Please open your Bible to Hebrews 11:11.
I hope that we’ve all been inspired by the examples of faith we’ve been studying this year. Though this list is made up of imperfect people like us, these people of old were blessed by God, and received their commendation from Him, not for living perfect lives, but for living by faith in Him, in His promises and in His Word. The kind of faith we see in these ancients, is a faith that worked very simply; God spoke, they heard His Word, trusted in His Word and acted upon it, trusting Him to do what was best – and that is a faith that pleases God. As God says in Habakkuk 2:4, “but my righteous one shall live by faith.” And that is what we are learning to do as we meet here, and go through Hebrews 11 together on Tuesdays.
(This message is the longer version of what was shared on Tuesday 2/16 which was abbreviated for time.)
Today, we will look at the faith of the first woman commended for her faith, found in Hebrews 11:11. Sarah, the beautiful, but barren wife of the Patriarch Abraham, is arguably, one of the most important women in history. Her story spans 15 chapters of Genesis. She is also mentioned in Isaiah 51, Romans 9, Galatians 4 and 1Peter 3. May the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, teach us, and help us glean all the encouragement we can from her faith story today. And her story continues on today, as God gave her the promised son, who then had sons, who became a family and line of people passing down the promise and blessing of God, down to the Messiah, The Savior of the world, through whom all nations of the earth are blessed, and to us His church reaching out to further the kingdom of God by His Spirit at work within us. You can see in Matthew 1-2 the genealogy tracing from Jesus back to Sarah and Abraham.
I want first to say… I do not like roller coasters! I have taken my kids to magic mountain year after year, and I’ve watched them ride all the rides from my very favorite position - both feet on solid ground …watching the stuff! And I tell you this, because the story of Sarah’s faith is a bit of a roller coaster ride. For Sarah and for all of us as her “daughters in the faith”, the walk of faith has ups and downs, twists and turns, tests and trials, sometimes years of waiting, personal suffering and struggles, along with its joys, rewards and triumphs. And it is so nice to watch her story unfold, in the hindsight of knowing God has a wonderful – truly magnificent plan at work, a divine timetable in place for the fulfillment of His promise and purposes. Even her barrenness, which was a very difficult sorrow for a woman, in a culture where blessings were tied to inheritances, birthrights and bloodlines, this too was part of the plan. We will see God use this simple and painful reality, and all the ensues from it, for the good. The promise of Romans 8:28 is very much seen in her story.
Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.”
Hebrews 11:11-12 “By faith Sarah herself received power *(dynamis= strength , power, ability to conceive , even when she was past the age of reproductivity, since (key phrase ) she considered(deemed, judged, accounted, thought) him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, Abraham, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven, and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
Sarah heard the promise, and in spite of the impossibility, due to her age and lack of natural reproductive ability, she believed God who promised, and received power to conceive with Abraham, the promised child, Isaac at age 90. There is quite a story behind this commendation in Genesis, which I would like us to look at today. And we will start in Genesis 12 where God calls them out of a fallen broken world in great need of God’s light, and saving grace.
Some have said that when they read Sarah’s story, in Genesis, that she is more notable for her missteps rather than steps of faith. That may be true, but I also think that her faith resembles ours (more perhaps) than other examples in Hebrews 11. And her story shows us how God works in the lives of His women of faith, with the flaws and all, with such a wonderful patient love, with amazing Grace, with divine faithfulness, and lovingkindness as we will see.
Gen. 12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “ Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation , and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Abram was 75 and Sarai was 65 years old – retirement age. They were well to do, middle aged Chaldeans, and Joshua 24:2 adds, they were serving “other gods” when God called them “… to go out to a place that Abraham was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” And God gave him a promise of blessing that was universal, and global in scale, for He is a blessing God! Abraham and Sarai set out with their flocks and herds, family, possessions and people and travelled about living in tents on their way to the promised land.
Point # 1. Faith makes us into pilgrims….
