What Does the BiBle s
ay?
A weekly column of the Robison Street Church of Christ, 301 Robison Street. Send your questions to P.O. Box 846, Edna, Texas 77957.
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The Faithfulness of God
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23, ESV)
Jesus says that faithfulness is important. God wants to be in relationship with us and He wants us in relationship with Him. That requires faith and faithfulness (Heb. 11:6). As we noted last time, what Jesus is calling for is a sincere “relationship with God or fellow human beings; seen in … loyalty, devotion, and service.” But why should anyone be faithful to God?
God’s expectation of faithfulness is rooted in the fact that He is Himself faithful (Num. 23:19). He always acts in a way that is consistent with His nature, character, and words which should inspire human beings to respond in kind (2 Tim. 2:1113). As many have noted, His faithfulness and His covenant love are intimately related (Exod. 34:6; Deut. 7:9; Ps. 25:10; 85:10).
Throughout the Old Testament we see God’s faithfulness in His promises and in His relationship with the nation of Israel. Whether we are speaking of His promises to Abraham or His promises to punish the people of Judah with exile, God is faithful (Gen. 12:2-3; 21:1-2; Jer. 25:8-11). Even in the face of the people’s persistent rebellion, God reminds them of His love and faithfulness to them (Hos. 2:20).
In the New Testament, God continues to manifest His faithfulness to all humanity as their Creator (Matt. 5:45). And as with justice and mercy, this is most clearly seen in God’s plan of redemption in Jesus (Acts 13:32-33; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:6; 1 Cor. 10:13).
God’s faithfulness is great, and He will always be steadfast in His love for those who are His (Lam. 3:23; Ps. 136). How will you respond to God’s faithfulness?
– Phillip Stuckey – [email protected] Come and see. Come and hear the good news of the Gospel. We meet at the corner of Robison and Church Streets on Sunday at 9:30 AM for Bible classes for all ages and 10:30 AM for worship and again at 6:00 PM for worship. We also meet on Wednesday at 7:00 PM for Bible classes for all ages.
