Chapter 6
God’s Faithfulness
At the very end of his life, Joshua summoned all of Israel before him to hear a reflection of their historic past, which he would afterwards use to lead up to a solemn warning (Josh. 23:1-16). Among other things, Joshua focused in upon the faithfulness of God which brought them into the promised land they now possessed. He reminded them:
. . . You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed (v. 14, NIV).
However, Joshua knew something else about God’s faithfulness, that is, another side of it, that many seem unaware of in our day! He went on to say to those who were now enjoying the good of the land:
But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you (Josh. 23:15,16, NIV).
In other words, just as God is faithful to fulfill his good promises, he will likewise carry out his most disturbing threats! God is faithful to do both for he cannot disown himself.
This important, but disturbing, fact about the negative side of God’s faithfulness has been overlooked, intentionally or unintentionally, to the great harm of the Body of Christ. Israel’s historic future from that point in time when Joshua’s sermon was delivered is absolute proof that God is faithful to carry out his awesome threats, even to those who are his children:
For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them (Isa. 63:8-10, NKJV).
From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep (Jer. 11:7,8, NIV).
Similarly, in a different Old Testament passage we learn the same:
Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them. So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them in to the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day (2 Kings 17:13-23, NKJV).
God’s Promises Are Conditional
Though seemingly little known, it is also a fundamental, basic truth found in Scripture that God’s favorable promises or solemn threats are conditional upon our continued obedience or disobedience to him. Scripture declares:
If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it (Jer. 18:7-10, NIV).[1]
Certainly, some will say that Jer. 18:7-10 only applies to whole nations or kingdoms, but not to individuals. Therefore, such people conclude that we as individuals don’t have to remain faithful after we have personally benefited by God’s promise, especially regarding salvation. This, however, is clearly refuted by the following:
But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not just.” Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! (Ezek. 18:24-32, NIV).
Please note that an individual is treated identically to a whole nation or kingdom regarding a change for the good or bad. Sin can always be the righteous man’s downfall leading to his death (spiritual and/or physical). Kings Saul and Solomon are examples of what sin can do to the righteous. It was their personal responsibility to rid themselves of all the offenses they committed after their salvation. Though God is faithful and sovereign he would not do this for them apart from their will, nor will he fail to deal with unrepentant sin. Let us take warning and benefit by their sad examples.
It is only with all of this in mind that we should interpret Psa. 31:23, a passage which is sometimes used to support OSAS.[2] That passage from Psalms reads:
Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person (NKJV).
Notice, that verse is a promise only to the faithful saints, not those who would become proud, etc.! Furthermore, other promises, without an attached condition, should never be considered as unconditional in light of the various Scriptures already cited in this chapter and the examples of Saul and Solomon.
The following are two other passages which show that seemingly unconditional promises do have a condition attached:
Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: “I promised that your house and your father’s house would minister before me forever.” But now the LORD declares: “Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained” (1 Sam. 2:30, NIV).
If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done (Ezek. 33:13, NIV).
Jeroboam is another person we should consider. He is an example of a person who negated a terrific promise through sin. Before he came to power the prophet Ahijah said to him:
However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you (1 Ki. 11:37,38, NIV).
Unfortunately, like so many, Jeroboam’s future from that point reveals the negative side of the faithfulness of God to bring that promised blessing to a halt, due to his disobedience.
Though God is faithful there are two sides to his faithfulness. In eternity future, this will be revealed with both New Jerusalem and the lake of fire!
Also, it isn’t God’s faithfulness to us that is the real issue, but instead our faithfulness to God!
A Half Truth
Regarding the subject of God’s faithfulness, a very misleading notation can be found in the New Geneva Study Bible. This study Bible, which contains the thoughts of John Calvin and other reformers, states:
God’s faithfulness is another aspect of His goodness and praiseworthiness. People lie, and break their word; God will do neither. In the worst of times it can be affirmed: “His compassions fail not . . . Great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22, 23; Ps. 36:5; cf. Ps. 89, especially vv. 1, 2, 14, 24, 33, 37, 49). Even when circumstances are unexpected and bewildering, and threaten to hide His faithfulness, still we know that God keeps His promises to us who believe: “All have come to pass for you; not one word . . . has failed” (Josh. 23:14) (ellipses theirs).[3]
Please notice that Josh. 23:14 was quoted, but not verses 15 and 16. Therefore, only half the truth on this subject of God’s faithfulness was presented.
