1Corinthians 1:9 comments: God is faithful

1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

There are several verses where God promises to be faithful to what He has promised. Here are some wonderful promises from God, not even scratching the surface, but just two examples.

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath 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 ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. [a temptation is a test, trouble, or trial of your faith. See Luke 8:13 or Galatian 4:14 for examples.]

1Thessalonians 5:23 ¶  And 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. 24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

We must be careful, though, not to insert something into our expectations that God has not promised. There are certain facts of reality that we, as believers, must accept or we will go mad or even be a cartoonish figure in our presumed faith. The following are some examples.

First, the book of Job teaches us that bad things, unexplainable and unimaginable, can happen to the best of people. They may never know why in this life and we would do well not to pretend we have knowledge about the reasons that we do not. We are called to simply trust God and stay faithful to Him.

Secondly, we need to remember some of the stated purposes of a Christian’s suffering.

Romans 5:1 ¶  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

2Corinthians 1:3 ¶  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

And to all men to bring them to repentance; a realization of one’s sin nature, a rejection of one’s sin and confession to God, and a turning away from the behavior.

Romans 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

God has promised fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ and only through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

We have that promise and the promise of God’s indwelling every believer.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The foundation of our faith is that we believe that Christ died for our sins against God and rose again for our justification. If we believe that and what Jesus Christ said about Himself we will have eternal life with Him. We believe the gospel.

1Corinthians 15:1 ¶  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The question you have to ask yourself is, do you believe that God will deliver that? Do you see His hand in all reality? Or are you just a practicing atheist who hopes there is something better to hope for after death but you aren’t sure what it is so you are hedging your bets by some vague acknowledgement that there might be a God?

Just remember;

James 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Now, let’s read the whole passage.

1:1 ¶  Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.