WHY...FAITH ?

  What is it about FAITH that GOD "Likes" ?    ( Requires ? )   Why just Faith and why
don't Good Deeds count for something worthwhile as far as Salvation is concerned ?
I know it is written that Faith w/o Works is not Pleasing to GOD, except that those
Works which INCREASE......Faith. THAT'S the type of "Works" HE Counts Favorable,
THAT...makes sense, and we all pretty much understand that,and agree. Those of us
that are "in-dwelt" anyway.  What does Faith actually mean ?  I believe Faith = Want.
also Hope and more importantly TRUST.  GOD wants us to TRUST HIM...and Faith is
the first step in the road to Ultimate TRUST.  As Parents we want our children to Trust
us, not just Love us, but TRUST us, that we will always do right by them.  Same for
GOD it seems, as HE IS our FATHER.  Our Earthly Family serving as an example of
what our Heavenly Family will be.  GOD = Dad  /  JESUS = Brother ( at least I like to
think of it that way )  BELIEVING...what GOD did for us thru the Sacrifice of HIS SON,
certainly Proves  HIS LOVE for us, and asking so little in return, speaks to how MUCH
HE LOVES us.  We, those of us that Love HIM, wish & want to be like HIM, impossible
as that is,  GOD, (our Dad) in HIS MERCY, accepts this desire provided we become
a FRIEND to the One we would emulate, if we could.  That's why JESUS said we
MUST LOVE HIM more than our own lives. HE said this because HE KNOWS what
HIS FATHER thinks of that degree of LOVE, and knows that it pleases HIS (our)
FATHER to see that level of LOVE.  After all,  look at the Level of Love they Both
demonstrated for us at the Cross.  Remember JESUS is our intercessor before GOD
and HE speaks on our behalf, so HE probably wants to present a level of LOVE from us
HE knows will be the most Pleasing to HIS FATHER.  HE was/is coaching" us, I'm sure
of that, now that I've come to Know HIM as a Friend.  Do you Love HIM more than
yourself ?  Can HE present you and "that" LOVE to GOD and identify you as HIS
      OBEDIENT FRIEND ?   The "Journey" to that type of introduction ...begins with
       FAITH....that is where YOU are headed .... and YOUR  introduction will be ?
            
                                    MARANATHA !

                                            T H