God’s faithfulness to His people is yet another amazing fact that is portrayed in the Scriptures. To gain a clear understanding of its absurdity, by human standards, one must delve first into what is said about man. Man is not depicted in a wonderful light in the Scriptures. Instead, from the very beginning of man’s creation, he has needed a Savior and has needed God’s grace. The picture is rather pathetic, really.
Verses in Scripture relate man to a dog who returns to its vomit. In Genesis 3, one can read about the curse that was laid upon man because of the sin of Adam. In Genesis chapter 6, God looked into the heart of man and saw this: “…that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…” (Gen. 6:5). Later in the Bible, He raised up a people known as the Israelites who time and time again turned to idols. Multiple Scriptures depict all of mankind as being unfaithful to God.
Romans chapter 3 is quite possibly the greatest display of the depraved state that man finds himself in. Paul speaks of nobody being good, he tells of the way that nobody seeks after God, and he mentions the fact that nobody is righteous. It is important to grasp that all of this is a full frontal assault against the majesty of God and a relationship with Him.
It is when this backdrop is presented that good news takes shape. When one does not understand the nature of man, the good news of the Gospel will not make sense. Rather, you will find a person saying, “I believe that I will go to heaven because I am a good person.” The same is true for the faithfulness of God. Without a proper understanding of the nature of man, the faithfulness of God is not seen in a magnificent light. When placed up against the unfaithfulness of man, the faithfulness of God is astounding.
Nevertheless, God’s faithfulness can be seen in a number of ways. The following are six ways you can see God’s faithfulness with your own eyes.
- God’s faithfulness is seen in His covenants
God is depicted in the Scriptures as a God Who keeps His covenants with His people. In Deuteronomy 7:9, the people are reminded of the covenant that God has made with His people. In this portion of Scripture, both God’s faithfulness and God’s mercy are on display in the carrying out of His promises.
In the Mosaic covenant, there were stipulations for the people to follow to uphold their end of the covenant. God never failed His people, but rather, through all of their backsliding, He stuck with them. He did discipline them at times, but His discipline was always restorative.
He even came to a point in His relationship with His people when He promised a new covenant. This covenant would involve a transformation of the heart. The Mosaic covenant was an external covenant. In the New Covenant, God created an internal covenant.
God never gave up on His people but rather remained faithful to His covenants by bringing about the New.
- God’s faithfulness is seen in His promises
God has made numerous promises in the Bible. In Hebrews 10:23, we are again reminded that God is the One Who has made the promises in His Word, and He is faithful. God will not turn His back on His people, and God will not turn His back on His Word. God cannot lie. His nature will not allow it. His holiness is enduring and unchanging.
When God says He will do something, He will do it. You can be sure that God will be faithful to you through His promises. As you read the Bible, it is important to note that some of His promises contain “if… then…” statements. God says often that “if” the Christian does something, “then” God will do something. Not all of the promises in the Bible include the effort of man. However, you can be sure that when God tells you He will do something, He will surely do it.
- God’s faithfulness is seen in times of suffering
It is hard to understand how God’s faithfulness can be seen in times of affliction. The reason for this is that man does not have the knowledge that God does. Due to a lack of knowledge, times of affliction are often seen as bad, and often God is the target of hatred as a result.
But maybe an illustration at this point can help. Let’s say a mother and father are playing with a large ball in the yard with their child. As they are playing, the child kicks the ball into the road. At the same time, a truck comes racing down the same road. The child goes running to get the ball. However, at the same time, the parents shield their child. The truck flattens and pops the ball under its tires and continues on down the road. The child sees his ball, and he gets angry at his parents as the pain he begins to experience intensifies. All he can see and know is that he lost his ball, he could have gotten it, and his parents didn’t let him.
The issue the child is facing is that he does not have the knowledge his parents have. If the child did, he most likely would have reacted differently.
God is all wise, and the Scriptures tell us in Psalm 119:75 that God is faithful in afflicting the saints.
- God’s faithfulness is seen in His helping hand
God is an always and ever-present help during times of trouble. He never leaves His children alone but rather fights with them and for them. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul lays out one of the most informative verses of Scripture dealing with temptation. In it, he tells of the way that all people are tempted at times. He also says that there will never be a temptation that is too great for the Christian to endure. He then tells us one of the reasons. He says that in each and every temptation, God provides the way out. Paul tells us why God does that: God is faithful.
- God’s faithfulness is seen in the life of Christians
God is faithful to His children. The fact that He is the Father demands it. By taking the role of Father in the life of the believer, He is assuming the responsibility of what it means to be a Father as well. A good Father is a faithful Father. In 1 John 5:18, John speaks of God as establishing the Christian and guarding him from the evil one. Yet again, this ministry of God to the Christian is said to be grounded in God’s faithfulness.
- God’s faithfulness is seen in His forgiveness
Finally, there can be no greater place to witness the faithfulness of God than the cross itself. All of God’s attributes are magnificently displayed in the crucified Christ. God’s love is poured out for His people through the cross. Justice has been served through the cross. Mercy and grace are displayed for all to see. Patience and longsuffering have found their hero. The jealous God reveals His jealousy as He crucifies His Son to retrieve His people, and His faithfulness echoes throughout the land as the ground began to shake and the veil was torn in two.
God is faithful, and in 1 John 1:9, we are reminded that if a sinner confesses His sin to God, then God, Who is faithful, will forgive the sinner of his sins. Turn to God today and watch how He will abundantly pardon your sin. This is not because you have been faithful to God, but rather because He has been faithful to you.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the way that You have remained faithful to me through my sin. Help me to cherish my relationship with You more and to appreciate Your faithfulness to me. I notice that there are times when I take Your faithfulness for granted. Teach me Your ways, O God, and forgive me for my sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.