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Main Idea
God’s love is a faithful, eternal love.
3 Opening stories:
1. The story of selling my house (faithfulness as a transactional contract).
2. The story of the loyal soldier drafted into the military (faithfulness as honor-bound).
3. A faithful husband with an unfaithful wife (faithfulness with love in a relationship).
Faithfulness was demonstrated in each of these three stories, but each in their own unique way. As we look to God’s attribute of faithfulness, it is also shown uniquely, and that is what I want to unpack for you today.
Faithful
The faithfulness of God can be defined as His “absolute reliability, firm constancy, and determined loyalty to a gracious covenant and His covenant people.”
Faithfulness to the Covenant
God has made a covenant with His people. In human history, there were two overarching covenants: the old covenant made with Israel and the new covenant made with Jews and Gentiles.
OT
Deuteronomy 7:7–9 CSB
“The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.
In Deuteronomy, God promises to bless His people if they keep His commands and will bring curses if they fall away and rebel. In both instances, God is faithful to His word to bless their faithfulness or curse their unfaithfulness. In this way, you could say that God is operating in a way similar to how I operated in my home’s contract. We both had to abide by the terms. They had to pay the sale price, and I had to do some of the fixes they asked for.
But that is not the only demonstration of faithfulness. Throughout the Old Testament, there are promises of a coming Messiah, a future hope, and a way for the people of Israel to live in a close relationship with God. Those promises aren’t dependent on His people keeping up their end of the covenant. God will do that, even if they fall away because He has a determined loyalty to His gracious covenant. In this way, you could say that God is like the loyal soldier who is honor-bound to fulfill His duty and go to war when he is called.
As you have hopefully noticed, this goes well beyond an impersonal contract or a focus on honor and loyalty to a purpose. If we aren’t careful, we can get trapped into thinking that God’s faithfulness is primarily an obligation to fulfill. And while He does fulfill His obligations (better-called promises), God is faithful because He chose Israel, and He loves Israel. His heart is set on being devoted to them and desiring to keep His oath made to their ancestors.
This type of faithfulness is on display throughout the Old Testament, as well as the New…
NT
1 Corinthians 1:4–9 CSB
I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
- grace given
- enriched in speech and knowledge
- spiritual gifts
- strengthened
- made blameless
- called into fellowship with Jesus
- in all these ways, God has been faithful to you.
Demonstrated in the Story of the Faithful Husband
If the story of the faithful husband and unfaithful wife seems familiar, it’s likely because that is the story of Hosea (a prophet who lived in the days of Hezekiah, somewhere in the second half of the 8th century BC). And Hosea didn’t embark on his courtship endeavors by frequenting the local brothels for a suitable mate. God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute and show her what a loving, faithful husband looks like.
To many, this seems harsh. Why would God want Hosea to train-wreck his marriage from the onset by choosing a person who he knows will be unfaithful to him? The answer is simple. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer would be a living portrait of God’s relationship with Israel. Hosea was to be faithful to her and show steadfast love for her, even when she would run off to other men. This was so Israel could connect Hosea’s faithfulness to Gods, see themselves in Gomer’s waywardness, and return to their first love. Though tenuous and heartbroken, Hosea’s life was a dim reflection of God’s unwavering faithfulness to His bride – Israel.
Fruit of the Spirit
This is also the first attribute in our review that made the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Faithfulness is #7 on the list. That means faithfulness is literally an outpouring of His very nature. Apple trees bear apples because apples are a part of their DNA. Peach trees produce peaches. God’s Spirit has faithfulness in His DNA, so to speak, and when the Spirit does His work in a human life, He produces faithfulness.
But let’s go back to that final point. God isn’t faithful only because He wants to uphold the details of His covenants (Old and New) or exude the honor of being loyal to a cause or purpose. Those are elements, but the driving force is another one of His attributes: love.
