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Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:22-25
Recently
I happened to catch a few minutes of a national radio talk show hosted by
a man whose name I did not catch. Judging
from some of his comments, he happens to come from the liberal side of
the political spectrum. He
began by discussing various political figures everyone from Bill and
Hillary to the previous conservative leader Newt Gingrich, as he did he
would also reveal something about them that was scandalous. He would then ask "Is there anyone
out there who is what he claims to be?". His point was that you really couldn't
trust anyone…that everyone gave off an image which was less than
authentic, much less one that you could trust.
And
so my question for you this morning
"Is there anyone out there who is what he claims to be?"
I'd like to suggest one name you can trust-Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 he said, "I am
the truth." In John 18:37 he told Pilate, "I came into the world, to testify
to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
The
Bible contains several words for truth, the most important one being the
Hebrew word emet, which means
stability, firmness, or certainty. We get the English word
"amen" from the Hebrew emet.
Every time we say amen we are really saying, "It is certain" or
"Yes, it is absolutely true."
Therefore,
to say "God is true" is the same as saying "God is
faithful."
Here's a simple definition. God's faithfulness means that because
he is the truth, everything he says and does is certain. That means
he is 100% reliable 100% of the time. He
does not fail, forget, falter, change or disappoint. He says what he
means and means what he says and therefore does everything he says he
will do.
II. Looking at the Central Passages
Let's
look for a moment at some of the key verses regarding God's faithfulness:
God's
faithfulness is a major theme of Psalm 89, which I read as our call to
worship. It tells us that God's faithfulness flows from his character,
that heaven is the ultimate display of God's faithfulness, and that he
will never betray his Word under any circumstances.
Exodus 34:6 -- He
is "abounding in love and faithfulness."
Deuteronomy
32:4 -- He is a "a faithful God."
Numbers 23:19 -- "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?"
1
Corinthians 1:9 -- "God … is faithful."
1
Corinthians 10:13 --
"And God is faithful."
1 John
1:9 -- "He is faithful."
To say that God is faithful goes to
the core of who God really is. He keeps his word because if he
didn't, he wouldn't be God!
Seven Facts About
God's Faithfulness Consider the
following facts:
1. His word is
eternal. "Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the
heavens" (Psalm 119:89).
2. God
is as faithful today as he was yesterday. "Your faithfulness
continues through all generations" (Psalm 119:90).
3. He
is reliable in all his works. "The works of his hands are
faithful and just" (Psalm 111:7).
4. He
is faithful even when we are not. "If we are faithless, he will
remain faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13).
5. Our
salvation depends on God's faithfulness. "Being confident of
this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).
6. Our
sanctification depends on his faithfulness. "The one who calls
you is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thessalonians
5:24).
7. Our
future resurrection depends on God's faithfulness. "We believe
that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with
Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him" (1
Thessalonians 4:14).
If God were not faithful, we could not be saved,
would not dare to pray, would have no sure hope for the future, and would
go down to death in desperate fear wondering if God will keep his
promises. But
we live in faith and die in hope precisely because our God is
faithful.
Let
me share five specific areas of application of this biblical truth.
A. When you are
discouraged, remember God's faithfulness.
Do you
remember the story of David and Goliath? When Saul asked David why he
thought he could slay the giant, the young boy replied with a story about
God's faithfulness. He recalled
God's faithfulness during his days as a shepherd and that faithfulness
gave him courage to believe God would deliver once again. "The
Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear
will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37). David simply extrapolated
from the past to the future on the basis of God's unchanging character.
He knew God could deliver him in this situation because he had done it so
many times in the past.
When you are discouraged,
remember God's faithfulness. Quote the great promises. Remember how God has
answered your prayers. Reflect on his mighty deeds. Consider who it is
who fights for you. Then pick up five smooth stones and get ready to
defeat the giant.
B. When you doubt
your salvation, remember God's faithfulness.
