OF THE FAITHFULNESS
OF GOD
John Gill
Faithfulness is an attribute
that belongs to God; from whence he is denominated the "faithful God",
#De 7:9. It is essential to him, and without which he would not be God; to be
unfaithful, would be to act contrary to his nature, to deny himself, #2Ti 2:13 an unfaithful God would be no God at all; it is a most
glorious perfection of his nature; it is "great", like himself; yea,
it is infinite; "Great is thy faithfulness", #La 3:23 it relies to
all persons and things God has any concern with; it is all around him; he is,
as it were, clothed and covered with it; and there is none in any creature like
unto it, #Ps 89:8. There is faithfulness in the holy angels, and in good men,
but not like what is in God; and therefore he puts no trust
in them, #Job 4:18 his faithfulness is invariably the same; it has never failed
in anyone instance, nor never will; it is established in the heavens, and will
continue to all generations, #Ps 89:2,24,33 119:90 Jos 23:14 otherwise there
would be no firm foundation for trust and confidence in him; but he is the
"faithful Creator", and covenant God and Father of
his people; to whom they may safely commit themselves, and depend upon him for
all mercies promised, both temporal and spiritual, #1Pe 4:19 1Th 5:23,24 for
the faithfulness of God chiefly lies in the performance of his word, which is
certain, with respect to all that is spoken by him; for "hath he said, and
shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it
good?" Verily he will, #Nu 23:19 Lu 1:45. And it appears,
1. First, In the performance
of what he has said with respect to the world in general; as, that it shall
never more be destroyed by a flood, as it once was; and for a token and
confirmation of it, God has set the rainbow in the cloud; and now four thousand
years are gone since the covenant was made; and God has been
faithful to it, though the earth has been sometimes threatened with destruction
by violent storms, and sudden inundations; see #Ge 9:11-16 Isa 54:9. Also that
the ordinances of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars, shall not depart, but
always continue in their being, use, and influence; and now they have kept
their course, or station, and have done their office,
exactly and punctually, for almost six thousand years; see #Jer 31:35,36 33:25.
Likewise that the revolutions of the time, and seasons of the year, should keep
their constant course; that, "while the earth remaineth, seedtime and
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not
cease", #Ge 8:22 and so it has always been, and still is, in one part of
the world or another, according to the different climates.
Remarkable was the faithfulness of God to the Jewish nation, in that their land
required rain only at two seasons of the year, and God promised it to them, and
which they always had; though sometimes so ungrateful as not to fear him who
gave them rain, "both the former and the latter, in his season", and
"reserved" for them "the appointed weeks of the harvest",
#Jer 5:24 see #De 11:14,15 and whereas God has given reason
to expect that his creatures should be preserved in their being, and provided
for by him, with the necessaries of life; he has not left himself without a
witness to his faithfulness, in all ages and nations, giving rain from heaven
and fruitful seasons; and so filling the hearts of his creatures with food and
gladness; whose eyes all of them wait upon him, and he gives
them their meat in due season, #Ac 14:17 Ps 36:5,6 145:15,16. And from all this
it may be strongly concluded, that whatsoever God has said concerning the
world, which is yet to be fulfilled, shall be most certainly done; as the
judgment of it, the end and consummation of all things in it, the conflagration
of it, and the making new heavens and a new earth, wherein will dwell
righteousness, #2Pe 3:7-13.
2. Secondly, The faithfulness
of God appears in the fulfilment of what he has said with respect to Christ,
and the salvation of men by him; both of what he has said of him, and of what
he has said to him: and, indeed, the faithfulness of God is displayed in Christ
as in a mirror.
2a. In the performance of what
he has said of him; as that he should be born of a woman, be of the seed of
Abraham, spring from the tribe of Judah, arise out of the family of David, be
born of a virgin at Bethlehem, and converse much in Galilee, #Ge 3:15 22:18 #Ge
49:10 2Sa 7:12,13 Mic 5:2 Isa 7:14 9:1,2 and suffer, and die, and work out the salvation of his people, #Ps 22:1-31 Isa 53:1-12
#Isa 25:9 35:4 49:6 all which has been fully accomplished, #Mt 1:1,18-23
2:5,6,8,11,22,23 4:13-16 Lu 1:68-72 1Co 15:3.
