"Pending Faith"

Hebrews 4.2b NASU

“…but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

God’s word will not benefit me unless I receive it by faith. I must believe what He says.

Successful salespeople depend on customers who exhibit genuine interest and real motivation to own what they have to sell. Clients must believe in the product or service the vendor is promoting. It also helps if the customer trusts the salesperson. Confidence in the messenger carries weight in the buyer’s decision-making process.

Faith in the message and the messenger is essential in every effective transaction. Without faith, the sale will remain in “pending” status. It will not close. No sale is made, no profit is gained, and no one benefits. Faith moves the transaction forward from offer to negotiation, through pending to sold.

Bible reading is good, but not good enough. The truth recorded in the sixty-six books of Scripture was inspired by God Himself and promoted by super-vendors like Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Solomon, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and Paul. Their words can forever impact one’s life. They are able to shape a personal destiny in ways that transcend imagination. But true believers must go beyond perpetual pending and close the sale. They must believe. 

The “word,” when “united by faith,” earns a return on investment of time spent in reading, listening to, and learning from the Bible. Pending followers of Jesus (who read the Bible) must get sold (that is, believe the Bible).

“…but the word they heard did... profit them, 

because it was... united by faith in those who heard.” [1]

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[1] The text from Hebrews 4.2 contains a double negative and should remain true if both "not's" are removed from the verse. That is to say, if "the word" does not profit people when it is not "united by faith," then it follows that there is great value in "the word" when it is combined with "faith" by those who read and hear it.