GOD WILL NEVER FORSAKE HIS CHILDREN
It is up to us to remain in him, He will never give up on those who love and obey Him!
To many, God is perceived as very harsh and unforgiving; ready to record the slightest mistake of His children and to punish them accordingly. Such an image is far from the truth of how the Bible portrays God. In reality, God is just, hates sin and in His righteousness, cannot leave sin unpunished. God is love, and in His perfect love, He sent His Son to take upon Himself the sins of mankind which He paid the penalty for by His death in our place (on the Cross). Jesus has already paid the full price for the sins of the world. We can not add anything to his sacrifice.
1 John 4:10
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
1 John 2:2
"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
So, if Jesus Christ through His sacrifice, paid for the sins of the whole world, shouldn't everyone go to heaven? This is the heart of God; that no one would perish. But because He created man with free will, man must choose. God does not force anyone to go to Heaven. God created man in His own image and likeness, but through the sin of disobedience, came the downfall of the perfection of His creation.
It was no surprise to God, for He knew that man would choose wrong and in His great love and goodness, He pre-planned the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Son of God became flesh, to be the perfect sacrifice, to pay once and for all, the penalty for the sins of the whole world. His shed blood on the cross, has the same power today, to forgive the sins of those who love Him, trust Him, and seek His forgiveness.
It is truly the will of our Heavenly Father, for us to be restored to what He created us to be, through the repenting of our sins and becoming His children by which we receive eternal life. Unfortunately, many refuse God's call to salvation. The Holy Spirit convicts man of sin and shows him his need of a Savior. The next step is accepting the call and then believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Henceforth, no one and nothing can snatch the believer in Jesus, from our heavenly Father's hand... as long as the person remains in Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit begins to teach him and lead him into all truth, giving him passion for studying the Scripture and helping him to know more and more of Jesus.
John 6:37-40
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Once born-again, the Holy Spirit unites with the Christian spirit in a completely new way. The inner man is now able to hear the voice of his Lord, Jesus Christ. We can follow the Lord with with merely our soul as our guide(mind, will and emotions).
John 4:24
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.'”
To worship in spirit, means to be sincere and led by the Holy Spirit according to the Truth revealed in the Scripture. Living in obedience to God, makes us His and we are sure that nothing and no one can force us to lose our salvation. The essence of the Christian life is obedience to God in love and reverence.
John 10:27-30
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
A person in love is ready to make any sacrifice in order to please a loved one, and nothing would be too hard to do for their chosen one... Why do we find it so difficult to give up habits, relationships, desires, dreams that are not pleasing the beloved of our hearts, Jesus Christ? If it seems too hard to fulfill what we know is God's will, we have a problem. It would help to ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle the passion for Jesus in us. If the motivation of the walk with God is only the fear of hell or punishment, it shows that the relationship with Jesus is long gone, and all that is left is a religion. Religion will not lead anyone into heaven; we get there, only by having a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 15:6-8
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
John 17:11-12
“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled."
How do we know that the promises that God has made to His chosen people, Israel, are valid for us, the gentiles,too? Because in Jesus Christ, we become the children of promise, as Isaac was to Abraham. The Apostle Paul explains in detail in Romans, chapter 4, as God considered Abraham's faith as his righteousness, before being circumcised. In Abraham we, the gentiles inherit all the promises made by God to his children. God had called Abraham "the father of many nations.” In verse 11 we read, "Then he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness be imputed to them also”
Romans 4:16
"Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all"”
Those of us who were not born from Hebrew parents, are the branches grown from Isaac (Abraham's promised son), who by being "grafted" into Jesus Christ, become partakers of the "root and fatness" of the olive tree; If the root is holy and blessed, so are the branches. The "Root" are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs of Israel. God formed the Hebrews as a people, and are called "olive trees," we instead, come from nations that have been "wild olive trees." The Jews who did not keep the covenant with God, are cut branches. The warning written by Paul is very clear: we remain in the goodness of God, as long as we live in obedience to Him.
