## He Is Faithful

## Hebrews 11:8

This morning, I want us to consider a couple of words that we find in the Scriptures. They are very similar, but they do not mean the same thing.

Faith = Confidence in or dependence on a person, statement, or thing as trustworthy.

Faithful = True or trustworthy in the performance of a duty, the fulfillment of promises or obligations.

A person can have true faith, without being truly faithful. We have a number of examples of this in Hebrews 11. This chapter deals with the faith of individuals, not their faithfulness. They were not always faithful, and neither are we!

Note: v8

(Gen 12:1) "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:"

1. Abraham didn't leave his kindred; he took them with him.

Verse 11

(Gen 18:13) "And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?"

2. Sarah laughed when the angel of God spoke of her having a child in her old age.

Verse 24-25

(Exo 2:12) "And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand."

(Exo 2:15) "Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well."

3. Moses was a murderer, who fled from Egypt in fear of his life.

Now, what am I trying to say here? Even people who were great in faith, were not always faithful to God. That is true today as well. Faithfulness in our society today is practically a forgotten attribute. We see unfaithfulness in nearly every aspect of daily responsibility:

1. Unfaithfulness to the employer. Work habits; attendance; starting on time.
2. Unfaithfulness to the husband/wife.
3. Unfaithfulness to the society. Steal; rob; taking advantages.
4. Unfaithfulness to God.

Faithfulness seems to exist only when and where it will benefit the one who is being faithful. There was a time when faithfulness was expected of each citizen. Now unfaithfulness is the norm. Except when it comes to God!

I. He Is Faithful To Save

A. (Heb 10:23) "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"

1. "Profession of our faith" means to acknowledge faith in Christ Jesus.

a. The only action that must be rendered by the sinner is to place faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

b. That faith includes repentance toward God and the acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ that was offered upon Calvary.

c. We require people to make public their profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

d. We baptize them upon that profession of faith.

2. "Hold fast" means to "keep in our memory"; "to not forget"; "to retain".

a. I've have heard people making reference to another person being saved and them not even know it.

b. Impossible! No one can be born again and not know it.

c. That is like being born of the flesh and not know it.

B. Salvation Is Available To All.

(John 6:37) "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

1. How does one come to Christ?

2. A moment ago I said, "Repentance toward God, and acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus that was offered on the cross of Calvary."

3. Only through this approach is salvation available to you or to anyone else.

4. There is no other way to heaven, than through the Door, Jesus Christ.

C. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.

1. Are you running from God?

2. Why not stop running, and come to Him.

3. Turn around, repent, and go to Him.

4. He will save.

5. He is faithful in that which He has promised.

(Rom 10:13) "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

D. That's faithfulness on God's part.

1. He has never said, "No!" to anyone, and He certainly will not say, "No!" to you.

2. Trust Him. Turn To Him. Accept Him. He is faithful to save.

II. He Is Faithful To Sustain

(2 Th 3:3) "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."

A. He Is Faithful.

1. What did we say "Faithful" meant?

2. True or trustworthy in the performance of a duty, the fulfillment of promises or obligations

3. He will not fail you.

4. He will always be there when you need Him.

Heb 13:5b, "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

5. Make that part of your life.

6. Make that as real as your address at home.

7. He is faithful.

B. "Who Shall Stablish You."

1. Stablish means: "to set fast, or to strengthen."

2. This is talking about life after salvation.

3. This is God doing what we cannot do.

4. This is the part that makes the life of a saint of God so wonderful.

5. Have you ever seen a metal post set in the ground in concrete?

6. It's set fast. It is solid. It is unmovable. It is there to stay.

7. He sustain us in that He sets us fast in His plan of redemption.

8. We are stablished there.

C. "And keep you from evil."

1. He will keep us from the "evil one".

2. The one who walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

3. He will keep us from the evil that the "evil one" will attempt to bring into our life.

III. He Is Faithful To Deliver

(1 Cor 10:13) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

A. In Time Of Temptation.

(James 1:12) "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."

1. Enduring temptation.

a. He is faithful to deliver.

b. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which you can withstand.

2. Victory over temptation brings the crown of life.

3. Temptation comes to everyone.

a. "...is common to man."

b. Everyone is tempted.

c. But He is faithful to deliver us in time of temptation.

d. He will make a way of escape.

4. He will deliver from the temptation if we will turn to Him.

B. In Time Of Trouble. He will deliver.

1. Whatever that trouble is, He will deliver us out of it.

2. He may not deliver us at the very moment we think He should.

3. Don't forget, He is the one who is delivering, and He knows when to deliver.

C. In Time Of Fear. He will deliver.

(Psa 56:3) "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

D. In Time Of Need. He will deliver.

1. We are talking about a God who knows everything.

2. We are talking about a God who can do everything and anything.

3. We are talking about a God who knows our every need.

4. He will deliver. He is faithful.

IV. He Is Faithful To His Promises

(Heb 10:23) "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"

A. There is so much that we could go in to here on this matter of His promises.

1. He promises His love.

2. He promises Eternal life.

3. He promises Protection.

4. He promises Food, clothing, and shelter.

5. He promises us a home in heaven.

6. He promises us salvation.

7. He promises us all our needs will be met.

8. He promises He will never sleep nor slumber.

B. There are hundreds and hundreds of promises in the Bible.

C. He is faithful that promised!

V. He Is Faithful To Forgive.

(1 John 1:9) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

A. We will sin.

1. Not we might, or we can, but we will.

2. As Christians, we still have the sin nature.

3. We stumble and fall as we try to walk with Him.

4. But thank God for this truth.

B. There is forgiveness to the sinning saint.

1. Whatever sin it is, if we confess it, He is faithful and just to forgive.

2. There is no sin too big, none too awful, none too ungodly that He will not forgive.

C. Notice the remainder of that verse, "...and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1. He doesn't just forgive of that one sin, but cleanses us of all sins.

2. What does it say? "He is faithful".

3. He will forgive every time.

a. Every time I confess, He will forgive.

b. If I do the same sin the next day, He will forgive.

D. He is faithful!

He is faithful...

- To save us
- To sustain us
- To deliver us
- To keep His promises to us
- To forgive us our sins

Will you come today? Come to the One who is faithful. Come now without delay whatever the need may be. He is faithful.