Would you turn to 1 Corinthians
1. Verse 9. God is faithful. By whom you were called under
the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that you
are faithful to all that you are in your glorious person. Now, we ask in Christ's name
that you would be pleased to make yourself known to us. May we be found in Christ, may
our sins be put away through what he did. Will you exalt him
in our midst? In Christ's name we pray, amen. Is this on? Okay. There is no higher privilege
than to be called by God into fellowship with his son. Amen. What a blessing. I am astounded
at thinking about that. God calling me into fellowship
with his son. And the reason given for why
we are called into fellowship with his son is his faithfulness. God is faithful. Faithfulness is an attribute
of God. He always acts according to his
nature. He's utterly predictable in that
sense. He always acts according to his
nature. Now, I said this a couple of
weeks ago. I've heard people say on numerous occasions, I
don't want to put God in a box. And I want to be careful, but
that is a very stupid thing to say. You're not going to be able
to put God in a box. God's infinite, but he is utterly
predictable in being faithful to who he is, being faithful
to all of his excellent attributes. He's always holy. He's always
omnipotent. He's always sovereign. He's always
just. He's always good. He's always
faithful. God is faithful. He's never contrary to who he
is. Psalm 33, four says, all thy
works are done in faithfulness. I'm so thankful that the Lord's
faithful to who he is. All of our hope is bound in his
faithfulness, his truth, his attributes. In Revelation 1, Christ is called
the true and faithful witness. And when John sees him in Revelation
19 on the white horse, he's called faithful and true. When we read of the sure mercies
of David, that word sure is the same word that is translated
faithful, the faithful mercies of David. I think of what we read in second Samuel chapter
23, verse five, where David says, speaking of these sure mercies,
although my house be not so with God. I understand that, don't you?
He's talking about his family. He's talking about this house.
Although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me
an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure. This is all my salvation. and
all my desire. This is the faithfulness of God. Turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter
7. Deuteronomy chapter 7. Verse
1. When the Lord thy God shall bring
thee into the land, whither thou goest to possess it, and has
cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites and the Girgashites
and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites
and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou. The Lord made a difference between
Israel and these nations, didn't he? Verse two, and when the Lord
thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them and
utterly destroy them, Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor
show mercy unto them. Now, that is to be our attitude
toward man's religion. No covenant, no nothing. That's what he said about these
people, and here's how come. Neither shalt thou make marriages
with them, thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son,
nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. They will turn
away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods.
So will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy
thee suddenly. But thus shall you deal with
them. You should destroy their altars, break down their images,
cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy
God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all
the people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did
not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were
more in number than any people. For you were the fewest of all
people, but because the Lord loved you." Why did the Lord
love you? Because he loved you. No other
reasons needed. Because he would keep the oath
which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought
you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house
of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know
therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God. What? The faithful God. This is why
he does this. He's the faithful God which keepeth
covenant mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments
to a thousand generations. Now turn to 1 John chapter one.
I think this passage of scripture gives us some understanding of
what God's faithfulness means. Verse nine, if we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. Now, this is so important. If
we confess our sins, what does it mean to confess your sins?
Does it mean to just articulate them? And you say, well, I'm
guilty of committing this one and I'm guilty of committing
that one. Well, I'm sure that's involved, but the word confession
means agreement. When people talk about a confession
of faith, it's what we're all agreed on, what we believe the
Bible teaches. I don't like confessions of faith, since the Bibles are
confession of faith. I don't need anything else. But
when people make those confessions, the word means agreement. Now,
if I confess my sins, what I'm doing is agreeing with what God
says concerning my sin. It's taking sides with God against
myself. That's what the confession of
sin is. It's agreeing with God. When I agree with God, you know
when it says with thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus? Well, you're agreeing with what
God thinks concerning His Son. He's the Lord Jesus, and you
say amen. You're at agreement with what
God says. Now, if we confess our sins,
it doesn't say He's merciful and gracious to forgive us of
our sins. Now, if it said that, that would
be true, wouldn't it? We wouldn't disagree with that in any way.
He is merciful and gracious to forgive us of our sins. But notice
it doesn't say that. It says he is faithful and he's
just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Now, what's that mean? If I confess my sins, you know
why I confess my sins? God determined that that's what
I would do before time began. He determined that for me. If
you confess your sin, If you agree with what God says with
regard to your sin, the reason you're doing it is because He
determined for you to do just that. And when you do it, it's
because He's faithful to what He determined. Your confession
of sins, you can't pat yourself on the back and think, well,
I'm different from other people. God determined for you to do
it. Not only is He faithful to cause you to confess your sins,
He's just. Now what that's talking about
is justification. You know the reason you're forgiven is because
God in justice justified you. And you stand before God without
guilt, perfect in His sight because of the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's faithful and just. Justice demands your forgiveness. Your sins have been put away.
