What Does It Mean To Be Faithful?

• God’s Faithfulness means that His character can be trusted and His Word can be believed.

• Faithfulness is core to His character! His Word is bond and He never goes back on His promises!

How Can We Sure That God Is a Faithful Father?

• The Bible tells us He is Faithful

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” —Psalm 36:5

“Will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.” —Psalm 89:1

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” —1 Corinthians 1:9

“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

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” —1 Corinthians 10:13

“God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” —1 Thessalonians 5:24

• Faithfulness is central to His character

“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” —Romans 4:20-21

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” —Deuteronomy 7:7-8

• He has a track record of keeping His promises.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…” —Deuteronomy 7:9

“Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses.” —1 Kings 8:56

“Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” —Joshua 21:45

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” —2 Corinthians 1:20

• He promises to be faithful for the long haul.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” —Philippians 1:6

How Should We Respond To This Faithful Father?

• An unwavering confidence in Him.

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” —Hebrews 10:23

• An increasing level of faith in Him.

• A deepening love and devotion to Him.

Group Questions

Q1: How would you describe a father who is genuinely faithful to his wife, kids, or friends? Share your thoughts with the group.

Read: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Q2: How do you think these verses reveal the faithfulness of God to his children? Share the things that you find with the group.

Read: Deuteronomy 7:7-9

Q3: In these verses Moses tells the Israel that God is faithful because he loves them, and he made an oath that he intends to keep! (Underline where you see these in your Bible.) How important do you think these two character traits (love and integrity) are for a father to possess, and why do you believe that?

Read: Hebrews 10:23 and Romans 4:20

Q4: What role do you think God’s trustworthiness plays in our ability to “hold tightly without wavering” (ESV) to our belief in the heart of God?

Q5: Are you convinced that God is faithful to you? If so, how do you think you could grow in your response to that faithfulness? It may require a little vulnerability, but if you are okay with that, share it with the group.

Close your meeting by praying for one another in the spirit of Paul’s prayer over the young Ephesian church:

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” —Ephesians 1:15-16