The Faithfulness of God

Edward Griffin (1770—1837)
 

Isaiah 49:14-16
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

There is a striking analogy between God's general treatment of his Church in different ages of the world, and his treatment of individual Christians in different periods of their life. The various changes which have taken place in the state of the Church, with those which are yet to come, strongly represent the changes which occur in the experiences of individual Christians.

The bondage of the Church in Egypt,
its deliverance by the mighty power of God,
its overflowing joy when it had safely passed the Red Sea and thought all its enemies slain,
the dedication of itself to God at Sinai,
the tedious wilderness it had to pass before it could cross the Jordan and rest in the promised land;
the care which God exercised over his people, to feed, guide, and defend them;
the numerous enemies they had to encounter;
their own fickleness, ingratitude, and rebellion
—all represented, with memorable exactness, a Christian's journey from spiritual Egypt to the heavenly Canaan!

If we take a wider range and contemplate God's treatment of his Church from the first promise of a Savior to the day of judgment, the analogy will be still more manifest. So exact it is that when the pen of inspiration is describing the joys or trials, the hopes or fears of the Church at large—individual Christians may see in the description a delineation of their own hearts. Indeed many of the prophecies and most of the promises relate equally to individuals and to the Church at large. An instance of such a double reference is seen in our text. The words may be applied both to the general Church and to all its real members.

So numerous are the evils with which this life is chequered, and so often is the light of God's countenance hidden behind the cloud of unbelief, that it is frequently the language of our hearts, "The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me!" In reference to the Church at large we are too prone to say, The Lord has forsaken and Zion's Lord has forgotten.

He who was acquainted with all our weaknesses and trials—well knew how to adapt his promises to our wants. He knew how to shape and point them so that they could make the readiest way into our hearts. How could any assemblage of words have a greater tendency to fix a desponding mind on the faithfulness of God, than those which are used in the text?

My purpose is to adduce some arguments to confirm our faith that God will never forget nor forsake his people.

1. The spring of his love to them was in himself, and not in any moral qualities found in them: and therefore no imperfections in them will ever dry up this eternal fountain. He loved at first because it was his nature to love, and his love will continue for the same reason. In fulfillment of his covenant with Christ, his love transformed them from enemies to friends: and if their very enmity could not restrain him from beginning this good work, their remaining sin cannot prevent him from carrying it on to perfection.

The apostle therefore was "confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in Christians, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

If the love of God was changeable, our unnumbered provocations might turn it from us; but on his immutability he himself encouraged us to build our confidence. "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." When the Christian is depressed with a sense of his own unworthiness, it is very comforting to reflect: The Lord has not loved me thus far on account of any merit in me; why then should I fear that he will cease to love me on account of my ill-desert? It is his glory to love the undeserving who were given to Christ; and I have heard him say, "For my own sake, even for my own sake will I do it; for how should my name be polluted? I will not give my glory unto another."

2. The efficacy of the atonement and righteousness of Christ, by which Christians were at first pardoned and adopted, remains the same: therefore they can never be forsaken. If their unworthiness could reverse the pardoning and justifying sentence, the redemption of Christ would not be complete. If matters were left thus uncertain, and the burden of keeping themselves was laid on their own shoulders, then not a child of Adam would ever reach the kingdom of Heaven. But blessed be God, that vicarious righteousness which was at first the ground of our pardon and acceptance, is not changed by our sins; and if on this account he can subdue and receive the sinner, then surely on this account he will continue to love the saint.

3. Our faith in this delightful truth is confirmed by explicit promises.

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me forever. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me."

"The Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that you both do and will do the things which we command you."

"May the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it."

"There has 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 you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."

"He shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

It is well for Christians that God has taken into his own hands the management of their spiritual concerns, and has himself undertaken to train them up for glory. Had he not thus taken the work to himself, we must have despaired of its being done. Every one who has learned the fickleness and treachery of his own heart, will say with David, "Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would have dwelt in silence." All the encouragement of Christians is founded on his promise to keep them by his "power, through faith unto salvation." When beset with temptations they sometimes despond, but the faithfulness of God at last compels them to acknowledge, "When I said, My foot slips, your mercy O Lord, held me up!"

Or if to show them what is in their hearts, and to bring them to a fuller reliance on the righteousness of Christ and the strength of God, he leaves them to fall—it shall not be forever. "A just man falls seven times and rises up again." Though he falls he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Even the angels are made ministering spirits to the Church. "The angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him and delivers them." In times of the greatest spiritual dearth they shall still be fed. The barrel of meal and the cruise of oil shall still support them while all around are perishing with famine. He who caused waters to break forth from the rock to refresh the thirsty Church has said, "When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water."

Amidst all the afflictions of life, God is never unmindful of his people. "Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." He has this excellent property of a good friend, that he never forsakes his friends in adversity. All other friends may depart, but God will not depart. "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." "We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He is sensible of all the sufferings which his members feel, and of every injury and insult which are cast upon them. "He who touches you, touches the apple of his eye."