Again, those verses read:
But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you (Josh. 23:15,16, NIV).
How Else Is God Faithful?
We can also read of God’s faithfulness in 1 Jn. 1:9:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (NKJV).
There we learn that God is faithful to forgive and purify us of sin committed after our salvation, if we meet the condition cited—namely confessing that sin to him. It is understood we are to have a willingness to turn away from that sin. See Prov. 28:13.
God’s faithfulness is also mentioned in 1 Cor. 10:13:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (NKJV).
God is faithful not to let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. He will always provide a way out so that we can stand up under the temptation. This may result in martyrdom, as it did for Stephen (Acts 7:59,60) and Antipas (Rev. 2:13).
In spite of God’s faithfulness, there is still the free will of the individual and his personal responsibility that are involved here. If these weren’t a consideration, then no Christian would ever fall into sin or stray off into false doctrine, since God will always do his part perfectly! This is a very important point to remember. In light of this we read:
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Heb. 10:23, KJV).
In other words, even though God is faithful we must still hold fast to our Christian profession! This was the original grace teaching. It is only with our free will and human responsibilities that we can properly understand God’s faithfulness here and other passages that likewise mention his faithfulness (1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3).
Remain Faithful To Jesus
In Rev. 13:10, we also read of faithfulness, but this time it’s clearly not God’s faithfulness to us, instead it is the need of our faithfulness to him—even during the time that people for the most part will be worshiping the Antichrist! John wrote regarding this:
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints (NIV).
Very similar to that verse, and during the same time frame, we read in Rev. 14:9-12:
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus (NIV).
In addition, after his own death on the cross, Jesus told those he already purchased with his own blood of their need to be faithful to God to the end of their lives:
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death (Rev. 2:10,11, NIV).
So here again we read of faithfulness, but it’s faithfulness on the part of the saints to God—not God’s faithfulness to Christians.
According to Jesus, in that passage, it is our faithfulness to God that is needed to receive the crown of life and to prevent us from being hurt by the second death (another name for the lake of fire, Rev. 21:8)!
The Crown Of Life
There are three crowns specifically mentioned in the New Testament, though some believe there are more. They are the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory and the crown of life.
The crown of life is the most significant one to study in conjunction with the believer’s security because of its usage in Rev. 2:10, one of the only two times it is mentioned in the Bible.
The typical OSAS position regarding the crown of life is concisely presented by H. A. (Henry Allen) Ironside.
A crown of life is not salvation; it is reward. There are five crowns . . . the crown of life for those who suffer for Christ; . . . I might lose all of those crowns and yet not lose my salvation. The Word says, “If any man’s work shall be burned. . . . he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). But I do not want to be saved that way. I want to win the crown of life. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”[4]
A close examination of Rev. 2:10,11 reveals the following:
(1) Persecution is a test.
(2) To be faithful, even to the point of death refers to enduring painful persecution as a Christian without disowning Christ. See also Jn. 15:19,20 and 2 Tim. 3:12.
(3) While Rev. 2:10 shows what we receive by being faithful to the point of death, verse 11 shows what we miss—namely being hurt by the second death.
If we are not faithful to the point of death we will not get the crown of life and we will also be hurt by the second death! It’s a package deal.
The next issue that should be settled is, what is the second death? For the answer we need to go to other times it’s used—such as found in Rev. 20:14 and Rev. 21:8. These two references both clearly identify the second death as one and the same as the lake of fire.
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (Rev. 20:14, NKJV).
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death (Rev. 21:8, KJV).
In summary, the crown of life will be given to all who die with salvation, or in other words, those who don’t go to the lake of fire. It, therefore, cannot be a reward that only some of the saved will get!
The apparel for all who remain faithful to God to the point of death is a clean, white, linen robe (Rev. 6:11; 19:8) and the crown of life. While only some of the redeemed will possess the crown of righteousness and the crown of glory, all of them will possess the crown of life.
The crown of life is specifically mentioned just one other time in the Bible, that is at Jam. 1:12:
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (NIV).
Observations from Jam. 1:12 are:
(1) This life is a test.
(2) If we persevere, which is equated with passing the test, we will all receive the crown of life.
(3) Those who receive the crown of life are one and the same as those who love God.
Now let’s interject a correlating verse also from the book of James:
. . . Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (2:5, NIV).
Logically, we can now deduce the following:
● All who love God inherit the kingdom of God (Jam. 2:5).
● All who love God receive the crown of life (Jam. 1:12).