Romans11:16-17, 20-21
"For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree"
"Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either."
Acts 2:39
"For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.””
Paul writes to the Christians of Ephesus, who were not Jews, but Gentiles, showing them how through Jesus Christ they received the same rights as the people of Israel.
Ephesians 2:12-20
"that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone"
The Corinthians were from Greece, so they too were also Gentiles.
2 Corinthians 1:20
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
The Romans additionally were not Jewish, but Paul also tells them that the promises are for them too, through Jesus Christ:
Romans 15:8-9
"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”"
Therefore the promises of the Old and New Testaments are valid for all of us that are in Christ Jesus. Let's take a look at some of them and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to believe and see how they apply to us each and all.
We need to strengthen our faith, repeating the promises of Scripture that refer to the many difficult situations that we all face, until we are convinced that the Lord will do the same for us. Only “faith” brings the fulfillment of God's promises.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
The black mustard seed, that Jesus referred to, was really the smallest seed that a farmer in Israel could sow in his field in those days. So the Lord is encouraging us by saying that we don't need super faith for the Bible promises to be fulfilled for us, but to just believe!
Matthew 17:20
“for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
God promises that He goes with us, He never leaves us or forsakes us, so we have nothing to fear! He is omnipresent, so it means that He is with us wherever we go, in obedience to Him.
Deuteronomy 4:31
"(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."
Deuteronomy 31:6,8
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
All who are born again, regardless of their nationality, through Jesus Christ become "children of promise" and part of God's people. Peter addresses those who were not a people, that were not co-nationals and were not sharing the same territory. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him, regardless of the nation where they were born are part of the people of God.
1 Peter 2:9-10
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
In the last book of the Bible, John records that people from all nations and ethnic groups, will be God's people for eternity (Revelation 5:9, 7:9, 11:9, 21:3).
Revelation 5:9-10
"And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.””
Revelation 21:3
"I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be His people. God himself will be with them, and He will be their God.”
Throughout the Old Testament we read countless times, as the chosen people, the people of Israel, renounced God and chose to serve idols and gods made by human hands. The Lord did not force them to live for Him, instead He received them back, each time when they truly repented and turned from their evil ways. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, "with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
1 Samuel 12:22
"For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.”
When we turn over the leadership of our lives to the Lord and follow His guidance, we walk straight, stay firm and we will overcome any difficulties, because He will support us.
Psalms 55:22
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."
Psalms 94:14
"For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance."
Proverbs 10:3
"The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked."
Proverbs 10:22
"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
How wonderful it is to know that Almighty God is omnipresent, He knows all about us and what we go through or what is up next and He has the solutions ready for us. All that the devil intends and plans to hurt us, God changes for the better and makes something beneficial for us in every situation. What an awesome Lord we serve!!!
Psalms 37:28
"For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off."
The definition for faithfulness is: the quality of being faithful; fidelity, loyalty, consistency.
God's love and faithfulness toward us are infinite and His mercy never ends. How big can the goodness of God who gave his Son to die for the sins of mankind be? David wrote: “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens; Your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalms 36:5)
Exodus 34:6
"And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth"
Lord has the most enduring patience. For Him, it did not seem too much nor too hard, to endure evil deeds and self-destructive sins, transgressions, blasphemies of men ... on the contrary, He continues to bring opportunities to cause people to turn from their evil ways and choose to pursue Him, wholeheartedly.
Psalms 86:15
"But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”
Psalms 89:14, 24, 33
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.”
“But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.”
“Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail."
Psalms 51:1
“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions."
Psalms 100:5
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
Psalms 108:4
“For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds.”
Psalms 138:2
"I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name. For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name."
2 Chronicles 30:9
"For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him"
James 5:11
"Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
The prophet Jeremiah went through much suffering and pain as he was facing the lack of obedience and the sins of his people, and as he was imprisoned for trying to get them to return to God. In all the hardship and troubles, Jeremiah knew how big the goodness, mercy and faithfulness of God is, to those who trust in Him and seek Him!
