There is something winsome and beautiful about the word “faithful”! “Faithfulness,” also known as dependability or reliability, is one of the most sought after and admired characteristics known to man. All desire it in their mates, their teachers, their friends and other relationships. Treason is nothing more than unfaithfulness to one’s country. Failure in faithfulness brings all kinds of disappointment, hurt and sorrow to people every day. However, there is a Being in our universe that will never be unfaithful to His people. Even if people become unfaithful to Him, He is still always faithful to them, and He is there awaiting their return to His love and protection – that Being is, of course, our God.
God is faithful in calling people to Himself through His Son, Jesus the Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul wrote, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” From the Day of Pentecost to the present, God has continually called men to Himself by the telling of the rich story of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Paul told these same people that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus make up the fundamentals of the Gospel of Christ. The old, old story of salvation from sin and the giving of a hope of heaven will continue to be told as long as the world stands, for the Lord commissioned it (Matthew 28:18-19). This calling will never cease as long as time exists.
God is faithful, dependable – unswerving in aiding Christians when we are faced with the vicissitudes of temptations, trials and tribulations of this life. These all test our mettle, so to speak, and God is there to see that the metal does not fail under stress. To the Corinthians, Paul wrote a statement of comfort and consolation: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Trial, testing, tribulation and the desire to sin are common to the human race, and Christians are no exceptions. However, the Christian has a deep desire to triumph over all these, but frequently he does not have the strength. He should never lose hope or feel abandoned for the Holy Spirit declared that God will always be there through every temptation of whatever nature and make a way of escape that we may be able to bear it, or bear up under it. He is faithful to do so, but not miraculously. His aid is in His Word. When due to the duress of the stresses of life, the Christian falls prey to sin, or the desire to abandon God – He is there. John recorded, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We need never fear that God will abandon us when we sin. If we will admit to those sins, God is there to forgive and cleanse His penitent child. Oh, the blessings that flow from our faithful Father!
