We talk a lot about how we are to be faithful to God, but we haven’t said a much about Him being faithful to us. Faithfulness is an attribute of God. This daily devotional looks at how God is faithful to the covenant faithful for eternity.
Nuggets
- God requires us to choose to live the way that honors Him.
- We are to choose God because of Who He is, not what we gain from Him.
- We can choose God for eternity because He is faithful to us.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Finding Our Center series
In the last devotion, we looked at righteousness. We talked about it not being what Dykes said many look at it like: “… Man’s-righteousness-by-works …”
Resource
Instead, Dykes told us what it really is: “… God’s-righteousness-by-faith …”
But what about God’s faithfulness?
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Let's Put It into Context #2
Faith is the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives.
But that is our faithfulness. What about God’s faithfulness? God’s faithfulness is the constancy He displays in His interaction with mankind based on His character, name, and Word.
God Is Faithful to the Faithful
“Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands” (Deut. 7: 9 CSB)
God requires us to choose to live the way that honors Him.
Moses said that God is faithful — but there is a condition on it. We must do two things:
- Love Him
- Keep His laws and commandments — and anything else He tells us to do
It isn’t enough to just know of Him. It isn’t enough to just say we love Him.
We have to make a conscious decision to live our lives in the way He wants us to live.
No, it is perfectly fine that God puts a condition on it. Remember, mankind is the one who destroyed the first relationship. We bit when God said not to and Satan said go ahead.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Sin came into the world because Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They made a conscious decision to take a bite out of the fruit.
God wants to know that we’ve had a changed heart. He needs to know that we are submitting to Him.
Anything less, we would still be saying, like Adam and Eve, that we don’t have to listen to God. We would be implying that we are — at a minimum — His equal.
God is our Creator. He does not have to settle for anything less than our complete obedience.
Townson also stressed the importance of the words and word choice. He wrote, “For the latter words fix and ascertain the meaning of the former, and give us to understand that he who keepeth God’s commandments is he that loveth Him.”
Resource
We aren’t going to keep all of God’s commandments if we don’t love Him.
Townson also reminded us that God exhibits His grace in both what He allows and does not allow in His laws and commandments. His purposes are for our good (Rom. 8: 28).
To me, all this says is that God wants us to genuinely choose Him and His ways. He will reward His children.
God’s Faithfulness to His Covenant
“All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies” (Ps. 25: 10 ESV)
We are to choose God because of Who He is, not what we gain from Him.
This verse is a lot like the other one. It also has an if…then condition. It uses different words. Since I only found one sermon on the last verse, let’s see if we can do any better on this one.
Jeans wrote that God’s Word will be found congruent with itself and with events that transpire. We can believe what God says because it turns out that way.
Resource
If some people believe there is nothing in the Scriptures that pertain to them, they are wrong. The Bible tells us clearly what happens when we choose God and when we don’t.
The Bible is the guide for our daily walk. Walking is the term used to describe how we live our lives.
Those who have ABCDed have entered into a covenant with God. There used to be a covenant with Abraham, but Jesus’ covenant superseded that.
Glossary
Hodges had a good caution for us. He wrote, “The text seems, at first, to mean that the Lord is merciful and faithful to such as do His will. … It is certain, however, that they who work just to be rewarded by God will miss it altogether. The true reward is the approval of God, and they alone will gain it who think more of God than of themselves. This is the distinction made in New Testament between faith and works. … The Christian saint gives everything and asks nothing.”
That brings up attitude again, which we haven’t talked about in a while. Lately, we’ve been calling it motivation.
What flashed in my mind about some missing it all together was the verse in Matthew. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt. 7: 21 CSB).
We’ve got to love God because He is God. We have to love Him for His character — His attributes — not for the rewards.
Hodges went on to say that God is going to be merciful and true regardless of our obedience or disobedience. What we gain by obedience is understanding of His ways. He wrote, “They who keep the covenant and the testimonies of God have their eyes opened to know the purpose and motive of God’s acts.”
Resource
I can see that. God is going to be faithful because He is unchangeable. He can’t not be. So, the difference has to be in the reward.
God’s Faithfulness for Eternity
“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God” (Ps. 31: 5 ESV)
We can choose God for eternity because He is faithful to us.
This may be a verse in Psalms, but we are more familiar with the summary of it in the gospels. These are Jesus’ last words on the cross.
Think about that. The last thing Jesus said before He died was quoting scripture.
All of this tells us a lot. According to Matthew 1, there were 28 generations between David and Jesus. If one generation is 35 years, 28 is 980 years.
That is a long time to be faithful. But God is eternal, right? Less than one thousand years is a drop in the bucket.
Jesus and David are two different people. One was sinless. The other committed murderer and adultery. God was faithful to them both.
He will be faithful to us, too.
Bradley had a really good sermon that I needed to hear on this day. God is faithful, even when loved ones are facing death.
Resource
There are only two options when we die. Are we going to spend eternity with God or with Satan? We get to choose.
We know this because God has told us this — and He is faithful to His Word.
God has promised us that, when we genuinely submit to Him, He will save us and bring us home to Heaven. We can rely in that.
He loves us that much.
Making the Connections
Because of God’s righteousness — His purity in not sinning — we can be justified. Justification is the act through the merits of Christ that makes us free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
We get this justification through our faith that God will be faithful in giving it to us when we submit to Him. Tyson reminded us that this salvation is available to all who will ABCD.
Resource
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Jeans told us why all this is worth gaining this salvation. He wrote, “To the saved, every event, of whatsoever kind or magnitude it may be, or seem to be, is under the ordering of one sole guiding hand, and is a token of mercy and truth.”
Resource
Those of us who have ABCDed have our lives controlled by Someone Who loves us, treats us way better than we deserve to be treated, and never deviates from that love.
Think about the strength that gives us! The confidence!
What popped into my mind was God keeps His word. It is more than being unchangeable. That is He can’t do anything differently.
To me, being faithful is God doesn’t want to do things differently. He chooses to keep His word to us.
God loved us before the original sin. He still loves us after we sin. He chose not to judge us once and for all right then. That comes out of His faithfulness.
Glossary
How Do We Apply This?
To whom will you commit your spirit — God or Satan? Will you choose Him because He is Sovereign God or because you can get good stuff in the end?
We have to decide to follow the faithful God because of our love for Him — and then do it by obeying His laws and commandments.
Father God. You are faithful to us when we don’t deserve it. That is because of Your love and mercy. We choose to be Your children. That means we choose to follow Your laws and commandments because it will honor You and make us more like You. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.