The word faithful has a few different aspects to it. It means to trust and be devoted, as in a faithful follower of Christ. It means to be loyal and dependable, as in a faithful spouse or friend. It means to be responsible, as in someone who faithfully performs their duties. And it means to be trustworthy and consistent with the truth, as in a faithful reproduction of a portrait or a faithful retelling of a story.
These descriptions hint at the essence of God’s faithfulness, but they cannot fully describe it. God’s faithfulness is woven into His being, and He is absolutely faithful to Himself, which is what makes Him absolutely trustworthy to us.
God is unwaveringly committed to His glory. Because God is completely loyal to Himself, no one and nothing can ever influence Him to deviate from His own plan and purpose. He is the source of all truth, and His faithfulness is evidenced by His total adherence to that truth, which is Himself.
God doesn’t have to make false promises in order to please anyone, because He is only ever committed to His own pleasure. Everything He does is motivated by His own desires, and He is not influenced by or burdened with anyone or anything else’s desires. He has a plan, and His plan is all He is focused on.
God holds Himself responsible. His justice requires Him to always do the right thing, and His righteousness is the result of Him always doing the right thing. And because He is the source of all truth, and He is absolutely just and absolutely righteous, He is absolutely trustworthy and faithful in and of Himself.
If I was talking about anyone other than God, this would sound entirely selfish and egotistical. But because God is the highest form of goodness that exists, it would be foolish for Him to focus on anything other than Himself - just like it is foolish for us to love anyone or anything more than God. God is in the unique position where being selfish, and self-centered, and driven by His own desires, for Him, is the best thing that He can possibly do - not just for Him, but for us and all of His creation too.
If God is the source of goodness, and we are dependent on His goodness, and He started to desire and be driven by something that is less than good - less than Himself, then that would not go well for Him or for us because then He would no longer be the complete embodiment of goodness. So we should be really, really, really thankful that God is so absolutely committed to His own glory.
He keeps His promises - even to those who break their end of the deal with Him. He is absolutely consistent in His relationships and dealings with humanity. He is unchangingly true. And He is absolutely trustworthy - and actually the only one who can always be trusted.
I keep using words like absolutely, completely, entirely, etc… because that is how faithful and trustworthy God is. He is extremely, unwaveringly, unchangingly true, and right, and good, and trustworthy, and faithful. And He can only be so by focusing on Himself, and serving Himself, and pleasing Himself, and being motivated by His own desires, and working out His own plans, and building His own kingdom.
Have you ever seen a picture of a magnetic field, how the lines come out of one end of the magnet, circle around, and go back in the other end. I get this picture of God’s essence. Everything that comes out of Him goes right back around and feeds into everything He is. And He is eternally pouring out and everything He pours out is constantly coming back around and pouring into Himself. And it’s like we are riding on one of those lines that came out of Him and are on our way back into Him. And it’s not just a static picture, but it’s a vibrant, pulsating, energetic existence - like a never ending symphony of activity, and purpose, and joy, and love.
God’s faithfulness is ingrained in His essence. It is the continual activity of Him pouring out and receiving back - with pleasure, and purpose, and joyfulness, and love. And it’s such a beautiful thing that I sit here in awe, speechless, with a full heart, to the point of tears, just basking in His glory. God is so GOOD, and there is no one like Him!
God’s faithfulness means that you can trust Him. He is the only one who is not only willing to do what He says, but is perfectly able to do what He says. He wouldn’t promise something He would not or could not fulfill - in fact, He could not promise something that He would not fulfill. There can be no falseness in Him. And His ways are pure, and true, and just, so trusting in Him is not like trusting in anything else - He is the only one we can ever truly and completely trust.
Exodus 34:6 (NLT) The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NLT) Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
2 Samuel 7:28-29 (NLT) For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!”
Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Psalm 103:17 (NLT) But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children
Isaish 25:1 (NLT) O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
John 1:14 (NLT) So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT) If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.
Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT)Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NLT) But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 John 1:9 (NLT) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Corinthians 1:9 (NLT) God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Numbers 23:19 (NLT) God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT) He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.