Love
1 John 4:7–10 ESV
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Love defined. There are four words for love in Greek: eros, storgeo, phileo, and agape. The first is sensual love, which is not in the NT. The second is familial love, which is only used once in 2 Timothy in the negative sense (unloving).
The third is brotherly love/friendship, which is frequent in the New Testament, but agape is the chief expression of love here. It means a person who is dearly loved and cherished or one who is dearly beloved.. one you will sacrifice for and love without limit.
In 1 John, agape is from God, and God is agape. His essence is to love and cherish dearly. That is who He is. And he has demonstrated this in the most monumental way: He sent His own Son to be the propitiation for our sins. He crushed His Son on the cross so that by His sacrifice, we could be the objects of His love and not His wrath.
Volitional Love. While emotion is undoubtedly tied to this type of love, it should not be written off as simply an emotion. Agape is a volitional love… or a love of choice or will. Go back to the story of Hosea. Hosea had to choose to love his wayward wife. Imagine how difficult it would be to love a person habitually seeking out other people to be with (not just physically, but emotionally). I’m sure for Hosea, it was a daily choice to love Gomer despite her unfaithfulness to him instead of submitting to anger, betrayal, or jealousy.
And Hosea is supposed to represent God in this (very real) scenario. God loves because that is who He is. It is also what He chooses to do. Gomer represented unfaithful Israel. They were habitually running to other idols and false gods to worship, thereby committing spiritual adultery against God. And while God would chastise His people, He would always extend compassion, faithfulness, and love. He decided (according to His will) to commit Himself to Israel via the covenant He established with them, though He knew they would be unfaithful to Him. But, it was the agape of God by choice to love.
Now, let’s jump from the old to the new covenant. Do you remember what God said through Paul in Ephesians 1:4-6?
Ephesians 1:4–6 ESV
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
We are loved because that was God’s choice from the beginning of time. It was His will to shower us with agape. It is to the praise of His grace that He showers us with agape, and we have been blessed with agape in the Agapao, or the Beloved. Here, Jesus is characterized by agape love as the embodiment of it.
The Terms of Love
1 Corinthians 13:4–8 CSB
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
- patient
- kind
- doesn’t envy
- isn’t arrogant
- isn’t rude
- not selfish
- not irritable
- not resentful
- doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing
- rejoices in truth
- bears all
- believes all
- hopes all
- endures all
- never ends
This is the type of love God has, and it’s difficult to understand because we all give imperfect love. You probably don’t have to go too far back to remember a time when you were irritable with your spouse or selfish with a sibling. Seven statements on love are in the negative sense (love does not…). I believe those are there for us but highlight God’s nature in their opposites (God is never selfish, for example).
This is a prime example of how God’s love has standards. We must speak this truth to our culture, whose motto is “Love is love.” This is just a short way of saying I can love who I want, as I want, without consequence. This shows us that love cannot be certain things. It can’t be resentful, rude, or glory in wrongdoing. What is wrongdoing? God defines that in His word. As a parallel to that concept, real love rejoices in truth. What is truth? God’s word defines that for us as well! For God’s love to be pure, it must have a moral backing. God is love, but that is not all He is. He is light, truth, holy, righteous… etc.
We would do well to study this passage often… not only to learn how to love better but also to grow in our understanding of God’s love. He knows you are imperfect. Did you realize that? He knows you live in a fallen world. He calls you to be holy, but he also knows you need Jesus daily. The call to holiness is a call to faithful living throughout your entire lifetime, though you will run that race imperfectly. Have you failed in a particular area of life for what seems like the millionth time? God’s love is patient. Do you lament over old habits that you can’t seem to shake? God’s love is not irritable. He isn’t looming over you, ready to take out His anger on you. Do you feel like a bit like Gomer, where you are more drawn to the world and what it offers instead of faithfully loving God like you know you should? God’s love is not envious. He knows your struggles. Instead of viewing God as a parol officer, think of him like a Father watching his toddler wobble and fall as she tries to walk to him. He isn’t concerned about the imperfect walking. He is concerned with her getting back up again and pursuing Him with a smile.