By faith Sarah stepped into the unknown. I call this her first step of faith. It took great faith for Abraham to obey God and go, but consider how much faith it took for Sarah – She didn’t hear the Word of God, personally, but believed Abraham who had. She left the comfort and familiarity of her home and community. And this is what God does, He calls people by His grace, out of darkness into His wonderful light… and sinners respond by faith, and they leave their old life behind, and go forward believing God… and so begins the journey of faith…(Eph 2:1-10)
Her faith was tested and strengthened as she followed Abraham, by faith, and his was too as he imperfectly followed God by faith. When they reached the land of Canaan, Sarah's husband set up memorials to the Lord, and called upon the name of his God, without fear of the people around them. Good start! But unexpected trouble came upon them.
Gen. 12:10 Now there was a famine in the land. So, Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land .
Point # 2.The way of faith includes times of testing -God is faithful
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. …”
So many things go wrong here! From the human side, this test was a failure! First, did God call them to Canaan, to let them die of famine in the promised land? No. They had many flocks and herds and people to feed, but it’s like they forgot about God. Second, there’s no mention of prayer or seeking God’s help, like… “ Lord, what should we do? You promised to bless us, and now there is a severe famine. By the way, you promised to give us a big family, my wife is still barren! Do you want us to stay here by faith and see You provide?” Third , we see the personal weaknesses, fears, greed and failure on Abrahams part, as he chose to act - not as a good husband or witness. Sarai was a woman of unusual beauty, even in her old age… and she was also Abrahams his half-sister and wife, (so…they had same father Terah, and both were descendants of Noah, through Shem which is important to the promised blessings…) (Gen 11). Marrying within one’s tribe was not wrong in those days, but this was clearly an intentional deception by Abraham and that was wrong. Fourth, Abraham gained wealth from Pharaoh through this lie, and Sarah’s maid Hagar joined them in Egypt, and this brought untold trouble to the family later. But notice the faithfulness of God to Sarah.
17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. God Himself intervened, protected her and Sarah experienced “the faithfulness of God” as He protected her, their marriage, her future family, the future Hebrew nation and the promise of the seed of the Messiah as well.
Point # 3 Faith talks to God. They had done well to call upon the name of the Lord, for He was there to help them, but in this test, they did not. The Bible does not cover the flaws of God’s people. But we can learn from their mistakes. We do well to Pray about everything as we walk by faith. Do you find yourself talking to God a lot these days, processing life, and everything – just running things past him? When the test came, they didn’t seek the Lord, wise counsel, or His Word, or weigh the consequences, or wait on God in prayer. These are all good tools God has given us to use, as we walk by faith with him, to avoid painful side trips to Egypt.
In Gen. 13 and again in Gen. 15, God speaks again to Abraham, and the promises are expanded upon, and more details are given. By Genesis 16. Abraham and Sarah have walked with the Lord for 10 years, he is 85 - she is 75 and still barren
Point #4 Faith faces tests of patience.
16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children”. ( Wow - this sound like she is done waiting and is putting the blame on the Lord.) “Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” AS women, we have an influence – either for good or not to the people in our lives. We are an influence on our husband if we have one, and can be a help to their own faith if we use our influence to encourage them to trust God. This was not the case here, and sadly Abraham listened, so she blamed him when things went sour. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
Fail #2. This was a tragic mistake! Sarah thought this would bring happiness, but it did just the opposite. It brought out a side of her that was ugly, harsh and cruel. It’s like the decades of barrenness and pain, came out – and can you imagine how Sarah felt seeing Hagar’s attitude of contempt, seeing her pregnant, and seeing Abraham smiling, and thinking of his son on the way…! And how hard for Hagar, who was a slave and had no rights even over her body – it’s as if years of humiliation and slavery came out of her hurtful attitude.
