But without faith it is impossible to please Him [at all], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6—NKJV)

What does the Bible say about the “man of faith?” Absolutely nothing! Absolutely everything! Though the Bible never uses the phrase “a man of faith,” or describe anyone as “a man of faith,” faith-full or faith-motivated men are found throughout the Scriptures. Everything you need to know about being a man driven by faith is found in the Scriptures.

The acquiring and daily maintenance of faith that counts before God is the top priority for all mankind. Our text delivers a stark lesson in black and white. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. The text does not say it is really hard to please God without faith, or it would be difficult, or even, there may be a chance that without faith you can please God. Without faith you can not please God at all.

Scripturally speaking, there are three general categories of faith found in the Bible:

1. “The Faith,” the body of theological truth taught in the Bible—This first faith is a heart of belief that provides your direction in life.
2. “Saving Faith,” the gift of God by grace (Ephesians 2:8–10)—This second faith is the possession for life.
3. “Living Faith,” living life by faithful obedience—This third faith is action for life.

Since eternal salvation is based on belief (Romans 10:9–13) that forms the basis of trust (Hebrews 11:1–3), the believing convert arises up and obeys by living according to faith, as Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Faith in action!

Faith-full living is the quality that has led us to create the phrase “a man of faith” just like other phrases we are apt to use, such as “faithful men,” “life of faith,” “keep the faith,” guard the faith,” and “promote the faith.” All these phrases come from biblical applications found in passages like 2 Corinthians 1:24, “By faith you stand.” and 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” and 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

In the Parable of the Talents, our Lord tells the story of a lord calling three servants before him prior to going away. He commissions each one with responsibility over his property until his return. Each servant acted as he saw fit. Upon the lord’s return each servant gave account. The slothful servant returned the talent unimproved to his master. His “reward” for his unfaithfulness was to be placed in the outskirts, away from the light of the festivities. The other two servants each used, and increased, the talents they were given. In each case the faithful servants were rewarded during their interview with their lord with these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21, 23). These two are illustrations of men of faith, or, as we would more readily recognize them, faithful men. They kept faith for their master.

A man of faith, then, is a man who has committed himself to the body of faith, the saving faith, and the life of faith. In other words, he has yielded all that he treasures in life to his heavenly Father, trusting only in Him. God is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24) and will not let you down in those things most precious to you in your awakened life. Because God is totally trustworthy with all that is dear to the man of faith, the faithful man can hazard his all for the sake of what is dear to God. He will remain faithful to what God has entrusted to his hand, for God is faithful in that which is entrusted to His hand. A man faithful to God is a man of faith.

Most assume that being a man of faith is some nebulous something-or-other that is unquantifiable and mystifying, and is only within the grasp of the super-spiritual. The biblical man of faith is a servant, committed to faithfully obey in all that is important to God since God is faithful to him. Be a man of faith. Trust and obey.