PROMISES TO THE FAITHFUL
Jack Davis
“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” I Cor. 1:4-9
Oh, what marvelous promises are given in Scripture to believers in this Age of Grace. They are truly exceeding great and precious. But I would especially deal at this time with benefits promised to the “faithful.” These are given by Him that is willing, able, and faithful to keep or fulfill His promises. Paul was thankful for the possibilities that was their’s and our’s in Christ Jesus. The extremely wealthy deposit at the disposal of God’s people is to be confirmed in us and by us. That grace for total eternal enrichment is realized as His testimony is confirmed. Such grace is not only to be declared but also demonstrated in the life, and distributed unto others. Hence demanding faithfulness.
GOD IS FAITHFUL: Paul was inspired to pray that “…the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is underlined with the comforting statement; “Faithful is he that called you, who also will do it.” I Thess. 5:23-24. Let us also be encouraged by I Cor. 10:13. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to men: 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.”
THE FAITHFUL SON: Read Hebrews 3:1-6. In Christ Jesus we have the supreme example of the faithful Man. Just think how it cost Him to faithfully fulfill His purpose for being here, and now we are called into His fellowship. Staying in fellowship with Jesus keeps us faithful, and faithfulness to Him keeps us in fellowship.
THE FAITHFUL ARE PROSPERED: “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent” Prov. 28:20. Faithfulness and fulness of faith are synonymous, and powerfully intertwined. God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, but it is the faithful that go after and inherit the blessings. Much energy is wasted seeking swift satisfaction in material gain, and then watching it vanish, but our greatest riches come right on time and will last for ever.
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the lord is. For He shall be a as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when the heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” Jer. 17:7-8.
A productive life is promised to one planted by faith in the promises of God. I am reminded of Sarah, who through faith “…received strength to conceive…and was delivered of a child…because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Heb. 11:11. A faithful person is a fruitful person.
Abraham, a great example of the prosperity of the faithful. When Abraham’s servant was sent to find a bride for Isaac, he told Rebekah; “…the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great…”. Abraham “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving the glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform.” Rom. 4:20-21. Shall we not be of the same persuasion? Are we not blessed in walking in the steps of the faith of our forefather Abraham? “So when they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” – Gal. 6:9.
THE FAITHFUL ARE PRESERVED: “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer” – Ps. 31:19,20,23.
Our Father delights to hide those that are open in their fear and faith toward Him. Because their trust and testimony is not a hidden thing, they faithfully manifest a reverence and righteousness in Him. The trusting are made trustworthy. We are dependable in the measure that we depend upon Him. His dependability is made ours or else we are not at all dependable.
Our God is a sun and shield, He gives grace and glory, and no good thing does He withhold from them that walk uprightly. He told Abraham, “I am they shield, land exceeding great reward.” Jesus said, No man shall be able to pluck you out of my hand, nor my Father’s hand. Peter was inspired to write that we are kept by the power of God. Paul wrote that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and that our life is hid with Christ in God. He is likened unto an invisible shield. These promises are given to all who put their trust in God. Yet it is evident that we miss many a hard lesson, or rough experience by being faithful. It is also certain that we may make triumphant gain from those trials that we pass through in faith.
Daniel, a great example of the faithful who are preserved. He also was promoted and prospered. Dan. Chapter 6:3, “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; for as much as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.”
They tricked the king into singing a decree forbidding making any petition to any one accept the king for thirty days. Thank God, Daniel was faithful in his prayer life. He continued to trust in God before the sons of men. He knelt and prayed three times a day with his windows open as he had always done. Well the penalty for such was to be cast into the den of lions, but this situation gave occasion for king Darius to testify to Daniel’s faithfulness as well as the delivering power of his God. “O Daniel, servant of the living God…whom thou servest continually, (is He) able to deliver thee from the lions?” v. 20. No manner of hurt was found upon Daniel, because he believed in his God. v. 23.
Our adversary, the Devil, the accuser of the brethren, the father of lies, would like to devour every one of God’s Children, and deceive the very elect. Thank God, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. The apostle Paul was aware of the afore mentioned facts, and testified: “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” – II Tim. 4:16-18.
Men had proven unfaithful, but not the Lord. Paul, through it all, was made a pillar of faith. He stood with the Lord by His faithful Word. Paul had been preserved and expected to be unto the fulfillment of God’s purpose for him here. Having fought a good fight, he kept the faith, and kept the Word of his patience, he knew the Lord could keep all of like faith also from the hour of temptation coming upon the world.
THE FAITHFUL ARE PROMOTED: Paul a prominate example (I Tim. 1:11-12), “According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Oh, what a ministry committed to Paul trust. He poured out his life in proclaiming this glorious message. This message sent to lift to the uttermost heights of celestial glory, promoting the loyalty of royalty and the royalty of loyalty.
Is the gospel of God’s glory real to you? Has it been productive in you in any measure? If so, then in that measure, it is also committed to your trust. You, beloved have a stewardship of that which is the best. Are you thankful? Do you appreciate what place the King of kings has set before you? Are you apprehending that for which you are apprehended? Let God’s Word remind you (us) as stewards of the mysteries of God; “It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” I Cor. 4:1-2. Faithful stewards shall be richly rewarded, highly promoted. He would like to say to each of us,. “Well done.” Those faithful in the few things will rule over many. The crowns promised the full overcomers tell us of winners, they speak also of the right to reign. Incorruptible crowns of righteousness and glory are promised.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive a crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him’ – James 1:12.
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” – Rev. 2:10.