God had promised that He would build the nation, but after thinking about this for 10 years, Sarah “thought” in herself of a way to “help”, by following the local and legal custom of having a servant give birth to the child for her. Since the promise was given to Abraham, so maybe this would work? Not everything that is legal meets with God’s approval. Sadly, Abraham went along with it, and again, no mention of a conversation with God about “ should we or shouldn’t we do this”?
To say that this idea turned out very badly, and made Sarah’s domestic life truly miserable, is an understatement. And this decision has also made life in the middle east miserable, for the last 4000 years. Much more can be learned about this by reading Galatians chapters 3-4, but for today, we will stay focused on the personal side of the problem. (Handout)
Point #5 Faith endures tests of suffering – Both women were suffering here.
Thing got so unbearable that Hagar fled to the wilderness. But notably, in verses 7-12 – we see God’s compassion, kindness and faithfulness come to Hagar. The Angel of the Lord called her by name, spoke healing words and promises to her heart, and sent her back to Sarai. Hagar learned He is a personal God who sees us, and hears our cries when we hurt, and that he is concerned about unborn babies, and abused women.
Point #6 Faith waits on God. Waiting is perhaps one of the most difficult things for all of us, it is up there with – practicing patience, loving our enemies, suffering losses, and enduring suffering in trials. Yes, faith waits on God, and those 25 waiting years were not easy years for Sarah, but were growing years. Trying to think our way out of problems, or thinking we can work out God’s plan in our own way and timetable never ends well. We must remember this when we are tired of waiting and ready to give up or give in, or when we want to act out in hurt and anger, or take matters into our own hands. We need the restraining power of the Holy Spirit available to us to help us wait. psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Something to take home and think about today… we all love it when God shows himself faithful and kind to “our side” of a conflict, but what about when he shows himself faithful and kind… to someone we see as an enemy…. By His great grace, God was faithful and gracious to the mother of the promised child, Sarah… as He was to the mother of the child of the flesh, the Egyptian slave Hagar. We can learn much about God here, whose love is always greater than our feelings, our prejudices and He is good to all. God desires that all people everywhere would hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ, and I am grateful for all the missionaries and Christian organizations who are busy about the kingdom, reaching beyond cultural barriers and reaching the world for Christ. May God help us be victorious in our own struggles of this kind. There is much to see here , may the Holy Spirit help us.
If you struggle with this area, please check out Pastor Steve Carr’s book “Winning Your Personal Battles” chapter 6 in particular. It also has chapters to help us overcome other heart issues as well, struggles with anger, a hardened heart, past abuse, unforgiveness and a multitude of other issues that can – if not dealt with, hinder us in our walk of faith. The Lord is with us to help us and He will do it.
Genesis 17:1 (13 years later…. still no pregnancy for Sarah )
Gen. 17:1 Now Abram is “ninety-nine years old (Sarah was 89)the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; (El Shaddai - God All Powerful, and Sufficient for everything. and to meet every need. “Walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3
God then did something truly amazing. He added one Hebrew letter to each of their names, - a letter formed by breathing out and means, spirit - breath, “ruach” in Hebrew, pronounced by expelling air. Abram “Exalted Father,” became Abraham, “Father of Many Nations.” Sarai, “Princess,” became Sarah, “Mother of Many Nations.” And then God named her specifically telling Abraham,
16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Royal lineages would come from her and the royal line of King David from which the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Savior would come, a lineage that continues on through all who believe in Jesus, the Messiah.
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No , but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
Abraham laughed, this would really be a miracle, and mentions to God Ishmael… but God says “no” and makes it clear that Sarah, his wife, would bear him a son, and that God would establish His covenant with Isaac, as an everlasting covenant for his “offspring” singular after him. The apostle Paul explains in Gal. 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ”…. t he Son of God and Savior of the world through whom God would bless all people in all places according to the promise in Gen. 12.
In Genesis 18 This time, the Lord comes with two angels and brings Abraham the announcement that at the same time next year, Sarah would give birth to the promised son.
