What Is a Faith That Pleases God?

In this study, John MacArthur begins by asking what it means for faith to be pleasing to God. He explains that faith is not a human effort but a gift from God that opens our eyes and awakens our hearts. The question he poses is how believers can grow that gift into a living, sustaining faith.

Old Testament Heroes: Faith in Impossible Odds

MacArthur turns to the men listed in Hebrews 11:32–34—Gideon, Barak, Samson, and others—to illustrate how faith can turn the impossible into the possible. He recounts Gideon’s 300 men facing 135,000 Midianites, Barak’s 10,000 men confronting a chariot army, and Samson’s single‑handed victories. Each story shows a man trusting God’s instruction when human strategy seemed futile.

Faith That Endures: Trials and Hope

The study then moves to figures who faced suffering rather than battlefield victory—David, Samuel, and the prophets. MacArthur highlights David’s sling against Goliath, Samuel’s warnings to a rebellious Israel, and the prophets’ endurance under torture and imprisonment. He notes that these men “did not receive what was promised” in their lifetimes, yet their faith pointed toward a better hope beyond the present.

A Promise Beyond the Old Covenant

In the final section, MacArthur discusses Hebrews 11:39–40, where the faithful “did not receive what was promised” but were “given a better thing.” He frames this as the bridge between Old Testament faith and the New Covenant, raising the question of what that “better thing” looks like for believers today.

To hear how MacArthur connects these stories to the life of a modern believer and to explore the practical steps he suggests for cultivating a faith that pleases God, listen to the full episode.