“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9
If we were to break down the English word, “faithfulness, we would find in some small measure the meaning of it. For example, we would begin by isolating the word “faith,” and this would be perfect trust in a person, or the absolute trustworthiness of a person. If we take the Lord Jesus as our example, we find Him to be a man of perfect faith, there never being a moment when He was not uttlerly relying on the Father for all things, but unhesitatingly obediently responsive to the Father’s revealed will. He was in perfect sync with the Father, abiding in Him, and he in Christ, because of the reason and basis for Christ’s perfect faith, the absolute trustworthiness of the Father. The expression of Christ’s perfect faith in the perfect trustworthiness of the Father, was His implicit obedience, according to the Father’s word. God’s words were the means by which perfect faith could lay hold on the Father’s perfect trustworthiness, being absolutely sure that what He had said was the truth, and the He would act and respond fully, and exaclty, according to that truth. The Father was perfectly trustworthy, being perfectly committed to man, and working exactly according to His word. The attitude of the faith-filled Christ in the perfect trustworthiness of the Father, is expressed in the word “faithful.” How does the concept of the faithfulness of the Father, and the example of the faithful response of the Son, reveal itself to the believer today? There are at least three different ways.
The first consideration of the application of the faithfulness of God with regard to the believer, is in the matter of his being called into the fellowship with God. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, in the context of God’s confirmation of them belonging to Him, not only by their confession, but primarily by His immutable work of salvation in them. God would “confirm” them unto the end, declaring, “…that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:8) This confirmation applied to the everyday life of the believer, even until that day of meeting the Lord. God’s work of confirmation encompassed the eternal aspect of one’s salvation, but also His present, daily commitment to every believer, providing all things necessary for the believer’s fellowship with the Father, and in particular, “…that of the His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1:9) God has provided all things in Christ so that TODAY the believer, regardless of his age or circumstance, can live in fellowship, or communion with Christ, and with the Father. The Apostle John put it like this: “…and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 Jn. 1:3)
The second application of the faithfulness of God is with regard to the context of sin, trial, and temptation that the believer will be faced with in this world. Paul continues in his letter to the Corinthians, “…but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13) Again, the revelation of the fatihfulness of God has a very real and practical application in the matter of temptation and trial, God providing everything needful that one may find His way of escape, and be given grace to patiently endure, and overcome it. God is faithful, providing every needful resource in Christ, by the Spirit, so that the believer can by faith, appropriate, and receive the blessing of God.
Thirdly, the apostle writes of the believer being sanctified wholly, spirit, soul and body, being preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is this possible? It is to God who has declared by the Apostle, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24) The faithful God who calls is the One who will always preserve, responding to faith.
Dear Father, Show forth Thy faithfulness, In Jesus’ name, Amen.