Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Friday, January 13, 2017
Faithfulness is an attitude to something in life which you love, respect, admire, or recognize its authority.
God is faithful to us in rebound - 1Jo 1:9 "If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and righteous, with the result that he forgives us our sins [known sins] and cleanses us from all unrighteousness [unknown sins]." [1Co 11:31; Jer 3:13; Psa 32:5, 38:18.]
JER 3:13 'Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God And you have not obeyed My voice,' declares the Lord.
There is no merit in naming a sin. Legalism says you must feel sorry to be forgiven but grace says that how you feel is not the issue.
A. Name it, 1Jo 1:9 B. Isolate it, Heb 12:15 C. Forget it, Phi 3:13 D. Keep moving, Phi 3:14
Grace forgiveness is never a license to sin but is the motivation to press on to spiritual maturity.
God's faithfulness is also manifested in His perfect plan, - 1Co 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Knowing every sin, every human good deed, and every evil thing we would ever do, God still selected us to have human life at birth, and elected us to equal privilege and opportunity at the new birth.
God's faithfulness is also manifest in logistical grace provision and supergrace blessing, 1TH 5:24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
If He could do the most for us at salvation, it follows, a fortiori, that He can provide the lesser blessing of logistical grace support in time.
ROM 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
God's faithfulness is revealed in testing, 1Co 10:13; 2Co 4:17; Rom 8:18.
1CO 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.
2CO 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
ROM 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
We are even tested in the area of logistical grace support from God to see if we are going to trust in His faithfulness.
We are also tested regarding our love of doctrine versus social life, loved ones, our failures, other distractions, and our families.
As a part of God's faithfulness, He always provides the doctrine or the opportunity to get the doctrine necessary to pass each test before it comes.
God is faithful to the Royal family of God, Heb 10:23-25.
The more doctrine you have in your soul, the more you see God's perfect character, and the faster you will advance to spiritual maturity.
God is even faithful to the apostate believer, 2TI 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
God is faithful in keeping the degenerate believer alive for discipline.
God is faithful to the believer in the realm of the angelic conflict.
2TH 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
God's faithfulness becomes a reality as you advance to and reach spiritual maturity.
DEU 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God,"
God is faithful to us and He is not only faithful to tell us the best but He is also faithful to tell us the worst.
God is faithful in keeping His promises, 2CO 1:20 For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes;
NUM 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
HEB 10:23 He who promised is faithful;
1Pe 4:19 Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
PSA 119:75 I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.
God is not only faithful in stopping affliction but in sending it as well.
PSA 89:33 "But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
God the Father is faithful in Jam 1:17. TLJC is faithful in Heb 13:8. The holy spirit is faithful to indwell us Joh 14:16 and to teach us, 1Jo 2:27.
Emotion is irrational and can't think in terms of doctrine at all.
God delivered them, and then He tested them, and then they failed, and then God delivered them.
They had the most awful lifestyle, and they did it to themselves, like we do as Gal 6:7 teaches.
They were lovers of security rather than lovers of God. Why? Because they had the slave mentality.
Prin - If you put your personal security above everything else in life, you have a slave mentality.
While they were traveling the Jews owned no land and had no means of growing their own food.
The Jews did not call this bread but manhu...manhu...manhu What is it? What is it? What it is? - Then they finally called it manna = logistical grace provision from God.
Manna was a challenge to the daily function of the faith-rest drill for God had specified definite requirements which are equivalent to a challenge of positive volition toward the word of God.
The Lord not only gave them the manna, but he also gave them instructions to follow concerning the manna.
Here again, we have the importance of following the Lord's directions or doing a right thing in a right way.
The PPOG is a strict system of procedure based upon the accurate teaching of the Word of God.
And with the introduction of human power and energy of the flesh function, sloppiness occurs.
In His grace, God has developed a system which is totally impossible for human power to live in.
Sloppy procedure is always related to emotion, to human works, and to human activity, and is always a manifestation of arrogance.
The PPOG is based upon the fact that God has only one way of doing a thing: the right way.
Prin - The believer who flunks the procedure test ends up functioning in Satan's cosmic system.
Learning God's procedures is especially hindered by the two great enemies of the Christian: Ignorance and Arrogance.
Eph 5:15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise.
As far as the manna was concerned, first of all you had to learn and get to know the doctrine, and then you had to believe it.
Once you believe it, then you have the availability of the faith-rest life where upon you wait and rest for the manna from heaven to be dropped down from heaven.
You have to have the knowledge of the mechanics of the PSD and then you must have integrity or the spiritual strength to do it.
It's like a soldier, he must have physical strength to be prepared, but then he must have the integrity to fight when needed.
Manna was a challenge to the professionalism of the spiritual life which was in the case for the Jews -- the faith rest drill.
God provided every day the perfect food - every day except one, food was provided.
Food was provided from Sunday to Friday , every morning food was provided for the rebellious children of Israel.
They had to gather every day, just enough for one day only.
On Friday morning, they gathered a double portion because Saturday was the Sabbath and the Jews were to do no work on Saturday which was the Sabbath.
God had a system, and you had to know the system.
You couldn't gather a double portion whenever you wanted to because if you did it bred or produced worms.
If you went out on the Sabbath day and looked for something to eat...there would be nothing there. Why? Because you had to do it God's way.
Following the correct procedure and doing things God's way is one of the greatest manifestations of a believer's love, respect and worship toward God.
A right thing must be done in a right way.