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Forever Faithful
“One of the most tragic events during the Reagan Presidency was the Sunday morning
terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, in which hundreds of Americans were killed or
wounded as they slept. Many of us can still recall the terrible scenes as the dazed survivors
worked to dig out their trapped brothers from beneath the rubble.
After that tragedy, Marine Corps commandant Paul X. Kelly, visited some of the wounded
survivors then in a Frankfurt, Germany, hospital. Among them was Corporal Jeffrey Lee
Nashton, severely wounded in the incident. Nashton had so many tubes running in and out of
his body that a witness said he looked more like a machine than a man; yet he survived.
As Kelly neared him, Nashton, struggling to move and racked with pain, motioned for a
piece of paper and a pen. He wrote a brief note and passed it back to the commandant. On
the slip of paper were but two words – “Semper Fi”, the Latin motto of the Marines meaning
“forever faithful.” With those two simple words Nashton spoke for the millions of Americans who
have sacrificed body and limb and their lives for their country – those who have remained
faithful.”
J. Dobson & Gary Bauer, Children at Risk, Word 1990 pp 187-188
Semper Fi: forever faithful. Why is it we are moved by such stories? Could it be it’s
because we live in a world that has become ‘forever unfaithful?’ When we say the words
‘forever faithful’, it’s sometimes hard to come up with a good example. Not so, for the words
‘forever unfaithful’; it has become a byword for our society and world. Who cannot think of an
example, sometimes all too vivid and personal, of unfaithfulness. We know that half of the
marriages nowadays end in divorce. But in how many more marriages have one of the spouses
been unfaithful? How about in our business dealings? Why is it that we can no longer just
‘shake on it’? The word unfaithfulness comes to mind. It is the same in our families, in our
commitments, in our very words, and more often than not, in our relationship to God. “Forever
unfaithful” has sadly become the motto for the human race.
But has it always been that way? The answer is yes. Back in Solomon’s time, he
observed in Proverbs 20:6 this truth: “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful
person who can find?” And we can even go further back: when God said, “From any tree of the
garden you may freely eat, but from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” ‘Forever unfaithful.’ It has sadly become
one of mankind’s basic attributes.
But can you imagine for a moment what it would be like if it were one of God’s attributes?
God? Well he’d like to keep his word. He really tries, but after all, ‘He’s only divine’ and there’s
no guarantee’. Marriage to the church? I hope He will keep His covenant of marriage to you,
His bride, but you haven’t been exactly faithful - so you never know. His Second Coming: He
said he’d return, but that was 2,000 years ago. Maybe He’s changed His mind!
Who for a moment would want to serve a God like that? Many religions do. That’s
because they have a god made in the image of man”. Praise the Lord that this is not the true of
the one true God. Though we continually try to make Him in our own image, Romans 3:4 says,
“Though every man be found a liar – let God be true.” And as we turn to Scripture this morning,
that is what we will let Him be: True to who He is and what He stands for.
Out of all the attributes of God, the one that anchors my soul over and over in an
unfaithful world is that God is ‘Forever Faithful’. Why is God faithful? It is His very nature. It is
impossible for God not to be faithful. II Timothy 2:13: “If we are faithless, He will remain faithful,
for He cannot disown Himself.” Faithfulness is His nature.
Moses, in Deuteronomy 7:9 (his farewell address) said, “Know therefore that the Lord
your God is God. He is a faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand
generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.’
God is faithful. Did you know we have picked up the Hebrew root word for God’s
faithfulness and added it to our English dictionary basically unchanged. That word is the
Hebrew word, “Aman”, from which we get Amen! So every time we say Amen!, we are actually
saying “”
But what is faithfulness? Look in any dictionary; you’ll likely find this description:
“Adhering strictly to the person, cause, or idea to which one is bound.” The synonyms listed for
faithfulness may include words such as: Loyal, true, constant, steadfast, staunch, resolute,
devoted, trustworthy.” That is the God we have the privilege of serving. Our God is faithful!
So how does His attribute apply in our lives today?
1. In the Forgiveness of Sins.
I John 1:9: “If we confess (the key is confess) our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ Can you imagine if that were not so and God
wrote us off when we sinned? If you have taken Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and are
trusting in His finished work on the cross on your behalf, then you can be sure that all your sins
have been forgiven. Why? Because God is faithful.
2. In our Sanctification.
I Thessalonians 5:23-24: ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.
May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.’
Why will “He who began a good work in you,” complete it? Because He’s faithful. Be
assured that God WILL finish the work He started in you even if that means bringing you home
to Glory early (because of our rebellion) See I Corinthians 11:30 That is why many among you
are weak and sick, and a number among you have fallen asleep ( died ). Ananias and Sapphira
come to mind of God’s faithfulness in our sanctification. So we would do well to “get with the
program.” In our sanctification.
3. In Temptation:
I Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
4. In Suffering: I Peter 4:19: ‘So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit
themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.’
5. In Facing the Adversary: II Thessalonians 3:3: ‘But the Lord is faithful, and He will
strengthen and protect you from the evil one.’ The cross is our assurance.
6. In our Salvation: I Corinthians 1:7-9: ‘Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you
eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so
that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into
fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.’
7 In all His Promises and Deeds: Psalm 145:13: ‘Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and
your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all His promises and
loving toward all He has made.’
God is faithful in all things. How important are the above things are in our life? They are
critical!
But how does the faithfulness of God apply to me as a believer? What should be my
response? We too are called to be faithful:
I Corinthians 4:2: ‘Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.’
We are given a trust by God; it may be our spouse, our children, our jobs, certainly our lives, in
all these areas we are called to be faithful.
In our service: I Timothy 1;12: ‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that
he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.’
And especially in our praying:
Romans 12:12: ‘Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.’
But how can we be faithful when we are by nature so unfaithful? The answer: take on the
new nature – the new creation! Put on the Lord! When we do, we will produce the fruit of the
Spirit. And what is one of the fruits of the Spirit? Faithfulness! Galatians 5:22-23: ‘But the fruit
of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law.’
Be faithful because your God is faithful! And look for the reward from the One who is
faithful. Matthew 25:23: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have
been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master’s happiness!’
Dr. David W Martin
May 5, 2013
Calvary Bible Church
Manzanita Oregon 97130