Lamentations 3:21-25
"This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.”
God is faithful, we can be confident that everything He begins in our lives, He will see us through to the end, if we stay in His will.
Psalms 138:8
"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
Isaiah 43:1-5
"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west"
Isaiah 54:10
"For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you."
Have you noticed that as you mature in faith, the spiritual battles lengthen and also the duration until receiving the answers to prayers? The author of the Letter to Hebrews, confirms that after we accomplish God's will, we need patience to get what we were promised... Faith requires waiting, determination, patience, firmness, and not least, the knowing of the truth of the Scripture, the truth about who God is and what His will is.
Hebrews 10: 35-39
"Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul."
Nothing in the surrounding physical world or spiritual world can separate us from the love of Christ. HE DIED IN OUR PLACE! He accepted the taunts, torments, everything we deserved, to pay for our sins. Jesus, who never sinned! The prince of this world, Satan, had nothing in Jesus! Because he had never sinned! What love can be greater than that? And this love is for us, and take effect in our lives as long as we want it and cherish it. Only we can separate ourselves from this perfect, unlimited love!
Romans 8: 35-39
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
There is more peace, comfort and relaxation in knowing the truth about God. And when we know and believe wholeheartedly that God is with us in every situation, it's for us in every suffering, it is on our side in any battle we fight, and does not leave nor forsake us, we can enter the "like Sabbath rest", which is, living without worry.
Over all, we can be fully convinced that God loves us and wants us to with Him for eternity.
Hebrews 13:5
"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you."
No one and no thing can snatch us out of the hand of Jesus nor of the Heavenly Father (John 10:29).
1 John 4:10
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
1 John 2:2
"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
So, if Jesus Christ through His sacrifice, paid for the sins of the whole world, shouldn't everyone go to heaven? This is the heart of God; that no one would perish. But because He created man with free will, man must choose. God does not force anyone to go to Heaven. God created man in His own image and likeness, but through the sin of disobedience, came the downfall of the perfection of His creation.
It was no surprise to God, for He knew that man would choose wrong and in His great love and goodness, He pre-planned the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Son of God became flesh, to be the perfect sacrifice, to pay once and for all, the penalty for the sins of the whole world. His shed blood on the cross, has the same power today, to forgive the sins of those who love Him, trust Him, and seek His forgiveness.
It is truly the will of our Heavenly Father, for us to be restored to what He created us to be, through the repenting of our sins and becoming His children by which we receive eternal life. Unfortunately, many refuse God's call to salvation. The Holy Spirit convicts man of sin and shows him his need of a Savior. The next step is accepting the call and then believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Henceforth, no one and nothing can snatch the believer in Jesus, from our heavenly Father's hand... as long as the person remains in Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit begins to teach him and lead him into all truth, giving him passion for studying the Scripture and helping him to know more and more of Jesus.
John 6:37-40
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Once born-again, the Holy Spirit unites with the Christian spirit in a completely new way. The inner man is now able to hear the voice of his Lord, Jesus Christ. We can follow the Lord with with merely our soul as our guide(mind, will and emotions).
John 4:24
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.'”
To worship in spirit, means to be sincere and led by the Holy Spirit according to the Truth revealed in the Scripture. Living in obedience to God, makes us His and we are sure that nothing and no one can force us to lose our salvation. The essence of the Christian life is obedience to God in love and reverence.
John 10:27-30
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
A person in love is ready to make any sacrifice in order to please a loved one, and nothing would be too hard to do for their chosen one... Why do we find it so difficult to give up habits, relationships, desires, dreams that are not pleasing the beloved of our hearts, Jesus Christ? If it seems too hard to fulfill what we know is God's will, we have a problem. It would help to ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle the passion for Jesus in us. If the motivation of the walk with God is only the fear of hell or punishment, it shows that the relationship with Jesus is long gone, and all that is left is a religion. Religion will not lead anyone into heaven; we get there, only by having a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 15:6-8
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
John 17:11-12
“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled."