There's nothing there. You stand perfect before God
without sin. Justice demands your forgiveness. Now isn't that glorious with
regard to His faithfulness? He is faithful. He is just. to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He's faithful to what to do,
what he determined before to be done. Think of this, Christ
is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
So all of this was accomplished before time began and God is
always faithful to cause to take place what he determined to take
place. He's utterly faithful. He's the faithful God. David said, In Psalm 119, verse
75, I know, O Lord, thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness
has afflicted me. Now, David said this about himself,
I realize that. Aren't you thankful for the Lord's
chasing hand? Now, I'm not saying you enjoy
being chasen, nobody does, but the scriptures are whom the Lord
loveth, he chaseth. And he scourges every son he
receives. And I want his chastening hand
in that sense. But this is. First of all, the
Lord Jesus Christ speaking, saying, I know in faithfulness, because
you're faithful to your character, in faithfulness you've afflicted
me. He's talking about his work on
the cross. When he knew he was suffering God's wrath, he knew
it was the faithfulness of God, faithfulness to his character,
that was causing him to be afflicted. As a sinner's substitute, Christ
deserved that affliction. Now turn with me to Lamentations
chapter 3, that's right after Jeremiah. This is probably a
scripture you're familiar with. Beginning in verse 22. Now the next time you read the
book of Lamentations, read it as Christ speaking. Yes, it's
Jeremiah speaking, but you know, when he says, you know, I am
the man that has seen affliction, who's that? That's the Lord Jesus.
He's seen it much infinitely more than you have. Behold, uh,
me, you know, in, in, uh, let me show you this. Look in Lamentations
one, before we look at chapter three. Verse 12, is it nothing to you
all ye that pass by, behold and see, if there be any sorrow like
unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith
the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
Now, is there any doubt who's speaking there? That's Christ
Jesus, the Lord. He's speaking in every verse,
but it's also Jeremiah. Look what Jeremiah says in verse
22 of chapter three. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. That's where that hymn comes
from, this verse of scripture. Great is thy faithfulness. Now, there's one reason why you
and I have not been consumed. Because his compassions fail
not. He said, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed. And what a blessed reminder this
is. It's great is thy faithfulness. His faithfulness is to Himself,
and that is the reason why somebody like me and you are saved. His
faithfulness is to Himself. He determined the salvation of
all of His people for His glory, and He's always faithful to Himself. Now, the reason for the security
of the believer is founded in the attributes of God. his sovereignty,
his justice, his power, his faithfulness. That's why I'm not consumed. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
1. I want you to look at these passages of scripture with me.
2 Corinthians chapter 1. Verse 18, but as our God is true,
now that word true is the same word that translated faithful,
same word. I mean, faithfulness means true,
but you could just as easily translate that with this word
we've been using as our God is faithful. Our word toward you
was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and
Demothis, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea, for all of
the promises of God in him are yea, and in him, amen, unto the
glory of God by us. Is salvation by grace? Yes, yea. But nay, if you don't accept
it, you won't be saved. That's called yay and nay preaching. The blood of Christ. Is it enough? Yes, it is. But if you don't
ask him into your heart, he won't be. He can die for you and you
might end up going to hell anyway. That's yea and nay preaching. There's nothing to that, but
thank God as God is true, as God is faithful, our word toward
you is not yea and nay. Does grace really save? Yes.
Nothing needs to be added. Is the blood of Christ a sufficient
sin payment? Yes. If he died for you, you
must be saved. You can't be anything but saved
if he died for you. as God is faithful. See, His
faithfulness takes away yea, nay preaching. Yea, nay preaching
is a declaration that He's not really faithful. You can't really
count on what He says. But thank God He is utterly faithful. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. My fingers aren't working very
well. Hebrews chapter 2, beginning verse 16. For verily, he took
not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of
Abraham. Wherefore, in all things, it
behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and a faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
Now, he was made like unto his brethren. I'm flesh, he was made
flesh. I'm sin, he was made sin. In all things, And I don't understand
this when I'm talking about this. Every time I say something like
this, it blows me away. I know I don't understand this.
Even talking about him being made sin. I know he was made
sin, but what all that means, I don't know. I'm just amazed
by it. But in all things, he was made like unto his brethren.