In the process of the last judgment he will treat every injury and every benefit rendered to his members, as rendered to himself. He has pronounced a vehement curse upon those who offend one of his little ones, and promises a magnificent reward to those who give only a cup of cold water to them as his disciples.

He marks them by the most endearing titles:

He calls them friends,
he calls them brethren,
he calls them his children,
he calls them his spouse,
he calls them his members,
he calls them his body.

After borrowing figures from relations like these to express his tenderness to his disciples, we shall not be surprised to hear that he acts the part of the kindest shepherd. "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." "They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for he who has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them."

Under the special care of such a God and Savior, what can the children lack?

Do they need pardon? They shall have it.

Do they need consolation? They shall have it.

Do they need restraining or sanctifying grace? It is theirs.

Do they stand in real need of any worldly good? God is not backward to bestow even that. "He who spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" "The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man that trusts in you." This sums up the whole matter.

Are we in darkness? "the Lord God is a sun."

Are we encompassed with enemies? "the Lord God is a shield." "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it and is safe."

Do we want present sanctification or future bliss? "the Lord will give" both "grace and glory."

Do we want any other comforts in our way? he will bestow even these: for "no good things will he withhold from those who walk uprightly."

The inference from all this is just, "O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man that trusts in you."

God will not only confer on his people the present possession of everything really good, but he will protect them from every thing that would ultimately prove an evil. "There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling." Everything which does occur shall turn to their benefit.

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

"All things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all are yours."

We may well exclaim then with the enraptured Psalmist, "O how great is your goodness which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have wrought for those who trust in you."

4. The experience of all ages has borne testimony to the unfailing faithfulness of God to the Church and to all individuals who put their trust in him. The human race have now been acquainted with their Maker for almost six thousand years, and not one of them has ever found unfaithfulness in him, either towards the Church or towards any of its members. Though many Christians, through unbelief, have been ready to call his faithfulness in question, and to say: The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me—yet in no instance has the gloomy apprehension been supported, but in every case God has appeared for their relief and convinced them that their jealousy was groundless and unkind.

When the Church became reduced to a single family, and the overgrown vices of a wicked generation threatened to swallow it up, report was made in Heaven that the Church was in danger, and God came down and drowned the world with a flood. Everything must give way to the safety of the Church. God revealed to Noah his purpose of drowning the world, and promised him, if he would submit to the scoffs of an unbelieving generation and rear a stupendous ark—that he and his family would be saved from the deluge. Noah believed God and ventured all upon the promise. And did God disappoint his hopes? Ask him, and he will tell you, No!

When the Church was again reduced and again in danger, God separated the father of the faithful from the rest of the world, called him from his father's house, and carried him through an interesting variety of scenes, to prepare the way for the continuance of a Church among his posterity. While the patriarchs were wandering about and carrying the little Church with them, the eyes of all Heaven were upon them: angels came down to inquire into their matters, and the Mediator, the Angel of the covenant, the God of the Old Testament, came down to visit them.

God told Abraham that if he would forsake his kindred and follow him, that he would conduct him safely to a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to his seed for their inheritance; that he would be his "shield and his exceeding great reward." Abraham ventured all upon the truth of the promise and left his father's house. And did he ever find the promise to fail? Ask him, and he will tell you, No!

God told Jacob that if he would go down to Egypt, he would go with him and assuredly bring back his seed. Jacob believed, went into Egypt, and ultimately found all the promises fulfilled. He there became convinced of the unreasonableness of that despondency which a little before had said, "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me!" The good old patriarch became convinced that these things had not been against him, that his distrust had been ill founded, and that in all things God had taken the readiest way to promote his happiness.

When the Church was oppressed in Egypt, God came down in wrath. I hear, says he, the cries of my sons as though they were in distress; what are you doing to my children? His eyes beheld their oppression and he set himself to deliver them. Because Egypt refused to let them go, he smote it with ten successive plagues; and when Pharaoh pursued the retreating Church, he overthrew him and his army in the Red Sea! He would have destroyed all Egypt before he would have seen his Church detained in bondage.

God promised Moses that if he would prefer "the reproach of Christ" to "the treasures in Egypt," and would conduct the Church from the land of slavery, he would have his presence and friendship for a "recompense of reward." Moses obeyed: and did God ever forsake him until the Church was brought to the borders of Canaan and he safely landed in Heaven?

On a certain occasion, when God was angry with his people and seemed to refuse to go with them any further, Moses interceded, "If your presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." As though he had said: "Consider, Lord, the tediousness of the way and the swarms of enemies which threaten to swallow us up. What can we do without your presence? How can we live without your love?"

And now mark the gracious answer, as rich as the treasures of God; which, when extended to a general application, may yield unfailing solace to all who are still entangled in the mazes of this wilderness. "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." This promise was fulfilled. God went close by his side through all the windings of the wilderness, supported him under every trial, overcame all his enemies, and then received him to the rest that "remains—to the people of God."