How do we know that the promises that God has made to His chosen people, Israel, are valid for us, the gentiles,too? Because in Jesus Christ, we become the children of promise, as Isaac was to Abraham. The Apostle Paul explains in detail in Romans, chapter 4, as God considered Abraham's faith as his righteousness, before being circumcised. In Abraham we, the gentiles inherit all the promises made by God to his children. God had called Abraham "the father of many nations.” In verse 11 we read, "Then he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness be imputed to them also”
Romans 4:16
"Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all"”
Those of us who were not born from Hebrew parents, are the branches grown from Isaac (Abraham's promised son), who by being "grafted" into Jesus Christ, become partakers of the "root and fatness" of the olive tree; If the root is holy and blessed, so are the branches. The "Root" are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs of Israel. God formed the Hebrews as a people, and are called "olive trees," we instead, come from nations that have been "wild olive trees." The Jews who did not keep the covenant with God, are cut branches. The warning written by Paul is very clear: we remain in the goodness of God, as long as we live in obedience to Him.
Romans11:16-17, 20-21
"For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree"
"Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either."
Acts 2:39
"For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.””
Paul writes to the Christians of Ephesus, who were not Jews, but Gentiles, showing them how through Jesus Christ they received the same rights as the people of Israel.
Ephesians 2:12-20
"that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone"
The Corinthians were from Greece, so they too were also Gentiles.
2 Corinthians 1:20
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
The Romans additionally were not Jewish, but Paul also tells them that the promises are for them too, through Jesus Christ:
Romans 15:8-9
"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”"
Therefore the promises of the Old and New Testaments are valid for all of us that are in Christ Jesus. Let's take a look at some of them and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to believe and see how they apply to us each and all.
We need to strengthen our faith, repeating the promises of Scripture that refer to the many difficult situations that we all face, until we are convinced that the Lord will do the same for us. Only “faith” brings the fulfillment of God's promises.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
The black mustard seed, that Jesus referred to, was really the smallest seed that a farmer in Israel could sow in his field in those days. So the Lord is encouraging us by saying that we don't need super faith for the Bible promises to be fulfilled for us, but to just believe!
Matthew 17:20
“for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
God promises that He goes with us, He never leaves us or forsakes us, so we have nothing to fear! He is omnipresent, so it means that He is with us wherever we go, in obedience to Him.
Deuteronomy 4:31
"(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."
Deuteronomy 31:6,8
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
All who are born again, regardless of their nationality, through Jesus Christ become "children of promise" and part of God's people. Peter addresses those who were not a people, that were not co-nationals and were not sharing the same territory. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him, regardless of the nation where they were born are part of the people of God.
1 Peter 2:9-10
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
In the last book of the Bible, John records that people from all nations and ethnic groups, will be God's people for eternity (Revelation 5:9, 7:9, 11:9, 21:3).
Revelation 5:9-10
"And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.””
Revelation 21:3
"I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be His people. God himself will be with them, and He will be their God.”
Throughout the Old Testament we read countless times, as the chosen people, the people of Israel, renounced God and chose to serve idols and gods made by human hands. The Lord did not force them to live for Him, instead He received them back, each time when they truly repented and turned from their evil ways. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, "with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
1 Samuel 12:22
"For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.”
When we turn over the leadership of our lives to the Lord and follow His guidance, we walk straight, stay firm and we will overcome any difficulties, because He will support us.
Psalms 55:22
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."
Psalms 94:14
"For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance."
Proverbs 10:3
"The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked."
Proverbs 10:22
"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
How wonderful it is to know that Almighty God is omnipresent, He knows all about us and what we go through or what is up next and He has the solutions ready for us. All that the devil intends and plans to hurt us, God changes for the better and makes something beneficial for us in every situation. What an awesome Lord we serve!!!
