God is Faithful

Paul’s second letter to the converts in Thessalonia sets the background of our study this week as they were shaken and disturbed because of the false teachings and the increase of evil. In the midst of uncertainty and a lack of faith, Paul spoke these words of reassurance and comfort to them in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” God’s faithfulness endures forever and is victorious over the Evil One. Satan is the author of fear and desires to fill us with panic that we would turn and run. When we have the full armor of God on, He equips us to stand and not flee. The armor of God does not have anything on the back because when we are armored up for God’s purpose, He has our backs and is faithful to give us courage to face the enemy in His power. God is completely trustworthy and perfectly reliable in all His actions and promises. God is steadfast, dependable, and true to His word, never failing or acting against His nature. The Greek word for faithful is “pistos” which means trustworthy and reinforces that God’s faithfulness is unwavering. Paul in 2 Corinthians 1: 21 confirms our assurance in God. “It is God who establishes us with you in Messiah. He anointed us, set His seal on us, and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

God’s steadfast love (His “covenant mercy” or beneficial action on His people’s behalf) never ceases, even in the face of Judah’s unfaithfulness which results finally in the “Day of the LORD.” In Lamentations 3: 22-23 we read, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Paul addresses in the second letter to the Thessalonians the events leading to the Day of the Lord. Fear had gripped believers and Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 “Do not be shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” Paul assures them that the wrath and final judgment of God will not occur until the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the way.” (verse 7) According to the promise we read in 2 Corinthians 1:21, believers are sealed with the Spirit—God’s pledge to the Church—the body of true believers. Therefore, the man of sin will not be revealed until the Church is translated and the Spirit’s restraining ministry through it will cease. However, it is not said that the restrainer will be “taken away,” but “taken out of the way”; thus, the Holy Spirit will continue a divine activity to the end-time, though not as a restrainer of evil through the Church. The compassion spoken of in Lamentations 3: 22-23 reveals God’s faithfulness to continue replacing judgment with restoration that will never end as Christ will return to earth in glory; overthrow the man of sin and establish His reign in the millennial kingdom according to His Covenant with Israel. God is faithful to fulfill His covenant promises to the Jews to the remnant that will repent and accept Jesus as Messiah at His return. God’s gracious character is preserving Israel as a whole for the sake of His overall purpose as revealed in Exodus 34: 6-7 “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will be no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” GOD IS FAITHFUL even when we are not!

We read over and over in the Old Testament about how God was angered when He saw His people embracing the pagan ways of the world and disobeying His Word and ways. Compromising with the world and its ways leads to sin and separation from God. God will not bless what does not honor Him. Ezra warned the people of the consequences of turning away from God and said: “Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you, be courageous and act.” I believe this is the call to our nation and particularly the Church today. We have allowed the spirit of divination, witchcraft and sorcery to invade our homes. We have allowed our children to be seduced by the “magic kingdom” and “fantasy land” and given them devises that plant evil thoughts that captures their emotions, separates them from God’s creation and isolates them from reality and a relationship with both God and others. We have embraced yoga and the Martial Arts in the name of fitness and exercise but are really the tools of Satan to entice us into worship to him. We have lost our faith in the God who heals and bowed to so-called science and a medical profession whose focus is not on nutrition and wholeness but on pharmakeia or sorcery as it is labeled in Scripture. The love of money is the root of all evil and the medical profession has compromised health for the money big pharma supplies them. The result is minds and bodies looking for a fix for all ailments or issues that have resulted in addictions and poisons to the body, soul and spirit. The devil has deceived us and lulled us into a state devoid of reality and deafened by media that spues lies and deceptions. Meanwhile the Church is sitting back for the most part, predicting the end of the world, giving no answers—not praying with fervency and shaking the heavens like Daniel did.

