The God You Can Know 4
II Thessalonians 3:3
2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)
3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
Jer. 9: 23-24
Genesis 22
Philippians 3
Today the God that you can know wants us to know that he is faithful
The bible has a lot to say about Gods faithfulness
Peter in I Peter 4 19 calls him a faithful creator
John in I John 1:9 says that he is faithful when it comes to forgiveness
Hebrews 10:23 says that he is faithful concerning his promises
I Corinthians 10: 13 He is faithful when we are tempted
I Corinthians 1: 8-9 says that God is faithful even at the appearing of Jesus Christ to confirm us and present us blameless
But the verse that I want to rest on and investigate today
I Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
Like sunlit peaks His mercies rise
Before my grateful, wondering eyes,
The let me trust Him and confess
His glorious, endless faithfulness
For mercies past, and mercies new,
For kindness fresh as morning dew,
For faithfulness far more than gold,
How can I fervent praise withold?
My Maker, Father, Savoir, King,
Thy grace and goodness will I sing
Until my song with heaven’s blend
For faithfulness which never ends
J. Sidlow Baxter
Three things and I will let you go
I. God is faithful-(trustful greek)
a. His faithfulness is inextricably tied to His character/ who He is
His righteousness
His Holiness
His omnipotence
Immutability
His truth
His wisdom
His love
All of these feed his faithfulness or guarantee His faithfulness
These attributes make the failure of His faithfulness impossible
God Would Be Greater Loser
The old Scottish lady was right. When she was visited by a very young minister who was short on experience, she held fast to her firm assurance of her safety in Christ. “But just suppose that after all God should let you sink into hell?” said the minister. “He would lose more than I would,” came the firm answer to faith. “All I would lose would be my own soul, but He would lose His good name.”
—Donald Grey Barnhouse
According to Romans 3:3 our faithlessness will not nullify Gods faithfulness
b. History proves His faithfulness
Countless examples in scripture
Countless examples in our own lives
c. He is faithful to whom He is Master
However perverse men may be you can count on God
II He will strengthen you
He strengthens through human experience
He strengthens the mind
He increases faith
III. He will protect you from the evil one
Military term-garrison
He garrisons us
We are protected on all sides
It is not the protection of the body or earthly possessions
That’s to shallow
That’s to earthy
That’s short term thinking
What God has in mind is your eternal destiny
He not asking us to trust him just to see us through but to bring us in
Luke 11:4 we are to pray deliver us from the evil one
You must ask/rail worker-property is in danger
It is a now later
He will keep you in
He will keep you out &
He will keep you unto
Behold he that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps
Baxter, J. Sidlow: Majesty : The God You Should Know. San Bernardino, Calif. : Here’s Life, 1984
