Resting in the Faithfulness of God

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

I.         Introduction: How do you respond when your plans are frustrated, you feel abandoned by friends, and your prayers seem to go unanswered?

Some people give up and claim that God is not who He says He is, and others trust in the Lord, confident that He will see them through the tough times.

Because we tend to judge our situations based on how we feel, we can sometimes question whether or not God is faithful.

However, by understanding five of our Father’s key attributes, we can understand how we can find rest in Him at all times.

II. In life, our faith will be tested, which allows us each to grow in our walk with the Lord. This is why God provided many Scriptures to remind us that no matter how difficult our circumstances are. He will be faithful to see us through them.

A.        Some examples of this promise include:

Deuteronomy 7:9

Psalm 119:89-90

1 Thessalonians 5:24

2 Timothy 2:13

1 Peter 4:19

1 John 1:9

III.      There are five attributes that are necessary in order for God to be faithful. He must be. . .

A.        Omniscient. God can be faithful because He knows everything in the past, present, and future. He knows about our needs as well as our wants and desires. Our Father also knows our weaknesses and frailties. Because of this, He can always meet all our requests.

B.        Omnipotent. Likewise, God is able to accomplish anything because He is all-powerful. He controls all of our circumstances and can provide for us always.

C.        Omnipresent. God is also within reach for believers at all times. We will never find ourselves in a situation where He’s not present and able to come to our aid when we cry out to Him in prayer.

D.        Truthful. God’s character is also essential if we are to understand His faithfulness. The Father will never lie or misguide us (Titus 1:2). Also, He cannot deny Himself and will always remain true to His own nature (2 Tim. 2:13).

E.        Immutable. God never changes; His character is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Mal. 3:6). Thankfully this is the case because, if our Father could change who He is, everything would be uncertain. This is a great source of assurance for believers.

IV.       God makes two kinds of promises—Unconditional and Conditional.

A.        Many of God’s promises are unconditional, and nothing we can do will change them. For example, God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, and that is exactly what occurred. The same is true of the rainbow, which is a symbol of God’s promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood.

B.        Conditional promises, on the other hand, depend upon the choices that we make. Take the story of Jonah for example. God instructed him to preach the message of coming judgment to the people of Nineveh in order to bring them to repentance. His purpose was accomplished through His servant, and the punishment was prevented.

V.        There are many promises on which we can rely given to us in Scripture. For example:

A.        His compassions never fail (Lam. 3:22-23).

B.        He will empower us to do whatever He has called us to accomplish (1 Thes. 5:24).

C.        If we confess our sins, He’s faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9).

D.        God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13).

E.        He disciplines us in love and to draw us closer to Him (Ps. 119:75).

F.        God will meet all our needs if they are in His will (Matt. 6:33).

G.        All things work together for good for those who love God (Rom. 8:28).

H.        As believers, we are sealed forever as God’s children (2 Cor. 1:22).

I.         He has promised us each a resurrection body (1 Cor. 15:42-44).

J.          All who believe in Jesus Christ have eternal life (John 3:36).

VI.       God is also faithful to the unbeliever. Those who only pretend to be Christians or who deny the truth of Jesus Christ are also promised punishment because of their unbelief or their false witness (Matt. 7:21-13; John 3:36; Rev. 20:11-15). God loves us unconditionally, but He is a God of truthfulness. He keeps His promises as well as His warnings.

VII.     Conclusion: We weren’t promised carefree lives when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, but we have a faithful God who will always help us through our difficulties. Our Father will never fail to keep His promises, and this is why we can be strong and confident in Him.