The Principle of FulFilment
The Reliability of God
Memory Verse: Numbers 23:19 (NIV, ©2010)19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
INTRODUCTION:
1. God is Truth
Numbers 23:19 (NIV, ©2010)19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Truth is defined as: Truth is the interrelated consistency of statements and their correspondence with the facts of reality and the facts themselves. It suggests an integration of character, and adherence of virtue, a kind of reliability, which includes and goes beyond the literal meaning to include those aspects of personal behavior which seem to be implied by the love of truth. The concept of truth is derived from the character of God, and is the exact opposite of the concept of lying. "It is impossible for God to lie."-- Kelly L. Segraves
Since it is impossible for God to lie we know that everything He says about what will happen will actually take place. If we are to become perfect we need to be known as individuals who tell the truth, like God. That means when we promise something we need to keep that promise or not make it in the first place. We need to try to place ourselves in situations where we don't feel the need to lie to defend either ourselves or our behavior.--Kelly L. Segraves
Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.
Psalm 19:9 NIV
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
Psalm 33:4 NIV
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
Psalm 57:10 NIV
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
2. God is Unchanging.
Psalm 102:27 NIV27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
6 “I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Hebrews 13:8 says 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
J.C. Wenger says: There is no fickleness in God.
Jacob Arminius writes "Immutability is a pre-eminent mode of the Essence of God by which it is void of all change . . . “
Harold C. Felder Summarized Thomas Aquinas’ argument in favor of the immutability of God as follows:
“First, because of His Pure Actuality: God has no potential to be anything other than what He is. Change can only come from potential to be something other than what He is. Second, because of His simplicity: everything that changes is composed of what changes and what does not change. Since God has no parts He cannot change. Third, because of His perfection: whatever acquires something new, changes. God is perfect by nature and cannot acquire anything new.”
I John 3:19, 20 NIV
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
3. God Has a Reliable Reputation
14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
Upon arriving nine days later in the
A little over 2 1/2 years later -- October 20, 1944, to be exact -- he stood once again on Philippine soil after landing safely at
MacArthur kept his word. His word was as good as his bond. Regardless of the odds against him, including the pressures and power of enemy strategy, he was bound and determined to make his promise good.
Deuteronomy 3:18-20 NIV
18 I commanded you at that time: “The LORD your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites. 19 However, your wives, your children and your livestock (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, 20 until the LORD gives rest to your fellow Israelites as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you.”
Deut 11:31 NIV
31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there,
Deuteronomy 7:24 NIV 24 He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them.
Joshua 1:13 NIV 13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you after he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’
Joshua 23:14 NIV 14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
Nehemiah 9:8 NIV 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.
God has a proven track record of being truthful.
Psalms 119:140 NIV 140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.
4. God is Consistently Reliable
Genesis 28:12-15 NIV
. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Hebrews 6:12 NIV We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Romans 4:13, 16 NIV 13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith… 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Hebrews 10:23 NIV23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
2 Cor. 1:18 18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”
5. God has the Power to Do What He promised
Romans 4:18-21 NIV 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Greek word: dunatos means:
1) able, powerful, mighty, strong
a) mighty in wealth and influence
b) strong in soul
1) to bear calamities and trials with fortitude and patience
2) strong in Christian virtue
2) to be able (to do something)
a) mighty, excelling in something
b) having power for something
Conclusion:
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
