The Faithfulness of God

Discussion questions:

Does humanity value faithfulness?

No. — Sexual revolution/multiple partners/divorce

Yes. — anniversaries (marriage/work)

How does God’s faithfulness relate to his other attributes?

Simplicity of God.

When Scriptures draw attention to one attribute, they invariably draw attention to another because, as noted above, it is hard to distinguish God’s attributes in light of his simplicity.

All the attributes of God must harmonize with one another in our conception of God, or else the God in our minds is not the true God.

How do we see the faithfulness of God reflected in the three persons of the Trinity?

How does God’s faithfulness affect your everyday life?

Introduction:

How many of you have ever been to Yellowstone National Park? Yellowstone is home to a famous national icon named Old Faithful. Old Faithful is a geyser named because of its predictable nature — it’s faithfulness if you will. But Old Faithful was not always predictable and faithful. Actually in the 13th and 14th centuries, Old Faithful did not erupt at all. Imagine that. A faithful geyser that was unfaithful. It’s even said that to this day, Old Faithful is only 90% predictable.

We label things as faithful all the time. Faithful husband. Faithful car. Faithful geyser. Faithful friends.

But these are only faithful in part. But as we’ll see tonight. Our God is totally faithful.

Key Truth:

Key Verses:

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”

Lamentations 3:23 “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

1 Corinthians 1:9 “9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Key Concepts:

God is unchanging in his nature. (1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Timothy 2:13)

What is the most famous song about God’s faithfulness?

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father There is no shadow of turning with Thee Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

How does God’s faithfulness relate to his other attributes?

All his attributes presuppose his faithfulness. God remains unchangeable, holy, wise, good, eternal, omnipotent, and so forth, and therefore, he cannot butt be faithful in what he says and how he acts.

God keeps his Word and always fulfills his promises. (Psalm 119:86, Titus 1:9)

Perhaps the greatest proofs displaying God’s faithfulness in fulfilling promises is through the covenants of Scripture. We’ll use one as an illustration.

Davidic Covenant

2 Samuel 7:16 “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”

Psalm 89:19–37 (KJV 1900)

19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, And saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. 20 I have found David my servant; With my holy oil have I anointed him: 21 With whom my hand shall be established: Mine arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague them that hate him. 24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: And in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand also in the sea, And his right hand in the rivers. 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, My God, and the rock of my salvation. 27 Also I will make him my firstborn, Higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, And my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, And his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, And walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, And keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will I not break, Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35 Once have I sworn by my holiness That I will not lie unto David. 36 His seed shall endure for ever, And his throne as the sun before me. 37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, And as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

*Think about the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Key Images:

The Natural Order of the Universe

Genesis 8:21 “21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”

The perpetual evidence (in addition to the rainbow) that he would keep this promisee is found in the relentless, unceasing recurrence of summer and winter, cold and heat, and day and night.

Genesis 8:22 “22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Jeremiah 31:35–36 KJV 1900

35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, And the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, Which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: 36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, Then the seed of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before me for ever.

God has appointed the sun to shine during the daytime and the moon and stars by night. He has also appointed the sea to perpetually produce waves. The constancy of these natural phenomena are visible reminders of God’s unbreakable promises in salvation.

Jeremiah 33:20-26 uses this same covenant with day and night as the guarantee of the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.

For the believer, the blazing of thee sun, the glowing of the moon, the crashing of the waves, and the changing of the seasons should all serve as reminders of God’s faithfulness to his people through Christ.

The Immensity of Creation

Psalm 36:5 “5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; And thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.”

God’s faithfulness reaches to the skies; in other words, it goes on and on into infinity.

Jeremiah 31:37 “37 Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, saith the Lord.”

If humans can measure the heavens or explore the foundations of the earth he will break his salvation promises of the New Covenant.

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The Parent/Child Relationship

Psalm 103 details multiple ways in which the Lord shows his faithfulness (covenant loyalty) toward his people. One of the images used to illustrate God’s faithfulness is found in Psalm 103:13. The verse states that God has compassion on his people (those who fear him) in the same way a father has compassion on his children. Parents naturally have feelings of love, attachment, care, and commitment toward each of their children. This general disposition does not change regardless of how many times the child disobeys or disappoints.

Matthew 7:9-11 Parents give good gifts (bread and fish) to their children when they ask. The parent is the one in the position to provide for, protect, nurture, and guide the child. In the same way God’s faithfulness to his people includes this tender, unbreakable, and compassionate care for them.

Isaiah 49:15–16 “15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, That she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, Yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; Thy walls are continually before me.”

God states that even if a mother would somehow manage to forget her child, he will never forget his people. God’s faithfulness to his people surpasses the strongest commitment possible between any human beings.

Husband/Wife

The Lord had Hosea marry a prostitute named Gomer. He took her as his wife, but Gomer kept wandering into the arms of other lovers. She was unfaithful. And yet the Lord told Hosea to keep going after her again and again, and bring her back home.

God’s faithfulness to his unfaithful people unfathomably leads him not only to stay faithfully committed to them but also to transform them so that they become permanently faithful to him.

Hosea 2:19–20 “19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; Yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, And in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: And thou shalt know the Lord.”

Key Implications:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow Blessings all mine with 10, 000 beside

God is faithful in his response to the repentant confessor. (1 John 1:9)

1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

No matter how often we may fail and sin, God is unchanging in his response to the repentant confessor. And he is faithful to forgive you when convicting grace reveals how unfaithful you have been.

God’s faithfulness in the past grants peace in the present and fixes hope for the future.

Your security is not found in your faithfulness, but in his.

God’s faithfulness motivates Christian faithfulness. (Hebrews 10:23)

Hebrews 10:23 “23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

Ultimately God’s faithfulness motivates our faithful living as we longingly anticipate the return of Christ.

God’s faithfulness motivates the believers praise. (Psalm 40:10; Psalm 89:1; Isaiah 25:1)

Psalm 40:10 “10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.”

Psalm 89:1 “1 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”

Isaiah 25:1 “1 O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; For thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”