Exploring the Character of God: The Faithfulness of God

Imagine having a friend who never breaks a promise, who's unchanging and consistent in their actions. Now, magnify that image infinite times and you get God's faithfulness. This episode is a deep dive into the understanding of God's unwavering faithfulness, drawn from theological text, biblical passages, and personal reflections. 

Resources 
The Attributes of God: A Journey into the Father’s Heart, vol. 1& 2 by A. W. Tozer
The Nature of God by A.W. Pink
Systematic Theology 2nd edition by  Wayne Grudem  
Christian Theology  by Millard J. Erickson  

Do you want to learn how to study the Bible? Check out the YouTube channel Faithfullyliven youtube.com/@faithfullyliven

Do you want to read about how to live faithfully? Check out the blog http://lyfe102.org

Get a free Road Map to get started learning how to study the Bible https://mailchi.mp/88f9c9405da0/bible-study-road-map

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to Fatefully Living, the podcast where we learn how to live for Christ in our daily lives.

Speaker 1: 0:11

I am Dawn, your host, and I would like to invite you on a journey with me to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. In a world filled with uncertainty and change, the concept of faithfulness takes a profound significance that holds a special place in our hearts. As humans, we learn for something or someone we can rely on, something that remains constant among life's trials and tribulations. In this episode we will explore the faithfulness of God, a timeless and reassuring concept of his divine nature and character that has provided soulless hope and strength to countless individuals throughout history. So how do we frame or define the faithfulness of God? Wayne Grunham, in his systematic theology text, says God's faithfulness means that God will always do what he says and fulfill what he has promised. Deuteronomy 7.9 says Know, therefore, that the Lord, thy God, he is God, the faithful God. So faithfulness is the very essence of who God is, his being. If he was unfaithful, it would be uncountry to his nature. Without faithfulness he would not be God. I like the passage from AW Pink. He says in his book the Nature of God Everything about God is great, fast, incomparable. He never forgets, he never fails, never falters, never forfeits his word. To every declaration of promise or prophecy God has exactly adhered Every engagement of covenant are threatening. He will make good. Mila Erickson, in his book Christian Theology, says If God's genuineness is a matter of his being true and veracity is his telling of the truth, then his faithfulness means that he proves true. God keeps all of his promises. Because of his unlimited power and capacity, he could never commit himself to do something of which he would eventually prove incapable. So this means that the faithfulness of God is a guarantee that he will not be inconsistent with his own character or nature.

Speaker 1: 3:02

A W Tozer helps us to understand a little bit better about the faithfulness of God. He says God is never out of date. He will never cease to be what he is and who he is. Everything God says or does must be in accordance with his faithfulness. He will always be true to himself, to his works and to his creation. God is his own standard. He imitates nobody and is influenced by nobody. You can't influence God one way or the other. God imitates no one. He is never forced to act out of character. Nothing can force God to act otherwise than faithfully to himself and to us. No person, no circumstance, nothing. The faithfulness of God guarantees that God will never cease to be who and what he is, just as he is immutable, meaning God can't change. Guarantees that God's faithfulness also secures it, because God can never cease to be who he is and what he is.

Speaker 1: 4:12

Erickson continues with this is the kind of God we're serving. All that God says or does must align with all of his attributes, including his attribute of faithfulness. Every thought that God thinks, every word that God speaks, every act of God must accord with his faithfulness, wisdom, goodness, justice, holiness, love, truth and all his other attributes. In an early episode we learned about God's immutability, meaning he's unchanging. So at the heart of the faithfulness of God lies a foundational truth God is unchanging. In a world where everything is subject to change, people are capricious. God's unchanging nature becomes a bat rock, a rock solid foundation upon which we can build our lives. The Bible declares this truth to us in the book of Malachi, where God declares I, the Lord, do not change, and that's in Malachi 3.6. This verse encapsulates the essence of God's faithfulness. It means that God's character, promises and love remain constant, regardless of the circumstances or challenges we might face.

Speaker 1: 5:55

Have you struggled with studying and understanding the Bible? Do you wish you could get some help? Well, go, check out the Faithfully Living YouTube channel. There is a library of videos to help you learn how to study and understand the Bible better. There are videos on various topics, such as Bible study tools and how to use them, understand context and more. You can find a link to the channel in the show notes. Happy studying.

Speaker 1: 6:37

Scripture is filled with illustrations of God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. God's faithfulness is vividly displayed and we can find these countless examples of God making promises to people and faithfully keeping those promises. So remember the covenant that God made with Abraham, promising him descendants to be numerous as the stars of the sky. And despite Abraham's initial doubts, the passage of time there was a long length of time, I want to say almost like 25 years that Abraham had to wait to see the promise of God giving him a son, isaac, and at that time, when Isaac was born, it marked the beginning of a lineage that will lead ultimately to the birth of Jesus Christ. We can also see promises God made to the children of Israel. He promised to free them from Egypt. He led them out of Egypt to the promised land and again and again we see God's faithfulness shown in their lives as he guided them through the Red Sea, he provided manna in the wilderness and then, ultimately, he brought them to the promised land.

