“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” – 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

A lot of people are dog people. It’s easy to see why.

Dogs are always glad to see you. They’re happy to spend time with you, even if it means just hanging around. Dogs will eat what you serve them, and they’re grateful for the food. Dogs can be protective, and they’re almost always a great cuddle.

One of the things that most endears dogs to people is that dogs are faithful. It’s a rare dog that will run away from its master without intending to return. Sure, they may escape the back yard, and they may wander the neighborhood, but almost always they’ll try to make their way back.

Loyalty is an important part of any relationship we have. When we are around people we can trust, then we can be more relaxed around them. We can try more and harder, risking the chance of failure, because we know that people we trust—those who are loyal—will never turn away. It is loyalty that lets us have faith in our friends.

The Bible tells us that God is faithful. It never specifically says God is faithful to us. Rather, it says that God is faithful to Himself. Yet God’s faithfulness to Himself also lets us know that He is also faithful in His relationship with us. It is this loyalty, this faithfulness, that allows us to walk securely with God through Jesus Christ.

Background

The words to today’s hymn were written by Thomas Chisholm. Mr. Chisholm was born in 1866 in Franklin, Kentucky. He had no formal education, but became a teacher at age 16 and associate editor of the Franklin newspaper. He became a Christian in 1893. He moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to edit a Pentecostal magazine. He was ordained as a Methodist minister, but he only served in that position briefly due to poor health. He moved his family, eventually ending up in New Jersey where he sold insurance in his retirement. He died in 1960.

This hymn was one of 800 poems Mr. Chisholm published over his lifetime. This particular poem was an expression of God’s faithfulness over Mr. Chisholm’s lifetime. It was published in 1923.

The tune was written by William H. Runyan. Mr. Runyan was an editor at Hope Publishing and worked with the Moody Bible Institute. His prayer was that his tune would complement the wonderful words Mr. Chisholm had sent him. The hymn became well known through the Billy Graham Crusades and is today one of our most favorite hymns.

Paul writes today’s passage as he is addressing an accusation hurled at him by some in the Corinthian church. Paul had intended to visit Corinth earlier, and had made his plans known to the church there. Unfortunately, circumstances prevented Paul and Silas from visiting as planned. Some in Corinth used this as an excuse to accuse Paul of being double-minded. They said the apostle was someone who “makes plans in a worldly way,” who says “yes” and “no” in the same breath. In short, Paul cannot be trusted, according to his accusers.

Paul writes that the reason for the delay was not because of his character flaw, but because of circumstances and God’s intervention. To express his commitment to God and to the Corinthians, Paul invokes God’s faithfulness to emphasize what and who he is. As is often the case with Paul, once he begins to give praise to God, he continues on with why God is worthy of praise.

Central Truth: God’s faithfulness secures our assurance of salvation.

Because God is faithful:

1. Our message is sure (18-19)

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”

I got a judge made at me once in a hearing. The question was whether or not I had conferred with my clients on a matter. The document had two paragraphs. One of the paragraphs said I had spoken with my clients and agreed with their decision. This paragraph was unmarked. The second paragraph, which was clearly marked with a box to check, said I didn’t agree with my client but they signed it anyway. The judge asked if I had indicated which paragraph I was intending. I told him the answer was “yes” and “no.” He said there is no “yes” or “on.” I told him that I had interpreted the document to mean that if I signed it without specifically checking the box, it meant that I agreed with the first paragraph. Had I meant the second paragraph which was clearly marked with a box, then I would have checked the box. So, no, I didn’t check the first box—it had no place to mark, after all—but I did agree with the first paragraph.