Many
Christians secretly doubt their salvation because they do not feel like
they are good enough Christians to get into heaven. But getting to heaven has nothing to do with being "good
enough" since none of us ever qualifies. In John 10:28 Jesus said of his followers, "I
give them eternal life." And in 1 John 5:13 we are told that "you
may know that you have eternal life." God wants you to
know that you are saved. The Bible doesn't say "that you may hope
you have eternal life" or "that you may wish you have
eternal life." No! The Bible says you can know you are going to
heaven.
To the unsaved that sounds
presumptuous and event too many Christians. But it's true. If you know
Jesus Christ, you are certain of going to heaven.
When
you are tempted to doubt your salvation, remember God's faithfulness.
Consider his promises. Contemplate the Cross. Gaze upon the dying form of
the Son of God. Think of all he did for you. Then recall the moment that
you trusted Christ as Savior. Let
the facts of the gospel be your strength and then rest your weary soul
upon the Rock of Ages.
C. When you are
tempted to sin, remember God's faithfulness.
Here
are two wonderful verses to remember in the moment of temptation:
"But the
Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil
one" (2
Thessalonians 3:3).
"No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But
when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can
stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
In
both cases God's faithfulness is tied directly into the temptations of
life that trouble you. Notice also
that it is not God's purpose to deliver you from temptation, but it is
his purpose to give you the strength you need to stand up against satanic
attack. Just as Jesus had to endure temptation, so will we. But just
as he resisted and triumphed, so may we. God will give you whatever you
need in the moment of fierce attack.
Remember to remain open to the Holy Spirit so
that we might see the "way of escape" in the midst of the
battle. But what if it's not
there? I think that when we get to
heaven, we'll discover that there were more than enough warning signs if
only we had heeded them.
D. When you have
made a mess of your life, remember God's faithfulness.
How
many times have we heard the blessed words of 1 John 1:9, "If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness." "He is
faithful." Those three words
guarantee God's forgiveness to his erring children.
Have
you made a mess of your life? Would you be ashamed for others to know
everything you have said, done and thought in the last seven days? Or the
last three months? Or the last five years? Who among us dares to say,
"I don't need God's forgiveness?" If you know yourself at all,
you know how much you sin and how desperately you stand in need of God's
mercy.
But
will it be there when you need it?
Thank God the answer is yes. But what if you have sinned too much?
What if God says, "I've had it with you?" The truth is, as long
as your heart is tender and open before the Lord, you can always be
forgiven. A broken and contrite heart, O Lord, you will not despise.
Think
about your life. Now think about
God's faithfulness. And then bring your faults and failures and
foolish ways to the Lord. Ask for his forgiveness. Then believe that you
have received it. And as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, go
and sin no more.
E. When you feel
unequal to your tasks, remember God's faithfulness.
Consider
Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful." What wonderful words
these are. All of us will face moments
sooner or later when we simply cannot find the strength to go on. Perhaps
we feel overwhelmed by circumstances or perhaps life begins to tumble in
around us. What do you do then?
Because
he is faithful, we can trust him even in the most desperate moments of
life. Jesus Christ is the answer to the question: Is there anyone who is
what he claims to be?
Sometimes
people ask me how I have the strength to keep believing in the midst of a
world filled with pain and suffering.
Today is a wonderful day to
answer that question, as we
prepare to celebrate the Lord's supper, because 2000 years ago Jesus
entered Jerusalem
for the final time. On Thursday he meet with his disciples in the
Upper Room to celebrate this meal, on Friday he died on the cross, and on
Easter Sunday morning he rose from the dead. Jesus suffered, was crucified and was
buried…but he arose on the third day. Death could not hold him… he conquered
sin and death. If these things are
true, then all else must be true. No wonder Jesus said to Thomas, "Stop
doubting and believe" (John 20:27).
If
you find yourself weak in faith, look to the cross. Ponder the Son of God
hanging on the cross. Gaze upon the empty tomb. Read again those ancient accounts
of Holy Week, of Good Friday, of Easter Sunday. Consider
what the Lord your God has done for you.
Think what this means. If God can raise the dead -….and he can-….and if
Jesus is alive-….and he is…-then why are you worried about
anything at all?
I'm asking you to trust the most trustworthy person
in the universe. May God help you to do it and to make your peace with him right
now. Amen.
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