire coming down from heaven and consuming Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s. (PGM) The Scripture often speaks of God’s showing approval of sacrifice by divine fire consuming the sacrifice (cf. Lev. 9:24; Judg. 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chron. 21:26; 2 Chron. 7:1). Thus, we have no problem believing that God demonstrated in such a supernatural way his approval of Abel, who by faith pleased him.

We are not asked to offer bloody sacrifices, but we are asked to offer the unbloody, living sacrifice of all of our life: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12:1-2).

How is your sacrifice? Is God approving your life and decision-making? Are you living by faith? Are you living according to God’s will? A man approved and commended by God is also a happy man. Paul exhorts, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” and so that God’s benediction and blessing may rest upon him. May we also please God and be happy!

The Example of Enoch

Enoch is the next example of one who lived by faith in God and his word (Heb. 11:5). The Genesis account says “Enoch walked with God” (Gen. 5:24). The Septuagint translation says, “Enoch pleased God.” We can conclude that Enoch pleased God by walking with God.

God was so pleased with Enoch that he took him from earth to heaven without Enoch experiencing death. When we read Genesis 5, we notice the refrain: “and he died.” But concerning Enoch this refrain is not recorded, for he did not die, but transcended death. God took him into his presence that he might enjoy the eternal happiness of the eternal fellowship of God’s presence.

Elijah also experienced such translation, and we are told that all those who live when Jesus Christ comes again will be translated without seeing death: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). If Christ does not come during our lifetime, he will send chariots of heart attacks, cancer, and other debility of the flesh to usher us to heaven. We must not worry; when we walk with God, death cannot interrupt this fellowship. “Neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).

The Genesis account does not speak about the faith of Enoch. But Hebrews 11:6 gives us the key: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (italics added). The Hebrews writer also says that God testified to Enoch before his translation that he pleased God (Heb. 11:5). Therefore we can conclude that Enoch lived by faith as he walked with God. Enoch pleased God, and God rewarded him by taking him to be with him forever. “Those who come to God must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). “Diligently” means with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Solomon exhorted the people to seek God wholeheartedly (2 Chron. 6:36-39). David speaks of such wholehearted seeking: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Ps. 27:4).

God rewards those who earnestly seek him, but this reward is not something we earn; it is of grace. In Isaiah we read, “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him . . . The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him”‘” (Is. 40:10; 62:11). What is the reward? Is it gold, glory, or a longer life? No, God gives us more than gold. In Genesis 15:1 God told Abraham, “I am your great reward.”

This reward is God himself. Our hearts are restless until we find rest in God. We are created to be happy in God. The psalmist says, “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11, KJV). Look at Psalm 43:4: “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and delight. I will praise you with the harp, O my God.” If we cannot say that, we are in trouble. We are idolaters who are not seeking God with all our heart. A double-minded person is unstable in all his ways, and he will fall. May God help us to examine ourselves carefully.

In Psalm 73:25-26 the writer exclaims, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Like Paul, who called himself a fool for Christ, we do not seek gold or the glories of this world; we seek God, who alone makes us happy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8). Seeing God will be disappointing for many people, but not for a true child of God.

The Genesis account says Enoch “walked with God.” The Christian life is described as walking with God. This means agreement with God, for how can two walk together unless they are in agreement? (cf. Amos 3:3) This means Enoch desired to be holy; the Lord says, “Be ye holy for I am holy” (cf. Lev. 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Pet. 1:15). It means he acknowledged God as Lord and himself as God’s obedient servant who wanted to hear and do the will of God. We are told Enoch walked with God for a long time-three hundred years. His walk was not for a day, but for all of life. We are also told in Genesis that Enoch had a family. Living in the world, he had to deal with all problems in the world, but he faced them with God.

Enoch’s walk with God also means he communed with God. He was a praying person, always talking to God. “He walked with God” means he preached. He is called a preacher of righteousness, who preached to the people of the antediluvian community about God and his righteousness. “He walked with God” means he made each decision for the glory of God, one step and one decision at a time. “He walked with God” means he was a friend of God. Jesus said his disciples were his friends (John 15:15). Friends talk and communicate.

Like Enoch, we also are to be led by the Spirit and Scripture all our life. Happiness means to please God by walking with him, as the hymn goes: “Each step I take I know that he will guide me; to higher ground he ever leads me on, until some day the last step will be taken. Each step I take just leads me closer home.” Death is not misery for a believer; it is coming home.

God communicated to Enoch before his translation that Enoch had pleased him. This is assurance of salvation. We can imagine what he said: “Enoch, you have done well. You pleased me and trusted me. Now I am going to reward you. You shall not experience death; I will just take you home with me.”

Paul speaks about the assurance that comes from pleasing God: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16). Jesus also spoke of it: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him. . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:21, 23). This is happiness, this is fellowship with God, this is a truly trouble-free life. Why should we be troubled when God himself dwells with us and shows himself to us?

I pray we will stop being restless, seeking happiness and rest in the things of this world. God created man to find happiness through fellowship with him. May we, therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. May we seek to please God in all that we do. Then we will know in the core of our being that we are God’s children and experience the inexpressible joy of the Lord that comes only from walking with God.