● Therefore, all who inherit the kingdom of God will receive the crown of life.
The conclusion of Jam. 2:5 and 1:12 refutes the OSAS teaching that the crown of life is a reward that only some will receive. This is important, for one must also be faithful to the point of death to get it (Rev. 2:10,11).
This means those who start off faithful to Jesus, but don’t endure, won’t receive the crown of life or inherit the kingdom of God either. Furthermore, the same will be hurt by the second death (or the lake of fire)!
By the way, there are other verses which are much clearer than Rev. 2:10 which show that we must endure or remain faithful to the end of our lives to enter the kingdom.
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first (Heb. 3:14, NIV).
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved (Mt. 10:22, KJV).
This latter passage was addressed to the apostles and their endurance was needed for salvation’s sake, not reward’s sake!
2 Timothy 2:13
Perhaps 2 Tim. 2:13 is most important in our study on God’s faithfulness. A dangerous distortion regarding it begins to surface when the OSAS teachers use this verse in a way in which it was never intended to be used. To consider the immediate context we need to examine 2 Tim. 2:11-14:
Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Keep reminding them of these things (NIV).[5]
The way some popular teachers interpret verse 13 is most disturbing, for it not only violates the immediate context, but it also goes against the whole tenure of Scripture regarding God’s faithfulness to carry out his threats! When Paul wrote 2 Tim 2:12, he probably had Jesus’ teachings on this in mind. Jesus said:
But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven (Mt. 10:33, NIV).
But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God (Lk. 12:9, NIV).
Again, Paul’s grace dogmatically asserts:
If we [Christians] disown him, he [Jesus] will also disown us (v. 12).
The OSAS teachers give an interpretation of the next verse regarding God’s faithfulness which incredibly negates this truth! For example, Swindoll said:
If you have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are still a child of God. You may deny Him, but He will never deny you. Though you are faithless, He will remain faithful. And the grace of God, the seal of the Holy Spirit, preserves you permanently. This is called the doctrine of eternal security.[6]
Swindoll’s message, which is the exact opposite of Jesus’ teaching (Mt. 10:33) and Paul’s (2 Tim. 2:12), is directly related to the doctrine of eternal security and its unscriptural view of God’s faithfulness.
Unfortunately, other OSAS teachers declare the same type of message.
Charles Stanley wrote:
. . . believers who lose or abandon their faith will retain their salvation, for God remains faithful.[7]
Charles Ryrie wrote:
. . . a believer may come to the place of not believing, and yet God will not disown him, since He cannot disown Himself.[8]
Similarly Zane Hodges states:
And even if we stop believing all this, He remains faithful!
For Him to renege on such promises would be nothing less than a denial of His own character and fidelity. But, as the apostle points out, He cannot deny Himself[9] (italics his).
Robert Thieme, Jr. teaches:
Eternal security depends on the faithfulness of God.[10]
Robert Lightner also refers to 2 Tim. 2:13:
The Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin and regeneration to the sinner. He has become the seal of our eternal salvation (Eph. 4:30). We have been received into the family of God. The only ones who could possibly break the seal would be the members of the Godhead. And they have given us their word they will never do this (2 Tim. 2:13).[11]
Charles Spurgeon proclaimed:
This faithfulness of God is the foundation and cornerstone of our hope of final perseverance.[12]
Such OSAS interpretations, if accepted, neutralize this serious warning taught first by the Lord himself, then afterwards by the Apostle Paul in 2 Tim. 2:12. Since it is obvious that one cannot remain saved and be “disowned” by Christ, we should not be surprised that the OSAS teachers would employ such an interpretation, since they seem extremely unwilling to reject their beloved doctrine even though it is clearly unscriptural.
Are the OSAS teachers calling Jesus a liar by saying he won’t disown us, if we become unfaithful to the point of disowning him? Certainly they would never do this intentionally, but doesn’t their strange interpretation of 2 Tim. 2:13 seem to lead to this inference?
Please note the original apostles disowned Christ because of the fear of persecution (Mt. 26:31-35). In fact, the Apostle Peter did this three consecutive times in the face of potential physical harm by denying he was Jesus’ disciple and that he was with him in the olive grove (Jn. 18:17-27 cf. 13:38). From this we learn that it is not just through our lifestyle that we can disown Christ! Nor is such merely hypothetical only, for it became reality for those apostles.
Furthermore, only one previously saved could become disowned by Christ, according to the context of Mt. 10:33. A saved person is referred to as belonging to Christ (Gal. 5:24), his sheep (Jn. 10:27), etc.