He was made flesh. He kept the law perfectly in
the flesh. He was made sin. I'm sin. My sin became his sin. He was
in all things made like unto his brethren that he might be
a merciful and faithful high priest. Why is he faithful to
continue to be your priest when you continue to sin against him,
when I continue to sin against him? Why is he faithful? Why is he? Well, because he was
in all things making like and us and he can be a merciful and
a faithful high priest, always representing your interest before
the father. Always. There's no time when
he's not because he's a merciful and a faithful high priest. Turn
with me to second Thessalonians or second Timothy chapter two. This is a part of that hymn of
verses 11 through 13. Look in verse 11, it's a faithful
saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with
him. Now that, if Christ died for you, you will live with him.
That's for sure. If we suffer, we shall also reign
with him. If we deny him, he will deny
us. If we believe not, yet he abideth
faithful. He cannot deny himself if we
believe not. The example I thought of was
Peter. Peter did not believe he was saved. Now, he never stopped
believing that Christ was the Savior. The Lord prayed for him,
remember? He prayed for him that his faith
fail not. So his faith didn't fail. He continued to believe
that Christ was the Savior, but I guarantee you, after his fall,
he didn't believe he was saved. He thought the Lord had cut him
off. He thought, well, I've denied him. He's going to deny me. Anybody
that's not been there, if we believe not, as far as that goes,
there's never a time when we don't believe in the sense that
the old nature never believes. I believe. I do. I believe right
now, I believe the gospel. I'm resting on Christ. Help thou
mine unbelief. That's our cry. Verse 13, if
we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. And if I'm united to the Lord
Jesus Christ, And every believer is eternally. If I'm united to
the Lord Jesus Christ, for him to deny me would be for him to
deny himself. That's not going to happen. He's
not going to deny himself. Oh, he's so faithful to himself.
I mean, he's I love to think of the Lord's faithfulness to
himself. And because of that, he's not going to deny any believer. He's going to own my name before
his father. Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5. Now this is what Walter Groover
said to me, and this kind of makes this special. He said,
this is my favorite scripture in the Bible. 1 Thessalonians
5, verse 24. Faithful is he that calleth you,
who also will do it. Now, he told them in this chapter
all kinds of things they needed to do. Does the Bible tell us
to do stuff? Yes, it does. There's all kinds
of exhortations to obedience and to do. Look in verse 16. Here's a command. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything
give thanks. Whatever takes place, for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Whatever
it is, it's God's will. Isn't that wonderful to know
that? Whatever it is, it's God's will. There's nothing outside
of his control. Give thanks. Quench not the spirit. Despise
not prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast that
which is good. Abstain from all appearance of
evil. and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray
God, your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth
you, who also will do it. Everything God commands of you,
he's faithful to make sure you do it. It's not up to you. He is faithful to make sure you
do it. Everything He requires of you,
He provides for you, and He's faithful to cause you to do it. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith. Now the word faith, I don't know
why the translators translated that because it's the word that's
generally translated hope. Let us hold fast. Don't let go. of the confession
of our hope. Now, what is our hope? Our hope is that when he said,
it is finished, my salvation was accomplished. Is that your
hope? That's the only hope I have.
But what a hope it is. When I'm saying it's the only
hope I have, it's like, well, this is all of God. No, this
is everything. This is everything. This is a glorious hope. It is
finished. Now you hold on to that fast. Don't let that go. Hold on to
this confession. And that's the profession or
confession, it's the same word. This is what every believer agrees
on. Our believer in this room, you
agree, my hope, My personal hope of being saved is that when he
said it is finished, my salvation was accomplished. Is that your
hope? That's the confession of every believer. Let us hold fast
the confession of our faith or hope without wavering, without
going back and forth. And what's it say next? Here's
why. For he is faithful. That promised. Now when he said
it is finished, it was finished. It was finished. He's faithful. He never goes back on that. Aren't
you thankful for the faithfulness of our God? Aren't you thankful
for the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ? He is faithful
that promised. And I think of old Abraham. It
said regarding Abraham, in Romans chapter four that he was fully
persuaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform. You know what? I am too. I'm
fully persuaded that whatever God has promised, he is able
also to perform. We're persuaded in the ability
of God, aren't we? Are you persuaded that he's able
to make you perfect before him right now through what Christ
did on the cross? He is faithful. I'm so thankful for the faithfulness
of God, the Father, the faithfulness of Christ to his Father, to his
people, the faithfulness of God the Spirit, to do what God the
Father determined for Him to do in the covenant, to give life
to every one of His people, to grant them faith and repentance.
Thank the Lord for our faithful God. God is faithful who has
called you into the fellowship of His Son. That's what we're
going to consider next week, being called into the fellowship
of the Lord Jesus Christ.