Psalms 37:28
"For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off."
The definition for faithfulness is: the quality of being faithful; fidelity, loyalty, consistency.
God's love and faithfulness toward us are infinite and His mercy never ends. How big can the goodness of God who gave his Son to die for the sins of mankind be? David wrote: “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens; Your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalms 36:5)
Exodus 34:6
"And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth"
Lord has the most enduring patience. For Him, it did not seem too much nor too hard, to endure evil deeds and self-destructive sins, transgressions, blasphemies of men ... on the contrary, He continues to bring opportunities to cause people to turn from their evil ways and choose to pursue Him, wholeheartedly.
Psalms 86:15
"But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”
Psalms 89:14, 24, 33
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.”
“But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.”
“Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail."
Psalms 51:1
“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions."
Psalms 100:5
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
Psalms 108:4
“For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds.”
Psalms 138:2
"I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name. For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name."
2 Chronicles 30:9
"For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him"
James 5:11
"Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
The prophet Jeremiah went through much suffering and pain as he was facing the lack of obedience and the sins of his people, and as he was imprisoned for trying to get them to return to God. In all the hardship and troubles, Jeremiah knew how big the goodness, mercy and faithfulness of God is, to those who trust in Him and seek Him!
Lamentations 3:21-25
"This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.”
God is faithful, we can be confident that everything He begins in our lives, He will see us through to the end, if we stay in His will.
Psalms 138:8
"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
Isaiah 43:1-5
"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west"
Isaiah 54:10
"For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you."
Have you noticed that as you mature in faith, the spiritual battles lengthen and also the duration until receiving the answers to prayers? The author of the Letter to Hebrews, confirms that after we accomplish God's will, we need patience to get what we were promised... Faith requires waiting, determination, patience, firmness, and not least, the knowing of the truth of the Scripture, the truth about who God is and what His will is.
Hebrews 10: 35-39
"Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul."
Nothing in the surrounding physical world or spiritual world can separate us from the love of Christ. HE DIED IN OUR PLACE! He accepted the taunts, torments, everything we deserved, to pay for our sins. Jesus, who never sinned! The prince of this world, Satan, had nothing in Jesus! Because he had never sinned! What love can be greater than that? And this love is for us, and take effect in our lives as long as we want it and cherish it. Only we can separate ourselves from this perfect, unlimited love!
Romans 8: 35-39
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
There is more peace, comfort and relaxation in knowing the truth about God. And when we know and believe wholeheartedly that God is with us in every situation, it's for us in every suffering, it is on our side in any battle we fight, and does not leave nor forsake us, we can enter the "like Sabbath rest", which is, living without worry.
Over all, we can be fully convinced that God loves us and wants us to with Him for eternity.
Hebrews 13:5
"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you."
No one and no thing can snatch us out of the hand of Jesus nor of the Heavenly Father (John 10:29).
Linked Article:
GOD WILL NEVER FORSAKE HIS CHILDREN - BIBLE VERSES
Verses about the faithfulness of God.
Other Articles About Faith & Trust
FAITH ACCOUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS
This is a fresh look at the power of faith that we can see through Abraham's life.
GOD IS THE ROCK OF THE BELIEVER
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:14
HEALING BY FAITH
Encouragement & Scriptural guidance for healing.
TRUST IN GOD
“Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” - Isaiah 26:4
MAIN ARTICLE MENU
Copyright 2016 Carmen Puscas May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
GOD WILL NEVER FORSAKE HIS CHILDREN - BIBLE VERSES
Verses about the faithfulness of God.
Other Articles About Faith & Trust
FAITH ACCOUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS
This is a fresh look at the power of faith that we can see through Abraham's life.
GOD IS THE ROCK OF THE BELIEVER
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:14
HEALING BY FAITH
Encouragement & Scriptural guidance for healing.
TRUST IN GOD
“Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” - Isaiah 26:4
MAIN ARTICLE MENU
Copyright 2016 Carmen Puscas May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
