The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” This is our situation as we are at home in the body and absent from the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6).
What does this mean? We live our lives by trusting in the words of Christ since we don’t see Him directly. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We must hear the word of God to have faith.
In Hebrews 11:6, the Bible says, “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.” Notice that without faith we cannot please God. Therefore, without a word from God, we cannot please God. This is why it is critically important that we do everything by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17).
We must have a word from God to walk by faith and to be pleasing to God. Consider what Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica about being pleasing to God. He said, “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2).
From this verse we learn that 1) we can please God; 2) we please God by walking according to the commandments the apostles gave us, 3) outside of receiving the commandments of the apostles, we cannot say that we are pleasing God. We must have a word from God to please Him.