Come Up Higher - God is Faithfulness

So today we will continue our journey through God’s love story the Bible and explore another aspect of God’s characteristics. That is His faithfulness. A faithfulness that is the very essence of God Himself. For God is faithfulness. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

Following on from last week, we discovered that God continues to invite us to come up higher, to know and experience His goodness toward us. 

A goodness that is revealed in God’s glory. The glory of His presence. For it is His presence within and around us that sets us apart. God’s will is goodwill, where we live in the fullness of His gift of salvation and hope. The goodwill of God toward us and others is the fruit of His goodness and transforming power within us. As we live in continual surrender to Him, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified. For God is and always will be goodness.

So today we will continue our journey through God’s love story the Bible and explore another aspect of God’s characteristics. That is His faithfulness. A faithfulness that is the very essence of God Himself. For God is faithfulness.

Faithfulness according to God’s love story the Bible is related to His plans and purposes. The Eternal One is the one of absolute integrity and is always true to His word. As God is true to His word He is thoroughly dependable. God can be totally relied upon because He is trustworthy. For His characteristics include faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness is intertwined with His truthfulness. He is true to His name, purpose and plan. For He is faithful and true. 

History has proved that God is faithfulness and truth. Throughout the ages individuals and people groups have testified to this fact. One such individual was a prophet of God who lived in the days of old. His name was Isaiah. 

Let us read, Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

In a declaration of identity and allegiance, Isaiah was immersed in the purposes of God. He knew of the wonderful things God had done. But most of all God’s plan, advice or counsel, are both truth and faithfulness. As everything God does and says is an expression of who He is. God is faithful and true.

This declaration of God’s prophet Isaiah goes on in subsequent verses to include God’s justice of equality and respect, judgment and salvation. Judgement for all those who have rejected God and as a result aligned themselves with evil and evil’s eternal destiny. 

God’s judgment separates evil from good. 

In the eternal separation of evil from good God fulfils His eternal salvation plan. Where there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Where all those who have received God and as a result aligned themselves with His eternal destiny, enter into the fullness of salvation. 

Again the Isaiah the prophet of God testifies. This time in reference to God’s justice a result of His faithfulness. Revealing God’s method of fulfilling all this will be through the one who will come from the lineage of the tribe of Judah. 

Isaiah 11:4-5 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

Again God’s faithfulness is central to His truth and righteousness. Righteousness being God’s justice of equality, which is determined by His faithfulness and truth. Faithfulness being the truthfulness of God related to His purposes and plans. 

With righteousness God will correct the imbalances of power of this world that has been damaged by evil. We live in this word where the rich become richer and poor become poorer. This world of broken relationships, people are excluded, community’s are dysfunctional, people are oppressed and lies and fear have taken hold. Where self glorification, self gratification and dishonest gains are celebrated. 

Yet in the fullness of God’s kingdom, evil and the selfishness of humanity has no place, existence or power. 

God brings to humanity His kingdom of restoration and transformation, truth and power, equality and justice. Where His kingdom is a place of love and acceptance, freedom and honour, healing and wholeness, peace and harmony. 

God in His faithfulness and truth brings power to the powerless. He restores broken relationships and raises up each one equal equal. 

God invites all people, from every nation, tribe and tongue who has yes to God. He brings a community of equality, where His truth, justice and peace rules and reigns. Where each one has the identity, power, freedom and victory of the king. 

Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or community standing, God in His faithfulness and truth has a place for each one of us in His kingdom. Each individual throughout the ages has an opportunity to say yes to God and receive His kingdom. Yet out of God’s great love, He gives each one free choice. To receive Him and His kingdom, or reject Him and His kingdom. 

Let us go to the New Testament where again God’s faithfulness is central to His truth and righteousness. For He is faithful and true.

Revelation 19:11-16 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. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

The one who is faithful and true in His righteousness, that is equity, brings judgement. The judgement of evil and all the individuals and empires of humanity throughout the ages that have rejected God and aligned themselves with evil. 

In His truth, the one who is faithful and true in judgement, brings the fullness of salvation to those who have chosen Him. 

The one who brings judgement and salvation is the word of God Himself. God the Son, who in the beginning together with God the Father and the Holy Spirit created. 

Jesus, the word of God, who became human yet still fully divine, lived, died and rose to eternal life is faithful and true. For God is faithfulness and truth.

In the book of the Revelation of Jesus, Jesus personally reveals Himself as the faithful and true witness, to an aspect of the church. Represented in this text as the church of Laodiceans.

Revelation 3:14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God…

And verse 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

The resurrected Jesus not only links His victory and ruling and reigning with His faithfulness and truth, but also to all those who receive Him. 

In Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension He defeated death and paid the cost for all humanity’s offences. He did it all to set humanity free. God in Jesus gives His many crowns and ultimate victory to all who are willing. They are those who overcome by saying yes to Jesus, yes to God. Together with Jesus, we will rule and reign for all eternity. For Jesus is the faithful and true witness of God Himself.

In God, we can have absolute trust and confidence. For God is faithfulness. 

God - the Father, Son and Spirt - are one in essence, purpose and plan. When the Son of God became the Son of Man and walked the earth, He surrendered His human will to that of the Father’s divine will. 

When Jesus walked the earth as a man and reached out to an outcast women, He revealed to His disciples what His spiritual food was. Let us read, John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Jesus’ victory over the destructive controlling forces of the corrupted self will of humanity and the consequences of death and evil, was the completion of Jesus’ work on earth. However the fullness of God’s work in bringing salvation and judgement to His creation will occur when Jesus returns in all His glory. Just like we read earlier, the heavens will open up and Jesus will return with the armies of heaven. For God is faithfulness and truth. 

But until then, in His faithfulness we can trust. In continual surrender of self will, to that of God the Father’s will, we receive more of His faithfulness, more of His characteristics. 

The Apostle Paul, received a wonderful revelation regarding this. In his letter to those in Galatia, Paul links the fruit of the Spirit, that is the characteristics of God with the surrender of our self will. 

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Having received Jesus, received God, we are totally immersed in His faithfulness. For it is in His faithfulness we can trust. 

Just as Jesus in human form surrendered His human will to that of His and the Father’s divine will, we can stand in the victory Jesus attained for us. Being totally immersed in the spiritual armour of God Himself. The spiritual armour of God are His presence, characteristics, identity, purpose and plan. This includes God’s truth, righteousness or equity and His faithfulness. 

For God is faithfulness.

Ephesians 6:11-18 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

In this letter the Apostle Paul parallels the characteristics of God with not only our salvation of receiving Jesus, receiving God, but with the transforming work of God in and our through our lives. As we live in this world damaged by evil.

The word that has been translated in this instance as faith, is the same word that is the fruit of God’s Spirit listed in Galatians. In that instance has been translated as faithfulness. 

So our shield of faith, that is God - Father, Son and Spirit’s faithfulness to their divine will, purpose and plan of salvation and judgement. God and His faithfulness is our protection from the destructive forces of the lies of the evil one and self. In His truth that He is faithful and true we have total trust in God. Where we can be at rest in Him. Living in complete freedom of the controlling, destructive forces of the lies of evil and self. 

So as we enter into this new season, God is inviting us to come up higher. To know and experience Him and His faithfulness more and more. A faithfulness that is the absolute integrity of God. He is true to His characteristics, fulfilling His purpose and plan of salvation and judgement. Bringing equity and freedom, restoration and transformation, healing and wholeness, peace and harmony.

For God is and always will be, faithfulness.

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!