Don Stewart :: Is God Faithful?

One of the attributes of God is His faithfulness. When we say God is faithful it means He is totally trustworthy - He is perfectly faithful. The prophet Isaiah wrote.

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1).

The prophet Jeremiah wrote.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22,23).

Moses said.

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6).

Moses also wrote.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Paul wrote.

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

He Is Faithful In Many Ways

God's faithfulness is stated in a number of ways. They include the following.

1. He Is Totally Trustworthy In His Promises

His words will always come to pass. Therefore believers may rely upon His promises.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

The writer to the Hebrews stated.

By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11).

2. God Does Not Lie About Anything

Scripture says

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19).

Paul wrote to Titus.

A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2).

To the church at Rome Paul said.

Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge" (Romans 3:4).

3. He Is A Faithful Creator

God is a faithful Creator.

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:19).

4. God Is Faithful To Forgive

He is faithful to forgive when we confess our sins.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

5. Jesus Is A Faithful High Priest

Jesus Christ is a merciful and faithful High Priest who answers the prayers of His people.

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might turn aside God's wrath, taking away the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17).

6. God Will Not Abandon His People

God will not abandon His people. He kept His promises He made to the nation Israel.

For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath (Deuteronomy 4:31).

Joshua wrote.

So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled (Joshua 21:43-45).

Daniel said.

I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands" (Daniel 9:4).

The Fulfillment Of God's Promises Are Recorded

The fulfillments of God's promises are recorded in Scripture. For example, we read Joshua telling Israel.

Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed (Joshua 23:14).

7. He Will Remain Faithful Though Believers May Deny Him

Even if we are unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful to us.

If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself (2 Timothy 2:13)

There Is Much Comfort In This Truth

For the believer there is much comfort in knowing that God has been faithful to His promises. Since God's word is always truth the Christian can place complete trust in His promises.

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

God Desires Faithfulness From His People

God desires faithfulness for those who have trusted Him.

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Paul wrote to Timothy.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).

In Galatians Paul declared.

So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (Galatians 3:9).

Summary

We find the Bible emphasizing the faithfulness of the Lord. Scripture lists a number of different ways in which God has shown his faithfulness. First, he is totally trustworthy in everything that he says. He is faithful to his word - he does not lie. The Lord is the faithful Creator. He is faithful to forgive those who sin against him. Jesus Christ is called the faithful High Priest. God's faithfulness is demonstrated in the fact that he will not abandon his people. Finally, he will remain faithful to those who deny him. Because he is faithful, God desires faithfulness from his people.