“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Heb10:23
Here we come to the first of the moral attributes (things true of something) of God, attributes which we can possess as well. The first one we will look at together is faithfulness. The other attributes of God point out logically that this one must be true as well. The immutability of God (He does not change) points to the supposition that He is faithful. He cannot be otherwise. He cannot lie (Num 23:19). He is the truth (John 14:6). Even if we are not faithful; God must be faithful. His immutability, His omnipotence, His omniscience, His wisdom all point to His faithfulness. A.W. Tozer points out in Knowledge of the Holy that we cannot think of the attributes of God in a vacuum. Each one shows part of the truth of God. But it is only looking at how the attributes flow together and influence each other that the true picture of God immerges.1 Love and justice are at peace in Him. Judgment and mercy are perfected in Him. Love is present in His judgments. Mercy is present in His justice. So let’s look again to His attributes. If He cannot change, is the truth, has all the power, knows all there is, and has perfect wisdom to apply His knowledge, how could He be anything but faithful?
Yet we don’t need to logically figure this out, the Scriptures are full of the testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Colossians 1:16-17 remind us God created all things and in Him all things hold together. God proclaimed Himself faithful to Moses, not only through the miraculous leading of the Israelites, but by passing in front of Moses saying, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,…” (Ex 34:6). Moses took hold of the lesson because he later reminded the Israelites, “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.” (Deut 7:9). Jeremiah reminds us of the faithfulness of God’s love and compassions, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:23).
Herein the Christian should find great comfort; He who promised is faithful (Heb 10:23)! We do not have a God who wakes up one day and decides to change all the rules, or eradicate earth for no reason, or suspend the law of gravity, etc. He is dependable, constant, and faithful. He is there holding the universe together. He is there watching over His word to fulfill it (Jer 1:12, Isa 55:11). The Psalmist reminds us, “For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” (Ps 33:4). And again, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” (Ps 145:13). Utter joy and sheer delight! God is telling us we can depend on Him. We can “take to the bank” all the promises He gives us in Scripture. Salvation, redemption, sanctification, righteous, peace, and joy all there for the taking, freely offered and backed up by the word of the faithful God, who does not change. Healing, forgiveness, miracles, spiritual gifts to further the Kingdom, meaning and purpose, incredible worth, adoption into His family, the secret things of God, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in us, the right to hear His voice, His power for daily living, co-inheritance with Christ, seating in heavenly places with Christ, every spiritual blessing – they are ours, friends, because He who promised is faithful. Let us be found faithful in our response to His faithfulness. Let us be found appropriating His promises for ourselves. Let us be found making good with the incredible inheritance which He has paid for with an inconceivable price. Let us be found co-laboring with Christ for the Kingdom of God
O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, help us to take confident assurance and peaceful rest and active participation in your faithfulness! Let us so faithfully dwell on your Word, your promises to us, that we find it defining reality more than our senses. Let our experience not be counted true until it lines up with Your Word, for You are the truth. Let us sing, believe and take to heart the great hymn of old:
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.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Amen!
Footnotes
1 Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy: the Attributes of God, Their Meaning in the Christian Life. New York: Harper & Row, 1961. 78-79. Print.
References
All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.
Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy: the Attributes of God, Their Meaning in the Christian Life. New York: Harper & Row, 1961. Print.