Speaker 1: 8:07

So, as we look at the faithfulness of God, the ultimate expression of faithfulness can be found in Jesus Christ. The fall told us in Genesis 3 finds that finds a separated from God because of our sin, and God promised a redeemer to pay the penalty of sin for us. So this is a profound example of seeing the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us. In the New Testament we learn that God sent his son to the world to save humanity from sin and death. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus serves as a testament of God's unwavering commitment to his promise to us for salvation and redemption. So, jesus Christ, we see the extraordinary lens in which God was willing to demonstrate his faithfulness. He did not abandon us as humanity, but provided a way of reconciliation and eternal life.

Speaker 1: 9:17

The faithfulness of God is beautifully encapsulated in Hebrews 13.8, where it says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Because of Christ, god promises forgiveness for us, and John 1.9 says if we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God has promised us forgiveness because he is faithful to keep his promises. We can trust him that he will keep his word. God has promised, and he has provided and promised a way for us to be righteous to Jesus Christ, and that's a promise he has kept.

Speaker 1: 10:14

You know, one of the things that I love about resting in the attributes of God is that I have found hope in comfort in learning about the attributes of God in hard times. Now, in this world, which is often characterized by uncertainty, turmoil, the faithfulness of God emerges as an unashakeable source of hope and comfort. Now, understanding God's faithfulness allows us to place our trust in Him confidently, knowing that His promises will be kept and His love for us will remain unwavering. So while living on this earth, we're always going to face trial, struggles, temptation, but God is faithful to help us along the way. So let's talk about some ways in which we can find hope and comfort in the faithfulness of God.

Speaker 1: 11:12

First, we should strive to have steadfast trust in God. We can confidently place our trust in God, fully aware that His promises will be faithfully upheld and His love for us will never change. I like the word confidently, because there are not many things that I can say that I can be confident in, but I know like no, no, really know that God is good and that he will never let a promise go unfulfilled. Next, we have peace in uncertain times and strength in adversity. Now, when we have times of anxiety and uncertainty, we have temptations. We can find solace in the knowledge that God remains in control and is working all things for our ultimate good.

Speaker 1: 12:11

Romans 8, 26 to 28 provides hope and a promise. It says, and the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words, and the Father, who knows all hearts, knows that. The Spirit knows what the Spirit is saying For the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will, and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them, even when we are tempted.

Speaker 1: 12:52

1 Corinthians, 10, 3, 13 tells us, the temptation in our life are no different from what others experienced. And God is faithful, you will always allow the temptation. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure. And then, lastly, we can have renewed hope in God's faithfulness. Now, even in the darkest, most bleak of circumstances, god offers us hope for a brighter future, if not in this life, then in the one to come. This is the one that gives me the most comfort, because if you're a follower of Christ, you know that in this sinful world it is only our temporary residence, and thank you, jesus, for that. No, we're just passing through to a better place.

Speaker 1: 13:49

Awp says the sooner we trustfully resign ourselves and all our affairs into God's hands, fully persuaded of His love and faithfulness, the sooner we will be satisfied with His providence. And relies with Fanny Crosby that he doth all things well. I also like this poem by AW Tozer I like to share with you. He says Father, help us to believe, forgive us for doubting, take away our unbelief, our indifference, our slowness to believe. Help us now to put our trust in Thee and throw our sales upon Thee, with all the trust of a child in the hands of His Father, may we now trust Thee. We pray now for the discourage for the sinner, for the Christian who has failed Thee, for those who are on the borderline of despair and who are living under circumstances that are very hard to bear. Thou, o God, art faithful and will not allow us to fail. Thou will keep us and hold us up in blessings. Now, greatly lift us and help us. Do Christ, our Lord, amen. Alright. So let me end with this.

Speaker 1: 15:21

Many times when I'm alone and thinking, my thoughts often wander and drift to situations in how God has worked in my life and the small things that sometimes I let slip by, that I don't notice. I realize later that God has a faithful hand in my life. And this is the same way that Thomas O Chisholm felt. He was not rich. He did not have a high school diploma or advanced degree or training. He became a school teacher at the age of 16,. He had multiple jobs as a school teacher, associate, editor of a newspaper, business manager, pastor, a life insurance agent, all the while battling for health. In doing his life he worked more than 12,000, 12,000 homes.

Speaker 1: 16:19

In a letter dated 1941, mr Chisholm wrote my income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years, which has followed me on until now, although I must not fail in record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant keeping God and he has given me many wonderful displays of his providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness there was every, throughout his every day.

Speaker 1: 17:00

Mr Chisholm recognized God's faithfulness in his life, so he penned these familiar words Great is thy faithfulness, o God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changes not thy compassionstay. Fail not as thou hath been, thou forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, in mercy's eye-seat, all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, lord unto me. So, regardless of where our journey leads us, we can rest assured that the faithful God who has guided generations before us will continue to lead us forward with steadfast love and grace. Thanks for listening to this episode and remember God is always good and he is always faithful. Thank you for listening to the podcast. Do me a favor by following the podcast and leaving a review to help spread the word. I look forward to hearing from you.