All this boils down to the fact that the unchanging God is faithful at all times, not only to carry out his wonderful promises of blessings, but also his most solemn warnings and threats. God will remain faithful to both for he cannot disown himself. He is a faithful God:
Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face (Deut. 7:9,10, NKJV).
As already mentioned, in spite of God’s faithfulness to us, we should be more concerned with our faithfulness to him! This is the real issue that many fail to see. Before our earthly life is over, we may have to choose to die for him or renounce our faith in Christ. If it comes to this, may we all remain faithful to Jesus as we bear in mind his eternal words to his disciples:
I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him (Lk. 12:4,5, NIV).
Ponder This . . .
There is still the free will of the individual and his personal responsibility that are involved after salvation. If these weren’t a consideration, then no Christian would ever fall into sin or stray off into false doctrine, since God will always do his part perfectly!
Sometimes we read in the Scriptures of faithfulness, and it’s faithfulness on the part of the saints—not God’s faithfulness to us! Let it be noted that it is our faithfulness to God, according to Jesus in Rev. 2:10,11, that is needed to prevent being hurt by the second death (another name for the lake of fire, Rev. 21:8)!
Are the OSAS teachers calling Jesus a liar by saying he won’t disown us, if we become unfaithful to the point of disowning him? Certainly they would never do this intentionally, but doesn’t their strange interpretation of 2 Tim. 2:13 seem to lead to this inference?
God is faithful at all times, not only to carry out his wonderful promises of blessings, but also his most solemn warnings and threats. God will remain faithful to both for he cannot disown himself. He is a faithful God. To say God won’t deny (or disown) us if we deny (or disown) him is the same as saying God can disown himself and be unfaithful to his word.
Remember, Jesus taught the following about the power of our own words and how they affect us spiritually:
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Mt. 12:37, KJV).
Clarke comments on Mt. 10:33:
33. Whosoever shall deny me. Whosoever prefers his worldly interest to his duty to God sets a greater value on earthly than on heavenly things, and prefers the friendship of men to the approbation of God. Let it be remembered that to be renounced by Christ is to have Him for neither Mediator nor Saviour. To appear before the tribunal of God without having Christ for our Advocate, and, on the contrary, to have Him there as our Judge, and a Witness against us—how can a man think of this and not die with horror![13]
Apparently some are trying to fashion God to the way they want him to be—faithful to keep his good promises but not his threats. This is not accurately representing the true and living God, but is a distortion which causes many to disobey the Creator without fear of sin’s deadly consequences.
------------------
Notes
[1] Jer. 18:7,8 contain the reason why God did not destroy Ninevah as Jonah had prophesied would occur in forty days (Jonah 3:4). This is the response the Jehovah‛s Witnesses (and others) need to hear who try to escape their own false prophesies by referring to Jonah. Another similar passage is Jer. 26:18,19.
[2] Robert A. Morey, The Saving Work of Christ (Sterling, VA: Grace Abounding Ministries, Inc., 1980), pp. 231, 232.
[3] New Geneva Study Bible (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), p. 907.
[4] H. A. Ironside, Eternal Security (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, rev. ed. 1986), pp. 42, 43.
[5] Please note that verse 14 shows that these verses were to be often repeated in the local congregations which Timothy would visit. In other words, the saints in first-century Christianity, unlike in our day, often heard verses 11 through 13.
[6] Chuck Swindoll, The Problem of Defection, audiotape YYP 6A. Swindoll is the current president of Dallas Theological Seminary.
[7] Charles Stanley, Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? (Nashville: Oliver-Nelson Books, 1990), p. 94.
[8] Charles C. Ryrie, So Great Salvation (Victor Books, 1989), p. 141.
[9] Zane C. Hodges, Absolutely Free! (Dallas, TX: Redención Viva, 1989), p. 112.
[10] R. B. Thieme, Doctrine of Eternal Security, Confidence (Houston, TX: Bible Doctrine Cassettes, 1981), lesson 186-1 Jn. 4:17b, 1981 1 John, 9/25/81.
[11] Robert P. Lightner, Sin, the Savior, and Salvation (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), p. 238.
[12] Charles H. Spurgeon, All of Grace, Classic Books for Today (Newton, KS: Herald of His Coming, 1994), #171, p. 30.
[13] Adam Clarke‛s Commentary on the Bible, Abridged by Ralph Earle (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1967), p. 790.