2b. In the performance of what
he said to Christ, or promised him; as that he would help
him, and strengthen him, as man and mediator, in the great work of redemption
and salvation; and which help and strength Christ expected, and believed he
should have, and had it, #Ps 89:21 Isa 50:7,9 49:8 and that though he should
die, and be laid in the grave and buried; yet he would raise him from the dead,
and that on the third day; and which was accordingly done, #Ps 16:10 Ho 6:2 1Co 15:4 and that when he had done his work, being delivered
unto death for the sins of his people, and raised again for their
justification, he should be glorified at his right hand, in his human nature;
and accordingly, Christ having done his work, pleaded this promise, and it was
fulfilled, #Ps 110:1 Joh 17:4,5 Php 2:9,10 and that he should see his seed have
a numerous offspring, which should continue to the end of
the world, #Isa 53:10 Ps 89:4,29,36 and which has been accomplished in the
numerous conversions both among Jews and Gentiles, in the first ages of
Christianity; and which have continued, more or less, ever since; and will
still more manifestly appear when the nation of the Jews shall be born at once,
and the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in.
2c. The faithfulness of God is
displayed in the person, office, and works of Christ. This, as all other divine
perfections, is common to each person in the Godhead, and shines resplendently
in the Son of God, "the brightness of his Father's glory", who has
every perfection the Father has; so that he that has seen the Son has seen the Father, the same perfections being in the one as in the other,
and this of faithfulness among the rest; which is to be seen in Christ as in a
mirror, or glass; and an estimate may in some measure be taken, and judgment
made of the faithfulness of God, by what appears in his Son; who has been
"faithful to him that appointed him" to his office as Mediator. Moses
was faithful in the house of God, as a servant; but Christ
as a Son over his own house, #Heb 3:2-6 and whose faithfulness may be observed,
2c1. In the
performance of his engagements: he engaged to be the
Surety of his
people; to stand in their place and stead; to
do
and suffer for them what should be required, and to take
care of all
their affairs and concerns for time and
eternity; and
accordingly, he is become the Surety of the
better
testament, #Heb 7:22 he engaged to be the Saviour and
Redeemer of
them; he is often spoken of as such in the Old
Testament;
that is, as one who had engaged to work out their
redemption
and salvation; and which he has now obtained, and
become the
author of, #Heb 5:9 9:12 he engaged to come into
the world, in
order to do this work, saying, "Lo, I come";
and he is
come, and has done it; and that he came into the
world,
and has done this for sinners, the chief of sinners,
is a
"faithful saying"; in which the faithfulness of God in
his promises,
and of Christ in his engagements, is
abundantly
displayed, #1Ti 1:15 he engaged to come and
fulfil the
law, both its precepts and its penalty, and to
become
a sacrifice for sin; ceremonial sacrifices being
insufficient,
#Ps 40:6-8 and he is accordingly become the
fulfilling
"end of the law for righteousness to all that
believe";
and has offered himself, soul and body, without
spot to God;
"a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour"; and
whereby
sin has been fully expiated and put away, #Ro 10:4
#Heb 9:14, 26
Heb 10:5-10 he engaged to pay off the debts of
his people,
and by being their Surety, become responsible
for them, and
to clear off all their scores; which he has
done to the
uttermost farthing, and blotted out the
handwriting
of ordinances against them. In short, he
engaged to
feed the flock of God, to take the whole care and
oversight of
it; and he does feed his flock like a shepherd,
and has shown
himself to be the good and faithful one, by
laying down
his life for the sheep, #Zec 11:4,7 Isa 40:11
2c2. The
faithfulness of Christ is seen in his discharge of the
trust reposed
in him, which is very large and great; the
Father hath
"given all things into his hand", #Joh 3:35 all
the
persons of his elect to be kept, preserved, and saved by
him; and so
they are and shall be, even everyone of them,
whom Christ
will present to his Father, and say, "Behold, I,
and the
children which God hath given me"; not one is lost,
#Heb 2:13.