The religious world, as has the secular and political world, combined forces with this age of technology that has tricked us into doing and saying things that offer no hope for America. The evil spirit that has gripped this nation is seeking to suffocate it by permeating all sectors—the government, judicial system, people, education, the economy and morals. A spiritual darkness has come upon this nation that seeks to destroy it and Satan has gained a stronghold as a result of disobedience to the One True God upon which this nation was founded. Every home is affected except for those that may have taken authority in the Name of Jesus and by His blood. We are called to be salt that preserves and light that guides into the pathway that leads to the Rock of Ages—to be a people who stand together and cry out for the Rock of Ages to be exalted and pray and take the Word of the Lord seriously and say, “We will do what God asked us to do” like the 300 men of Gideon who destroyed tens of thousands of the armies of the enemy. God is not telling us to sit back with popcorn and watch Him work. He is calling us to join Him in battle in the authority that Jesus empowers us with to fight against the forces of evil. Victory is contingent on our humility, faith, obedience and capacity to exist in a state that is not dictated by this dusty world we find ourselves in. I Timothy 2:4 reveals the heart of our faithful God, “He will have all men to be saved.” Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 9: 27, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” The fields are ready for harvest and as Christians we have the Great Commission as our marching orders! “We are the warriors of the new Millenium, and although our enemy has quietly planned for many years, God had a plan so brilliant it could have come only from Him, through us, at the perfect time. That time is upon us.” (Donne’ Clement Petruska) Let us pray for the soul of America that has been pierced deeply—not only by sinners—but religious people. The day is far spent—let us cast off the deeds of darkness (I Thess. 5: 4-10) and be about the Father’s business! We are soldiers in the army of the living God who is faithful to the end. We are meant to take up the sword of the Spirit and speak the truth of the Lord, expose the works of darkness and iniquity, and point people back to Almighty God through Jesus Christ who is our salvation—not a man, not a political leader, not a church building, but Jesus Christ—the King of Kings and Lord of lords! We must be diligent in the face of trials and tribulations and raise the standard, put our hand to the plow and stand strong in our faith—“for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Paul wrote his most personal and heartfelt letters to Timothy as he shared the conditions that will prevail upon the earth during the last days. He gives encouragement to those believers living at that time in 2 Timothy 2: 19-20: “…the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord keep away from unrighteousness.” Paul then in 3: 1-7 gives those conditions as hard times exist: people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, hardhearted, unforgiving, backbiting, without self-control, brutal, hating what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to an outward form of godliness but denying its power. To these believers he commands: Avoid this behavior and continue in what you have learned and what you have become convinced of! God is faithful and capable and will fully equip believers for every good work! Surely, these are right now words for us as this passage adequately describes the conditions we are witnessing today. Paul gives us these words of assurance at such a time as this in 2 Timothy 2: 11-13: “The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.” This passage moves us from comfort to challenge and back to comfort and is a reminder of God’s preserving power and faithfulness.

God sees the nations’ workings of the affairs of this world not as man sees but from His Divine vantage point as the outworking of the great battle of the ages of evil against the One True God. Nothing will overcome Him and His plan and one day every knee will bow and declare Jesus as Lord of lords and King of kings. (Phil. 2: 10) Behind all the matters being played out today lies the battle of the ages between God’s truth and Satan’s lies. God’s justice will prevail because He is a God of Justice and His faithfulness extends to the clouds according to Psalm 36:5. The enemy knows that as believers we have God’s eternal source of strength—His Holy Spirit within us, so that we belong to God. Therefore, the enemy shifts his attention and seeks to fill our hearts with fear, doubt, and discouragement in an effort to tempt us to give up! BUT GOD is faithful to His people, strengthens and protects them from evil, provides a way of escape from temptation, and is faithful in His love, which continues even if it is rejected. God’s faithfulness means He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him, even in difficult circumstances, and He is always near, especially during trials and difficult circumstances. Ultimately, believers can trust in God’s unwavering faithfulness, knowing He will never let them down or forsake them and will always be true to His promises. The Lord will not allow the enemy to destroy us; therefore, we must continue to trust God and resist the devil even when we’re weary.

Because our God is faithful, we have hope to the end! Let us recall the words of Psalms 100 verse 5, one of the most treasured Psalms: “For the LORD is good. His lovingkindness endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” John recorded the Revelation of Jesus Christ written to the seven churches and unfolds the great events bringing history to consummation, including the revelation of Jesus Christ at His Second Advent. In the unfolding of this final book of the Bible Jesus Christ is revealed in glory in contrast with His presentation in the four Gospels and in His humiliation as He laid down His life for the sin of the whole world. We read in Revelation 1: 4-5: “Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.” The message is to the whole church that includes us today from the One who is and who was and who is to come. In Revelation 3: 6 we see the Spirit speaking to the churches. Therefore, the greeting comes from all three persons of the Trinity, the faithful witness. The number seven is used throughout the book and symbolizes completeness and perfection. As Jesus is the faithful witness, all Christians are called to be faithful witnesses.

Jesus’ death as the Lamb of God is a central message of the entire Bible. In Revelation 19:11 we read, “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” That faithful elder, John, saw what all of Scripture has revealed to us. This faithfulness of God is a truth that can’t be separated from our victory over evil. God is faithful, and in the end, we win! “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (I Cor. 1:9) GOD IS FAITHFUL, AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE IN THIS NEW COVENANT OF GRACE IS BECAUSE OF HIS FAITHFULNESS!