Point #7, as we walk by faith, and trust in God’s Word we grow in knowing more and more about Him and His promises
Sarah was serving them, and eavesdropping at the tent door, so she heard it for herself this time. And (12) Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, (she refers to Abraham and her lord – lower case) shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord ? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
She laughed within herself, but the Lord heard her heart. Jesus shows us in the NT, that He knows the thoughts of people… She was looking at the human impossibilities of this, instead of looking at God, the Faithful One!
2Tim. 2:13 even “ if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”
The question the Lord asked here is most profound: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” and this is the question to ask ourselves this morning if our faith is being tested? Is there anything too hard for God?
The Apostle Paul wrote of God, " Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" ( Ephesians 3:20 ). Do you believe it? Hard is also translated wonderful – is there anything too wonderful for God? It may have been that question from God to her that caused Sarah to think, and cause her personal faith to ignite, for 3 months later, she and Abraham conceived this baby Isaac, together by God’s gift of strength. In a 3-month period Sarah went from this place of laughter, to a faith which received the strength to conceive.
Point #8: Nothing is too hard – or wonderful for the Lord. It’s as if God waited, because He wanted everyone to know that this was of God, who alone has power to bring life from a dead womb. Only God can save a dead soul and begin new life in them. Only God can raise the dead, and promise resurrection to all who believe. These are things that only God can do. And as we have received Christ by faith, we trust God to complete His work in our lives. (Phil. 1:6) . God is faithful, and will do it. Nothing is too hard for Him.
Genesis 20 : Here is a rollercoaster moment – like a blind drop that comes out of nowhere. Like a bad instant replay, as they journeyed south to Gerar, Abraham put his wife, family, and the promised child at risk again, and told Abimelech, the King, that Sarah was “his sister” - again to protect his own life. God rescued her again and God proved to Sarah again, and to all of us, again, He is the Faithful God.
Point #9: God is able to keep us – as Jesus prayed for us, in John 17, “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
Genesis 21:1-2 “The Lord visited Sarah as he had said , and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised . 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him”… (6) “And Sarah said, ‘God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.’ She also said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age’”
Sarah, who once laughed when told that she would bear a son, laughed in joyful amazement and fulfillment, as a mother finally nursing her first child.
Psalm 126:2-3 (could be Sarah’s song) 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
Joshua 24:3 God says: “… I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac .” (God) gave them Isaac. This child was of God, through Abraham and Sarah for His wonderful purposes and glory.
What joy Sarah and Abraham had raising Isaac!
As we wrap things up, let’s go back and look at Hebrews 11:11-12 in the interlinear Bible which gives a word-by-word translation of the verse. “ through faith – also – Sarah – herself – received ( laid a hold of) strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged Him faithful who had promised. " Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."
This couple called in their older years, were truly blessed to be a blessing, and from them came Isaac, a nation and a kingdom – The kingdom. Barrenness was turned into fruitfulness, and what God promised – He brought to pass. Nothing is too hard for God. God answers prayer, but He doesn’t always answer it in the way or timetable we think He should. God’s timing is always perfect, and He has plans we can’t even fathom. God uses people of all ages. He sees and hears our prayers and cries, and He keeps all of His promises to us. Following God by faith isn’t easy, but it is blessed and worth it, and when we struggle, He will help us not reject us.
Last point #10: Abraham was the father of the faithful, so we may say Sarah is the mother of all who by faith believe and are saved, and we “are her daughters” if we follow in her footsteps of faith and walk in God’s promises. In 1 Peter 3:5-6, Peter uses her as an example to us, of a holy woman who hoped in God and whose inner beauty was “precious in God’s sight”. The beauty God commends as “precious” wasn’t her outward beauty, that was noticed by pharaohs and kings, but her inner - “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit noticed by the King of Kings. It was her purity, her reverence, her hope in God and her attitude towards her husband that adorned her faith. She submitted to her husband, joined him in his pilgrimage, overcame her fears and stepped out in faith following him. As we remember Sarah, we see the amazing grace and faithfulness of God that we need as we are growing in our faith, and have our own missteps on our way.
