Clearly a short blog post cannot begin to fully unpack the amazing nature of God. Let alone His faithfulness. With that in mind, this is not intended to be a thorough handling of the subject, rather these are some thoughts on God's faithfulness taken from Romans 3:3-6.
Romans 3:3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? God chose Israel, but all throughout their history what does Israel do? They rebel. For example, in Exodus 3, God has heard the cries of the Israelites, groaning under the merciless hands of the Egyptians. He hears their cries for deliverance. As you know, God uses Moses to ultimately deliver them and lead them out. But when you get to Exodus 14 and Pharaoh is pursuing them, they complain that they would have rather died in Egypt. But again God delivers them. This is where He parts the Red Sea.
Then in the wilderness, God provided for them, yet they groaned and complained… Do you see a trend? I do. GOD IS FAITHFUL! As Jews, he tells them, you’re history of constantly rejecting God testifies first hand that God is faithful!
The Jews are a greatly privileged people; honored by God. But these things are not saving facts for them. None of that guarantees them salvation. God will always uphold His promises. Always without fail.
Psalm 90:1-2 - Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Even when we demonstrate unbelief, and others reject Him totally. Still God is faithful. God has been the hope, the same hope and only hope for all man in all generations. He is both the starting point and the focal point of all things. As a Christian, the outlook for our lives isn’t rooted in this world. On the contrary, it is rooted in and oriented around God’s eternal being!
There is a wonder and awe that is aroused in the human heart at the pondering of His eternal being. So, Paul says, GOD IS FAITHFUL! The fact that He revealed so much and blessed the Jew so much proves God’s faithfulness.
Even if some of the Jews didn’t believe the Word of God and certainly some didn’t. God will be faithful to what He has promised. Our unbelief does not alter reality. Out belief doesn’t alter reality. Reality is reality. Now that sounds like such a simple statement. You are probably thinking, well of course reality is reality. But you’d be amazed at how many college students are being taught these days, in the post-modern school of thought, that everyone can be right. That there truth is there truth if they believe it to be and no one can tell anyone else that they are wrong. That’s absurd.
If I believe with all my heart that I can walk through walls and I take off and leap head first into a brick wall. My belief doesn’t alter the reality. If I tried that, I’d be in serious trouble. On a more sober thought, thinking you can do whatever you want, take all the dangerous chances you want, simply because you are young and feel invincible. You don’t think anything could ever happen to you… your belief doesn’t change the reality that death has no respect of age. Your time to die will come just like every one else who has ever lived.
So will the unbelief of some nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
Don’t even entertain the thought that God is unfaithful. It is not God who is a liar, but EVERY man.
Jeremiah 17:9 - “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
Psalm 62:9 - Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath.
Since God is true and every man is a liar, then He is justified in whatever He does. In this context, what’s being referred to is God’s justification of the judgment of the Jews.
God is true, man is deceitful… so “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.” The implication there is that God will uphold and preserve His own honor in this world, regardless of the sins of men.
Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
Just in case they were confused at Paul’s words, he poses a question that is more rhetorical than anything. He says, if our unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness, then is God unrighteous in His wrath? NO! No, God is not unrighteous at all, not even the least little bit. He is fully righteous and full justified.
If He weren’t, then how would He judge this world? What standard would He use that would be perfect and right if not the standard of His own Divine Holiness? He could not be the Just Judge if He Himself were not just. Because He judges according to truth and HE is truth (John 14:6).
Soli deo Gloria!
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