Christ is entrusted with a fulness of grace, to
supply
the wants of his people; it has been his Father's
pleasure,
that it should dwell in him for their use; he has
deposited it
with him, to communicate it to them, as they
need it; and
he has been faithful to do it, in all ages and
generations;
he has been to all his churches, and to all his
saints,
in every period of time, "A fountain of gardens, a
well of
living waters, and streams from Lebanon", #So 4:15
saints both
of the Old and New Testament, have "all received
of his
fulness, and grace for grace", #Joh 1:16. Eternal
life and
happiness is in his hands, and he has a power to
give
it to as many as the Father has given him; and he is
faithful in
the use of that power, and does give it to all
his sheep, so
that none of them shall ever perish,
#1Jo 5:11 Joh
17:2 10:28 yea, the glory of all the divine
perfections,
as concerned in the salvation of men, was
entrusted
with Christ; and he has been faithful "in things
pertaining to
God", as well as in making "reconciliation for
the sins of
the people"; and in doing the one he has taken
care of the
other. The glory of God is great in the
salvation of
men, even of his justice and holiness; as well
as
of his wisdom, power, faithfulness, grace, and mercy,
#Heb 2:17 Ps
20:5 85:10.
2c3. Christ
has appeared to be faithful in the exercise of his
offices, as
Prophet, Priest, and King: in the exercise of
his
prophetical office; for which he was abundantly
qualified, by
lying in the bosom of his Father, and so privy
to his whole
mind and will, which he has faithfully
declared; all
that he heard of the Father, all the words and
doctrines he
gave him, as man, he made known to his
disciples;
in doing which, he sought not his own glory, but
the glory of
him that sent him; and therefore must be true
and faithful,
and no unrighteousness or unfaithfulness in
him, #Joh
1:18 7:16-18 15:15 17:8 and therefore is justly
entitled to
be called the Amen, and faithful Witness,
#Re
3:14. In the exercise of his priestly office; in which
he is
faithful to him that appointed him; and rightly bears the
character of
a faithful high priest, in that he has offered
up himself to
make atonement for the sins of his people; and
as the
Advocate for them, even Jesus Christ the righteous,
faithful,
and true; and takes perfect care, in all things,
of the house
of God, over which he is a priest, #Heb 2:17
#Heb 3:1,2
10:21 9:14 1Jo 2:1. And in the exercise of his
kingly
office; all whose administrations in it are just and
true;
righteousness being the girdle of his loins, and
faithfulness
the girdle of his reins; and with great
propriety is
he called "faithful and true, since in
righteousness
he doth judge and make war", #Re 15:3 19:11
#Isa 11:5.
2c4.
The faithfulness of Christ is manifest in the fulfilment of
his promises,
which he made to his disciples; as, that he
would not leave
them comfortless, but come and see them; as
he did, after
his resurrection, and comforted them with his
presence, and
filled them with joy at the sight of him,
#Joh
14:18 20:20 that they should receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit,
and therefore were bid to wait at Jerusalem for
it, and where
it was bestowed upon them, on the day of
Pentecost, in
a very large and extraordinary manner,
#Ac 1:4
2:4,33, that he would be with them in the
administration
of his word and ordinances; and accordingly
did go forth
and work with them, confirming the word by
signs
following, #Mt 28:19, 20 Mr 16:20 yea, he has
promised his
presence with his ministers and churches to the
end of the
world, and that even "where two or three are
gathered
together in his name, he will be in the midst of
them",
#Mt 18:20 28:20 and he makes his word good, which
the
experience of his ministers and people in all ages
confirms: he
has promised also to come again, and take his
disciples and
faithful followers to himself, that where he
is
they may be also; and which was not only verified in his
immediate
disciples, but in his saints in all ages, whom,
when they
have served their generation according to the will
of God, he
comes and takes them to himself, by death; and
"to them
that look for him, will he appear a second time,
without
sin, unto salvation". #Joh 14:2,3
Heb 9:28.
2c5. The
faithfulness of Christ may be observed in his concern
with the
covenant of grace, and the promises of it; the
covenant was
made with him as the Head and Representative of
his
people, and stands fast with him; all the blessings of
it are lodged
with him, and faithfully dispensed by him; the
promises were
made to him, who only actually existed when
they were made,
and to whom only they could be given; he was
the Amen, and
faithful Witness of them, of their being made;
and
they are Yea and Amen in him; by whose blood the
blessings and
promises of it are ratified and confirmed; and
therefore
called, "the blood of the everlasting covenant":
and it is in
and through him that believers come to have an
interest in
the promises, a right unto them, and to be
partakers
of them, #Ps 89:3,24 Re 3:14 2Co 1:20 Heb 13:20
#Eph 3:6. And
now by the faithfulness of Christ thus
manifestly
displayed, may be learnt somewhat more of the
attribute of
faithfulness, as it is in God. Which leads on
to consider,
3. Thirdly, The faithfulness
of God in the performance of what he has said in the covenant, and the promises
of it, with respect to his special people. God is denominated
"faithful", from his keeping covenant and mercy with them, #De 7:9
every covenant God has made with man, he has been faithful in: he made a covenant with Adam, as the head and representative of his posterity,
promising a continuance of happiness to him and his, provided he remained in
his state of innocence; and threatening with death, in case of disobedience.