Sarah died at age 127 and was deeply grieved by Abraham. He bought a field in the promised land in which to bury Sarah, expressing his confidence in God’s promise. Some 400 years later, his descendants came to possess the land as promised, and Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried there too.
One act of believing faith can have long-lasting ramifications, and walking by faith brings fruitfulness…. And indeed, from Isaac, came fruitfulness as well, innumerable descendants, down to the miraculous birth of God’s Son, Jesus, who came to earth to win our salvation.
Romans 4: 9 He (Abraham) did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness [ b ] of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
The new covenant which we are under in Christ, through Isaac, is founded on God’s His love “ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” and it is a covenant of grace, “Eph. 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Hebrews 10 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”
Each of us have a “By faith” story too, so let’s keep looking to Him, talking to Him, waiting upon Him, growing in faith hope and love…
Appendix 1: Bible verses to help us trust in God’s faithfulness:
GOD IS FAITHFUL
One of the attributes of God is His faithfulness. When we say God is faithful it means He is totally trustworthy.
The prophet Isaiah wrote : “O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago” ( Isaiah 25:1 ).
The prophet Jeremiah wrote: “The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.” ( Lamentations 3:22 , 23 ).
Moses said : And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" ( Exodus 34:6 ).
Moses also wrote: “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 commands.” ( Deuteronomy 7:9 ).
Paul wrote: “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” ( 2 Thessalonians 3:3
God's faithfulness is stated in a number of ways. They include the following.
1. He Is Totally Trustworthy In His Promises His words will always come to pass. Therefore, believers may rely upon His promises. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” ( Hebrews 10:23 ).
The writer to the Hebrews stated. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised ( Hebrews 11:11 ).
2. God Does Not Lie About Anything: “ God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” ( Numbers 23:19 ).
Paul wrote to Titus . “A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” ( Titus 1:2 ).
Paul said to the church at Rome . Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge" ( Romans 3:4 ).
3. He Is A Faithful Creator : “So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” ( 1 Peter 4:19 ).
4. God Is Faithful To Forgive when we confess our sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” ( 1 John 1:9 ).
5. Jesus Is A Faithful High Priest who answers the prayers of His people. “For this reason, he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might turn aside God's wrath, taking away the sins of the people.” ( Hebrews 2:17 ).
6. God Will Not Abandon His People. He kept His promises He made to the nation Israel. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath ( Deuteronomy 4:31 ).
Joshua wrote: “So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; everyone was fulfilled.” ( Joshua 21:43-45 ).
Daniel said: “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands." ( Daniel 9:4 ).
The Fulfillment Of God's Promises Are Recorded in Scripture. Joshua told Israel. Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” ( Joshua 23:14 ).
7. He Will Remain Faithful Though Believers May Deny Him “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” ( 2 Timothy 2:13 )
There Is Much Comfort In This Truth For the believer there is much comfort in knowing that God has been faithful to His promises. Since God's word is always truth the Christian can place complete trust in His promises. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it ( 1 Thessalonians 5:24 ).
God Desires Faithfulness From His People . Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ( 1 Corinthians 4:2 ).
Paul wrote to Timothy : “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” ( 2 Timothy 2:2 ).
Paul declared : “So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” ( Galatians 3:9 ).
Summary We find the Bible emphasizing the faithfulness of the Lord. Scripture lists a number of different ways in which God has shown his faithfulness. First, he is totally trustworthy in everything that he says. He is faithful to his word - he does not lie. The Lord is the faithful Creator. He is faithful to forgive those who sin against him. Jesus Christ is called the faithful High Priest. God's faithfulness is demonstrated in the fact that he will not abandon his people. Finally, he will remain faithful to those who deny him. Because he is faithful, God desires faithfulness from his people.