Yes, faith is absolutely necessary to please God.
Hebrews 11:6 plainly says that without faith it is impossible to please Him. Romans 8 adds that the flesh cannot please God, and Les Feldick emphasizes this as one of Scripture's absolutes—no amount of law-keeping or morality can substitute for faith.
Hebrews 11:6 — This verse explicitly states that without faith it is impossible to please God, making it the direct answer to the question.
The Bible states the principle directly: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). The reason this is necessary is given in Romans 8: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." In other words, the flesh is incapable of producing what pleases God, and faith is the only avenue by which a person can come to Him.
Les Feldick treats Hebrews 11:6 as one of Scripture's two great absolutes—alongside "without the shedding of blood there is no remission"—with no room for disagreement. He says the world's real problem is not technology, education, or intelligence, but unbelief: when there is no faith, a person cannot even come close to pleasing God. No amount of human goodness, schooling, or moral effort makes up for it, because God demands faith and will not deal with us without it. Les also connects this to Romans 8, explaining that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law, so legislation and outward restraint cannot fix the heart. For today, he summarizes God's requirement as simply believing the Gospel—which is faith.
Les says this is one of the places in Scripture where there is no room for disagreement. Hebrews 11:6 records that without faith it is impossible to please God, and he explains that the verse means exactly what it says. The same passage adds that anyone coming to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Faith is therefore not one possible approach; it is the only approach.
Les says, "No matter how good we are, no matter how schooled we are... if there's no faith in it, God will have nothing to do with us." He applies Romans 8 to show that the carnal mind is enmity against God and not subject to His law, so outward moral reform is not enough. Even in the Old Testament, Esau could not be used by God without faith, no matter how he may have compared morally to Jacob.
Les points out that Christians have hoped to legislate decent morality—stopping murder, teenage pregnancies, and drug addiction. But he sets this against Romans 8, which says the flesh cannot be subject to the law of God. The underlying problem is not a lack of rules; it is a lack of faith. That is why external regulations will never produce what pleases God.
Les says today God's whole requirement for salvation is to believe the Gospel. In Hebrews 11:6 he emphasizes the word "believe"—not repentance—when it says those who come to God must believe. Unbelief is the reason Israel failed and the reason the world is alienated from God. When the Gentiles heard Paul preach, they could believe, and that faith is what made the difference.
Carnal Mind Cannot Please God
Les explains that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot be subject to God's law, showing why the flesh-state can never produce what pleases God.
Believe the Gospel
Les says today God's whole requirement is to believe the Gospel, and he corrects "repent" to "believe" in Hebrews 11:6.
An Absolute Not Up for Debate
Les identifies Hebrews 11:6 as an absolute with no room for disagreement—faith is required to please God.
Two Absolutes Together
Les puts Hebrews 11:6 together with blood-remission as one of Scripture's two great absolutes.
Unbelief Is the Problem
Les says the world's problem is not education or technology but inability to believe, so without faith one cannot even get close to pleasing God.
God Demands Faith
Les says no matter how good or schooled someone is, without faith God will have nothing to do with them.
No Faith Disqualifies
Using Esau, Les shows that even possible moral superiority is irrelevant—without faith, God could not use him.
Faith Not Law
Les says Israel pursued righteousness by law without faith and failed, while Gentiles who heard Paul believed.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
This is the core verse directly stating that faith is required to please God.
Romans 8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
This shows why the flesh can never satisfy God's requirements.
Romans 8:8: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
This draws the direct conclusion that those in the flesh cannot please God.
No. Les says no matter how good or schooled a person is, if there is no faith, God will have nothing to do with them. Hebrews 11:6 makes "without faith it is impossible to please Him" an absolute.
Les says God could not use Esau because he had no faith. Faith is the necessary ingredient; moral comparison does not override it.
They must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Les says today that is exercised by believing the Gospel.
Watch the Teaching: Carnally Minded Is Death — What Romans 8:5-8 Really Means