This post is written by Andrew Hall and is published as a companion to Unit 17, Session 4 of The Gospel Project for Adults Vol. 6 (Winter 2022-23): From Captivity to Restoration.
Broken marital vows. Business contracts violated. Confidential information leaked. If you’ve ever been hurt by someone, you will be very watchful of others to see if you can trust them. Broken relationships abound in our culture. People have been deeply hurt and are suspicious of almost everyone. Over time, it gets harder and harder to trust. In places where bribery is normal, might becomes right. Who you know matters more than doing the right thing. Having money becomes more important than good character. And trustworthiness becomes a value only to a few.
Over time broken trust erodes the ability to function in meaningful ways. We may try to reinforce the necessity of being trustworthy by asking people to sign their name to a document or swear on a Bible. But these outward vows cannot make the heart honor what is true.
God’s Trustworthiness Is Consistent and Everlasting
Thankfully, God is not like human beings. He is fully trustworthy. He never lies (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Titus 1:2). He doesn’t change His mind (Jas 1:17) at the last minute for His advantage and your disadvantage. He isn’t fickle and unreliable so that you wonder if you can count on Him when the time comes.
God doesn’t need to act like fallen humans because He is the sovereign Lord. His greatness is beyond us, so He does not need to manipulate, cajole, or coerce people or situations to accomplish His purposes (Isa. 46:10-11). He is great and He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Rom. 8:28).
God is also trustworthy because His character is consistent throughout history. He is steadfast in His love (Ps. 118:1-4), slow to anger and abounding in mercy (Ps. 103:8). His love is faithful and enduring, with mercies that never end (Lam. 3:22). He is not slow in keeping His promises (2 Pe. 3:9). He keeps them always. And because this is how He has been, this is how He will always be. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:7). He can be relied upon because He always has been reliable!
God’s Trustworthiness Solidifies Our Salvation
Since all of these things are true, God’s promise to save you completely (Heb. 7:24) can be depended upon. He is the solid ground upon which your feet can stand even though this earth will shake and quake. He is the anchor to the soul that keeps you steadfast and immoveable so you can always increase in doing the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 15:58).
Since God is so trustworthy, His promise to save us ought to be the ballast of our lives. Instead of being blown around by circumstances and troubles, they should drive us to our knees, to the God who can be depended upon at every moment of our lives.
As we trust in our trustworthy God, He will make us trustworthy people, full of integrity, reliable in our word, making our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no.” And when we speak of Christ and His great salvation, our lives will confirm that the God we speak of can be trusted by those who hear His message of good news.
Andrew Hall is the lead pastor of Community Bible Church, located in Ilderton, Ontario, Canada. He is a graduate from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Melanie, have four children.