When God said He would never condemn those in Christ, you must realize that means you (if, of course, you are in Christ). You have the consistent overflow of God’s perfect love in your life, and you can live in light of that love, not His judgment. It’s time for some of us to get off the doubt treadmill and embrace God’s eternal love. It will transform how you live!
Expectations of Love
It’s the type of love we are expected to give back to God and others. When Jesus was confronted and asked what the greatest commandment was, he replied with a simple yet monumental truth:
1. Love God with everything you’ve got.
2. Love others like you love yourself.
Or, in other words, agape God and agape others with as much passion as you agape yourself. Your life should be noticeably characterized by your growing capacity and intentionality of loving as God loves. The strongest Christians love deeply.
Fruit of Love
Love is also the first in the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Love is a natural byproduct of being with God. In fact, in this one passage, nearly all the fruit of the Spirit is a characteristic of love (patient, kind, rejoices…). Isn’t that interesting? Love is an attribute that permeates many others.
Regarding relationships, it would be difficult to take joy in someone without loving them. If we struggle to be patient with that one friend or family member (you know what I’m talking about), try focusing your efforts on loving them well. You might just find that loving them will lead to a more robust patience with their shortcomings.
So, if love intermingles with other aspects of God’s being, I wonder if the same is true of faithfulness.
Faithful Love
We’ve seen what faithfulness is, and we’ve unpacked the specific type of love that God embodies. We’ve seen these two attributes mentioned together, but is God’s faithfulness also characterized or infused with love?
You bet it is!
Some translations mention God’s love as faithful (the CSB does this often). Others translate the word faithful as steadfast… so God has a steadfast love (the ESV does this often). Either way, it communicates the same thing.
First, let’s look at Hosea. Amid the living demonstration of God’s faithfulness to His people, He says this:
Hosea 6:6 CSB
For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
In this instance, not only is God demonstrating His faithful love to Israel, but it is also what He wants in return.
Psalm 89 boasts of God’s faithful love. The first four verses set the tone for all fifty-two. Take a look with me:
Psalm 89:1–4 CSB
I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth. For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.” The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah
Go and read it this week. Be filled with a robust expression of God’s faithful love, and know this love is yours.
Psalm 103 is another declaration of God’s faithful love. Embrace its truth and watch as your life transforms in the power of these two amazing attributes.
Psalm 103:4–11 ESV
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
You could spend ten lifetimes investigating and embracing the multi-faceted aspects of God’s love. Still, even then, you could only dig down to the water’s edge of that immense iceberg.
Takeaways
Many of us carry around the weight and guilt of our shortcomings. God’s love calls you out of that mindset of condemnation. His love bears all. Jesus bore the penalty for those sins. Let God’s faithful love breathe life into your weary soul today. His love endures all. Every sin you have or will commit has been dealt with. Let God’s faithful love remove those chains so you can walk with Him in peace and joy.
God is unwaveringly dependable. Faithfulness means you can trust God and take Him at His word. He can’t go back on it. All His promises are true.
God’s love is for the sinner. If you find yourself on the shame treadmill, realize that because of His love, Jesus died for the sinner and the ungodly. If you find yourself falling short, you are exactly who He had in mind.
You don’t need to fear God. Once you are an object of God’s love, you can never be an object of His wrath. Perfect love casts out fear of condemnation and wrath and frees you to walk in the adoration of a Father’s love for his child.
Questions to Consider
- In what ways does the story of Hosea and Gomer reflect God’s unwavering faithfulness to His people despite their unfaithfulness?
- How is God’s faithfulness demonstrated through His covenant with His people in the Old and New Testaments? How does this differ from a typical human contract?
- Explain the correlation between God’s love and His faithfulness. How are these two attributes intertwined and complement each other in demonstrating His character?
- How does understanding the depth of God’s love and faithfulness free believers from the fear of condemnation and empower them to live a life rooted in His grace and love?