The reason we are able to endure our Christian walk, in spite of all the challenges, struggles and hurdles, is because God is faithful. The apostle Paul said, “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:7-9). When God brought us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his Son, Jesus Christ, he ensured that we will be able to press on with our spiritual walk.
When the apostle Paul said that God, who started this good work in us, will complete it until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, he was banking on the fact that God will provide godliness and everything we need for life. Foremost, he will ensure that we shall not lack any spiritual gifts. For us to live victoriously as believers in this wicked and perverse generation, we need every bit of the Holy Spirit’s gifts. Each of the nine spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit will play a vital role in our Christian walk. In addition, he will sustain us with his grace and mercies so that we can continue to walk faithfully before him. The apostle Paul said, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance” (2 Thes. 3:3-5).
But what if we do not have faith? How will the Lord deal with us? Again, the apostle Paul said, “If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Tim. 2:11-13). Regardless of our standing before God, he remains true to his words and promises. Our faithlessness will not make God less faithful to us. It is his faithfulness that paves the way for every sinner to be saved when he repents and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. He promised that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
It is God’s faithfulness that assures us of our salvation. When he said that the penalty of sin is death, then all who sinned will have to die. It was true then and it is still true today. However, God loved us so much that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. He provided Jesus as a way of salvation from the beginning, and this will remain so because “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19). Certainly, God is not one who said something today and does another thing tomorrow. Jesus remains to be the only way to our salvation, even to this day.
The Lord’s faithfulness is not only for our generation but from generation to generation. We are told: “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments” (Deut. 7:9). It must be understood that God’s covenant is a covenant of love. Anything that is based on love will endure and not fail. The Bible tells us that love never fails because God is love. It is for this reason that we can be assured of God’s unfailing love. He is faithful and he will keep his covenant forever.
God’s faithfulness was fully tested by Joshua. While still young and serving as an assistant to Moses, Joshua saw and heard everything that God did and said to Moses and Israel. He witnessed God’s power displayed before the eyes of Israel and saw how God delivered them from the hands of the enemies just as he promised. When he eventually took over the position of Moses, he was reassured many times by the Lord not to fear and to be of good courage. As he took the lead in bringing Israel into the Promised Land, Joshua drew strength from the many promises of God. Towards the end of his own life, he encouraged Israel to remain faithful to the Lord and said, “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Joshua 21:45). Indeed, God is faithful and he will not let any of his promises remain unfulfilled. At the appointed time, God will make his promises come to pass. Therefore, let us serve the Lord faithfully just as He is faithful to us. Hallelujah!