Of All God’s Attributes, Faithfulness Is Near the Top

When we think about an individual, whether it’s someone we know well or a famous person we know only by reputation, certain characteristics often come to mind. They might include charisma, determination, integrity, perseverance when faced with adversity, humor, honesty, generosity, or many other qualities. We hear someone’s name and almost immediately associate one or more traits with them. 

 

What comes to mind when you think about God?

 

A comprehensive listing of His attributes could fill an entire book, even without elaborating on what each one means and how it relates to us. These would include His omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfection, mercy, love and sovereignty. You might be able to add several more to the list without a moment’s hesitation.

 

All are intertwined as part of the character of God. If it weren’t for His grace and mercy, we’d still be “dead in our sins and trespasses,” as the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1. 

 

If not for God’s limitless love, Jesus Christ would not have come to earth, not just to teach and serve as an example, but most important, to become the perfect payment in full for our sins. “[He] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and become obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Hebrews 2:7-8).

 

Some of the Lord’s attributes, such as being eternal, infinite, holy and righteous can quickly scramble our brains if we attempt to fully comprehend all that they mean.

 

One attribute or trait that has particularly stood out for me over the years is God’s faithfulness. As 2 Timothy 2:13 declares so clearly, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

 

Each of us, no matter how long we have been striving to follow Christ, has lapsed into times of faithlessness, times when we doubted or disobeyed because we somehow believed we knew better. What if God were like that, losing interest or abandoning us when we’ve gone astray? What if He gave up on us when our best efforts have fallen short, or we’ve become discouraged or disheartened?

 

Thank the Lord – literally – that’s not the case. As the verse says, even if we’re faithless, He remains faithful. God’s faithfulness is emphasized throughout the Bible. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.” The classic hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” is based on this passage.

 

Psalm 85:10-11 puts it so beautifully, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.”

 

Why is this important? Because no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, regardless of how difficult our current trials and temptations may seem, these guarantees of God’s faithfulness give us hope. Even when things look the darkest.

 

When God vows, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” both in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 31:6,8 and Joshua 1:5) and the New Testament (Hebrews 13:5), we can trust His promise will hold true no matter what. Friends and family members may fail us at times, but our Lord never will.

 

Is it any wonder that faithfulness is one of the qualities God desires for His followers? Proverbs 20:6 asks, “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?”

 

Writing to his young protégé, Timothy, the apostle Paul offered this challenge: “And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). This is at the heart of true discipleship and disciplemaking – faithful men and women helping other faithful people to grow in their faith, so they then can teach others in the same way.

 

Remaining faithful in our walk with God is crucial, but it isn’t easy. There is much to distract us and lure us away from living the kind of life He expects from us. But if we take to heart the words of the old hymn, we’ll find the assurance needed to press on, no matter what we encounter:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee.

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou has been, Thou forever will be….

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.” 

Standing on Shoulders of Giants

When we sing vintage hymns, we can be reminded we're
standing on the shoulders of giants.

Has anyone told you we’re, “standing on the shoulders of giants”? It’s used in many contexts, ranging from America’s unique system of government to science to education to entertainment to sports. It’s uncertain who originated the phrase, but 12th century theologian John of Salisbury expressed a version of it in his treatise on logic, Metalogicon, in 1159:

"We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours."

Centuries later Sir Isaac Newton, in a 1676 letter to his rival Robert Hooke, said, “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." A humble observation from Newton, regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time.

This idea, “standing on the shoulders of giants,” has resonated throughout my life in many ways. My first professional job was at a small newspaper in central Ohio, founded by a dedicated, hard-working individual in 1927. That newspaper served the area proudly for more than 50 years, and I was privileged to serve as its editor for 6½ of them. Even as a weekly publication, the Record was highly respected in its community and for a time, I stood on the shoulders of a giant.

More recently I’ve worked with several outstanding Christian ministries and non-profits also established by determined, visionary individuals. Because of their rich legacy of single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ, again I “stood on the shoulders of giants” in those organizations.

It’s important to remember those who have gone before and “raised us up.” They provided a sound foundation upon which we can build. Sadly, this notion is being lost in society today. Many seem eager to reinterpret the U.S. Constitution; some would just as soon discard it. True, it was written and enacted more than 200 years ago, but could it be the “giants” who collaborated in crafting it, our founding fathers, succeeded in producing a transcendent, timeless document?

Hymns like "Rock of Ages" reflect back on
faith that's passed on through the ages.

The same could be said of churches today, especially those that emphasize being contemporary, even “hip.” While I’ve never been a fan of the “we’ve always done it this way before” obsession with tradition, at the same time, just because something has been around awhile, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s obsolete.

For example, I enjoy praise music, typically accompanied by guitars, keyboards and drums. For some congregations, however, this has become their only form of music. I hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but while these spiritual songs are heavy on beat, they tend to be light on theology. Just as there’s room for all kinds of music in society, it would be nice to hear these occasionally joined by classics like Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” or even an old Fanny Crosby song, some of which were borrowed melodies of popular barroom tunes in her time.

It’s not a matter of musical style, cadence, or orchestration. These beloved hymns, sung through the centuries, were composed by giants of the faith and represent some of the great traditions passed down from one generation to the next. As we look to Jesus Christ and anticipate eternity beyond this life, there’s danger of losing an understanding of our heritage, the paths blazed by brothers and sisters in the faith that helped bring us to where we are today. Maybe that was the impetus behind “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” written by Isaac Watts.

“Remember” is a word that appears often in the Scriptures. Psalm 77:11 says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” It benefits us greatly to reflect on the wondrous works of God in times past.

But we’re also instructed to remember the saints who’ve gone before. “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold” (Jude 17). An Old Testament prophet stated, “A scroll of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name” (Malachi 3:16). The so-called “hall of faith” in the 11^th chapter of Hebrews recalls those who stood firm in their faith, many times facing great adversity and even death.

King Solomon warned of the consequences of forgetfulness regarding the past: “Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This was something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. These is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow” (Ecclesiastes 1:10-11).

Whether we’re using long-treasured hymns as reminders, revered statements of faith like the Apostles’ Creed and Westminster Confession of Faith, valued books and traditions, or especially accounts of Old and New Testament heroes, we must never forget that in worshiping our Lord and serving as His ambassadors, we’re “standing on the shoulders of giants.”