When it comes to Jesus, though, Paul correctly tells us that with Jesus, the answer is always “yes.” Paul says that the message Silas, Timothy and he brought to the Corinthians was a firm “Yes!” in Jesus. They were as accurate as they could be with the message that was brought. The reason for their accuracy is because God’s faithfulness made His actions through Jesus definitive. The message of God to our world is this: Salvation is made possible by the willful sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary. It was the act of Jesus laying down His life for us that brings us not only salvation, but also brings us eternal life as Jesus picked up His life again. Everything about Jesus pointed to Calvary and the empty tomb. They are a package—salvation from sin and the gift of eternal life, all through the willful sacrifice of Jesus.

It is this truth that Paul preached to the Corinthians. Paul wrote the Corinthians in the letter we call 1 Corinthians that he made the commitment to preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block for the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, but to those who believe, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25).

With Jesus, the message is definitive and always the affirmative. Because God is faithful to Himself, the message of salvation never changes; it remains the same truth today, yesterday and forever. Because God is faithful, our message is sure. Great is His faithfulness.

2. He is reliable (20)

For no matter promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

I think we’ve all broken promises. We may have had every intent to fulfill our promise, but sometimes circumstances intervene, and we have to break our promises. I represented many people who had to break a promise. The promise was to pay their debts, but circumstances got the better of them. Through no fault of their own, they were no longer able to pay the debt, and the result was a bankruptcy. It didn’t mean my clients were immoral or bad people. They were simply people who had had a bad turn of events in their lives and had to resort to a last ditch effort to keep their heads above water.

Unlike you and me, God is faithful, and because He is faithful, His promises are always fulfilled. A quick glance through the Bible will show all sorts of promises that God has made. In most of the instances, the promises have either been fulfilled or will be fulfilled. It’s these promises that are still to be fulfilled—the promise of eternal fellowship with Jesus, the return of Jesus, the absolute destruction of Satan and his temptations—that we can hold to with confident hope.

When God tells us He is going to do something, He will do it. When God says He won’t do something, He won’t. That’s why a rainbow reminds us that God will never destroy our world with a flood. That’s why we are able to continue to going forward, even though we may be passing through the valley of death, because we know that our Shepherd is with us. We know in all circumstances we never walk alone because Jesus has promised to always be with us.

The promises of God are always a firm “Yes” in Jesus Christ. Because God is faithful, we can rely on Him in all things. God is worthy of our faith. Great is His faithfulness.

3. Secures our salvation (21-22)

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

How do you know something is secure? According to the law, if I give you a title to my car in exchange for a loan to pay for the car, then the loan is secured by the title you hold. The title is the seal of ownership. When the loan is paid, I will receive the title. When William of the house of Windsor was born, because he was the first son of Charles, William was anointed as the second heir to the throne of England. Charles, the eldest son of Elizabeth, is the heir and he has been anointed as such. When I put money down on a house, it is my promise—my guarantee—that I will have the money to purchase the house at the closing date.

All of these things are promises of something that will happen in the future. I will pay my car off, and I will get the title. Elizabeth will die, and Charles will become king of England. I will show up at the closing with a cashier’s check to pay for the house.

God anoints us, seals us and puts a deposit on our hearts, all to let us know that the promises we received in Jesus are “yes.” The significance of this statement should remove any and all doubts you and I may have in regard to our relationship with God. God doesn’t give us one guarantee—He gives us three.

Because God is faithful, the guarantees can be relied on for all eternity. God will not go back on the deal. He is the Creator of all the universe. His power is greater than any power. His ability to fulfill His promises are guaranteed, because God is faithful to Himself. God’s faithfulness to Himself means that He is consistent—the same yesterday, today and forever. As James tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Because God is faithful, we are secure in our salvation. Great is His faithfulness.

Conclusion

Mr. Chisholm wrote “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” because he was reflecting on all that God had done for him for his entire life. Looking back, we can see how God has been working in our lives to bring us where we are today. There have been dark passages in our lives and there have been days of wondrous victory. All of that is because God is faithful and worthy of our praise. Because God is faithful, we can sing with Mr. Chisholm and all who walk in faith with God, “Great is Thy faithfulness. Great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”