Adam was unfaithful, and broke the covenant; "they, like Adam, have
transgressed the covenant", #Ho 6:7. But God was faithful to it, and
deprived him of his happiness, and pronounced the sentence
of death on him and his. God made a covenant with Noah, and all the creatures,
promising that he would no more destroy the world by a flood; and he has faithfully
kept it, as before observed. He made a covenant with Abraham, that he would
make him the father of many nations, and that kings should spring from him, and
that he would give to his posterity the land of Canaan: the
former part of which was verified in the Ishmaelites, Israelites, Edomites,
Midianites, and others, with their kings, which were of him: and the latter
part, by putting the people of Israel in possession of Canaan, by Joshua; which
they held long by the tenure of their obedience, according to his promise; but
when they broke the covenant, he destroyed them from it, as he threatened, #Ge
17:5,6 #Jos 21:43 23:16. He made a covenant at Sinai, with
all the people of Israel; and, according to his engagements, continued to them
their blessings, natural, civil, and religious; but they were not steadfast in
his covenant, and he dispossessed them of them. But the grand and principal
covenant, is the covenant of grace; which God has made in Christ with all his
elect, and is ordered in all things, and sure; and which he will never break, and they cannot; and which will never be removed,
but ever be inviolably kept; and there are promises of various sorts, which God
has graciously made to his people, and which are faithfully performed by him.
3a. Some of a temporal nature;
for "godliness" and godly men have "the promise of
the life that now is", of things belonging to it, as well as "of that
which is to come", #1Ti 4:8 these their heavenly Father knows they have
need of, and therefore provides them for them, and promises them unto them. He
has said, "that they that seek the Lord shall not want any good
thing", #Ps 34:10 they shall have that which is good, as every creature of
God is good, good food and good raiment; though it may be
but mean, yet it is good, and better than the best of men deserve; and they
want not any, that God, in his infinite wisdom, sees is good for them; for
though they and others may think it would be better for them if they had a
greater affluence of the things of this life; but God thinks otherwise, and
knows it would be to their hurt, as sometimes riches are: he has bid his people
"trust in the Lord, and do good", and has
promised, they "shall be fed", #Ps 37:3 not all of them with dainties
and delicious food, but with food convenient for them; he has assured them,
their "bread shall be given them", and their: "waters shall be
sure", #Isa 33:16 and this is sufficient to support and confirm his
faithfulness: nor is the poverty of some of God's people any objection to it,
since he has nowhere promised them the riches of this
world, and has given them no reason to expect them; but he has promised them
better riches, durable riches, and righteousness, the riches of grace and
glory, and these he gives to them; see a testimony from David's experience of
the faithfulness of God, with respect to temporal things, #Ps 37:25. God has
not promised his people security from outward afflictions; but rather has
suggested to them that they may look for them; since his
people are described as a poor and afflicted people; and it is their common
case; many are the afflictions of the righteous; it is what they are appointed
to, and what are appointed for them; but then God has promised that they shall
work for their good; either for their temporal good, as Jacob's afflictions
worked for his; or for their spiritual good, the exercise and increase of grace
and holiness; and always for their eternal good, #2Co 4:17
and also that he will be with them in them, support them under them, and
deliver out of them in due time: all which is faithfully performed by him, #1Co
10:13.