The Church in the wilderness frequently distrusted God, and in their complaints charged him with falsehood: but they never could make good the charge, and by his seasonable interpositions were always made to blush at their complaints.

He satisfied them with water out of the rock and fed them with "angel's food." "Their clothes waxed not old and their feet swelled not," and their "shoe" became not "old upon their foot," for the space of forty years. He guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He defended them miraculously from all their enemies, and could not be provoked to forsake them by all their murmurs and rebellions.

A review of all this appeared so astonishing to Moses as he stood on the plains of Moab, not far from Jordan, that he exclaimed, "The Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. [As though God had no other estate.] He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness: he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings—so the Lord alone did lead him."

God promised David that he would make him king over Israel; and David for the most part believed the promise, though now and then his fears would arise and tempt him to say, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul." But God made good his word in every tittle, and forced David to acknowledge, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles." And he has not had a remaining doubt of the divine faithfulness for twenty-eight hundred years.

And what shall I now say? for the time would fail me to tell of Elijah, of Daniel, and his three companions, of Ezra and Nehemiah and of the whole army of prophets, apostles, and martyrs, who by a faithful God were enabled:
to quench the violence of fire,
to stop the mouths of lions,
to quell the rage of enemies, to endure sufferings with patience, to meet death with triumph,
and to enter into the joys of their Lord.

Ask these happy spirits while harping around the throne, whether they ever found unfaithfulness in the holy One of Israel; and, No! No! No! would resound from all the heavens. And, my brethren, were I to appeal to your experience, which of you can allege anything against the divine faithfulness? Your hearts may at times have distrusted God; but has he not in every instance convinced you that it was without foundation, and in a thousand cases astonished you with the most delightful evidence that he had not forgotten to be kind?
 

I shall conclude with a few reflections.

1. The thoughts which have been presented ought lastingly to convince us of the utter unreasonableness of those jealousies of God which every one acquainted with himself finds too frequently in his own heart. Nothing can be more unfounded than an apprehension in Christians, (while regarding themselves as such,) that he who loved them with an everlasting love, and who has done so much to redeem and sanctify them and to train them up for Heaven—will after all forsake them and leave them to be overcome by their spiritual enemies; that he will neglect to make all needful provisions for them in this life: that he will fail to bestow every real good, or that he will allow the occurrence of any real evil. The unequivocal promise and oath of God bid them fear none of these things. Such fears then involve a charge against God of deception and perjury. And has he given a cause? The uniform testimony of six thousand years answers, No!

There is no reason why we should not place unlimited confidence in him. Nothing appears why we may not, with the utmost safety, commit to him the management of all our concerns for time and eternity, with the confidence of the apostle, "that he is able to keep that which we have committed unto him against that day." "All the promises of God are yes and amen." They are unchangeable truths. They never yet deceived and they never will. Let us not therefore yield to anxiety on any subject, but "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," assured that if we do this, "all" other "things shall be added."

Let us follow the comprehensive advice of Peter, to cast all our "cares upon God, for he cares for us!" Do not neglect the counsel of Paul respecting the things of this life:

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

"Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

All we have to do then is to commit the management of all our concerns to God, to seek first his kingdom and righteousness, to "pray without ceasing," and to "rejoice evermore."

2. Is God so mindful of us that he never turns his eye from us a single moment? How ungrateful then for us to be so unmindful of him. Though he never forgets his people, yet they daily forget him. Though his feelings towards them are such that it would be infinitely more difficult for him to forget them than for an affectionate mother to forget her darling infant, yet they allow the least thing to draw their minds from him; yes they sometimes allow sin, the most deformed of objects, to rival him in their hearts. Such returns to the best of beings and the best of friends, surely deserve nothing less than eternal burnings. It is reserved for the last judgment to lay open the infinity of that sin which the children of God daily commit against their heavenly Parent. "O that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for" this cruel ingratitude to the best and kindest of fathers.

3. What new and wonderful views does our subject give us of the love of God. After all our ingratitude, (which seems enough to make the stones cry out against us,) he still loves us with infinite tenderness, and would find it unspeakably harder to neglect us than a mother to neglect her crying infant. O the unutterable, the boundless love of God! Eternal research will not exhaust this subject! It was to bring out this love to the view of an astonished universe, that all these worlds were made. Nothing was so important as the display of God's unbounded love in its own proper exercise. From this infinite ocean of love, of light, and of glory—have flowed down unceasing rivers of delight into all parts of the universe, save one, for six thousand years, without exhausting or diminishing the fountain!

Why is not the wonder of this love more realized? It is infinitely the greatest wonder in the universe.

Why is not this precious Being more apprehended when he shines in such amazing glories all around us? When his love appears so ineffable in his care of his creatures and in his kindness towards them?

Henceforth let it be our supreme object to search into his adorable perfections and to make them known to others. And after all our sottish doltishness and ingratitude, let our lives hereafter be spent in advancing his kingdom and glory—in gratitude, adoration, and praise! Amen.