3b. Others are of a spiritual
nature; and the principal of these is, and which is the sum
of the covenant, "They shall be my people, and I will be their God",
#Jer 32:38 and which appears in their election, redemption, and the effectual
calling; which is saying, that he has a special love and affection for them,
and will continue it, as he does: nor are his chastisements of them, his hiding
his face from them for a time, his displeasure at them, and being angry with
them, any objection to the perpetuity of his love; since
these are not contrary to it, but rather the fruits of it, and for their good:
it signifies, that they shall have his gracious presence with them, and may
expect it, and which they have; nor do their doubts, and fears, and complaints
disprove it, #Isa 41:10 49:14-16 which are generally owing to their ignorance
and unbelief; God is with them, and they know it; however, he is never far from
them, nor long; he does not depart from them, nor withdraw
his gracious presence from them totally and finally: it assures them of his
protection, that he will be all around them, guard them, and secure them,
preserve and keep them by his power, through faith unto salvation, as he does; for
though they may fall into sin, yet they rise again by his grace; and though
they fall into temptation, and by it, yet they are delivered out
of it; they are kept from a final and total falling away; they are not of them
that draw back unto perdition: in a word, this promise is expressive of their
enjoyment of God here, and for evermore; and he is their shield, and exceeding
great reward; their portion in life, at death, and for ever; their all in all.
There are
many particular spiritual promises made to the people of God; and which are
made good by him; as, that he will sprinkle clean water upon them, and cleanse
them from all their sins; which is to be understood of justifying grace,
through the blood of Christ; that he will forgive their iniquities, and
remember their sins no more; and he is just in doing it, upon the account of
the blood of his Son, and faithful to his own promise, #1Jo
1:9 that he will give them new hearts and new spirits, which he does in
regeneration; and take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh; as
he does, when he removes the hardness of the heart, and gives evangelical
repentance unto life; that he will put his laws in them, and write them in
their minds; not only give knowledge of them, but both a disposition and grace
to observe them; working in them both to will and to do of
his good pleasure: that he will put his Spirit into them, and give them
spiritual strength to keep his statutes, and perform every duty; that he will
carry on his good work of grace in them, and perform it, until the day of
Christ; of which they may be confident, since he has promised it; that he will
give them more grace, a sufficiency of it, and supply all their
need out of the fulness in Christ; and that his fear shall be continually in their
hearts; and they shall not depart from him, but persevere in faith and holiness
to the end. All which promises, and more, are faithfully and truly performed in
all his people; see #Jer 31:33,34 #Jer 32:38-40 Eze 36:25-27.
3c. There
are other promises which respect the life to come; the eternal happiness of the
saints in another world: the apostle speaks of the promise of this, "as
the promise", by way of eminency, as if it was the only promise, or,
however, the principal one, in which all others issue and end; "This is
the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life", #1Jo 2:25 and
this is an ancient one, made before the world began, and by
God, that "cannot lie", #Tit 1:2 who is faithful and true, and will
most certainly perform it; wherefore, "Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him", #Jas 1:12.
4.
Fourthly, The faithfulness of God appears in fulfilling his threatenings, as
well as his promises. God threatened Adam, that in the day he eat of the
forbidden fruit, he should surely die; and he immediately became mortal, death
began at once to work in him; his soul was seized directly with a spiritual or
moral death, guilt, and terror of conscience, a sense of divine wrath, and
deprivation of the divine presence, and he became liable to
eternal death; nor had he any reason to expect any other, until he heard that
the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; and the sentence of
death passed on him, and all his posterity in him, as soon as he had sinned,
according to the divine threatening, #Ro 5:12. God threatened the inhabitants
of the old world with a flood to destroy them, for their impiety and
wickedness; and though his patience and forbearance were
for a long time exercised, yet he was faithful to his word, and brought it upon
the world of the ungodly, and destroyed them all. God threatened the people of Israel with captivity, and other
judgments, if they walked not in his ways, and broke his statutes; of which see
#Le 26:1-46 De 28:1-68 all which grievous threatenings, and sore judgments,
have been exactly fulfilled in that people, and remain to
this day; who are a standing proof of God's faithfulness in this respect. And
as God has threatened men with the burning of the world, and the works of it,
and the wicked in it; and damnation to all unbelieving and impenitent sinners,
they may be assured of it, and expect it; for as it is most true, and may be
depended upon, that "he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved"; so it is equally as true, and as surely to be
depended on, that "he that believeth not, shall be damned", #Mr
16:16. Nor is it any objection to the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his
threatenings, that Nineveh was spared, when it was threatened, that in forty
days it should be overthrown; since there was a condition implied, a secret
proviso made, "except they repented"; and which their hope of mercy, and the mercy shown them upon their repentance,
fully confirm; and so the veracity and faithfulness of God is sufficiently
secured; and, indeed, in many promises and threatenings, respecting temporal
things, a condition is either openly expressed, or secretly understood;
according to which God in providence proceeds, #Jer 18:7-10.