Betrayal is one of the most painful experiences to endure. This pain is caused by the fact that betrayal cannot come from an enemy. By definition, a traitor was once a trusted ally that turned against you. We’re all familiar with famous traitors like Judas Iscariot and Benedict Arnold. These names carry strong resentment because of the disloyalty that defines these men. Both of these traitors were extremely cowardly and left a mark on history for their treachery. These stories of betrayal cause us to fear that this could happen to us.
Sadly, this fear of betrayal seeps into our view of God. Because people are likely to betray us, we start to think that God has this tendency. When we sin, we think that God has changed His mind about us. We try to make it up to Him by spending a little more time in prayer or being nicer to our family. But this fear has no place in our lives because Scripture teaches us that God is faithful. And because He is faithful, He will never betray us.
God is completely loyal to His people. The Bible is full of stories about God’s faithfulness to His children. Studying the life of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and others will overwhelm you with the truth that God is faithful. But God wasn’t just faithful to them. He’s faithful to us! In 1 Corinthians 1:9, Paul writes, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” God will never betray us because He called us to be His own and redeemed us with the blood of His Son. Nothing will ever change this truth.
God is faithful to us even when we face temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” I’ve had people tell me that they struggle to believe this verse. They feel like their temptations are too strong, and they can’t escape. But the problem is they fail to believe those three words in the middle of the verse: “God is faithful.” This is a promise rooted in the character of God. It doesn’t say that God might provide a way of escape. It says that He will provide a way of escape. To deny this promise is to contradict the very nature of God. This means that sin is always a choice, and we can have victory through Jesus Christ.
So what happens when we sin? Does God’s faithfulness change? No. God’s faithfulness endures forever (Psa. 119:90). Because God is always faithful, He is worthy of our faith. He’s worthy of our faith to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God faithfully forgives our sins even after the hundredth time. There are no restrictions or limits to this verse. We’re promised that if we confess, He will forgive. God will faithfully guard us from the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3). He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves. Even in our suffering, God is faithful and has a plan for us (1 Pet. 4:19). So we can trust Him with full confidence.
He is worthy of our faith to keep His promises (Heb. 10:23). Every promise is guaranteed because God is faithful. Lamentations 3:23 says that God’s faithfulness is great. He faithfully loves, forgives, and blesses us. For this reason, He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Josh. 1:5; cf. Heb. 13:5). Remember God is true, so He will always keep His promises because His Word is truth. He cannot lie or fail. So we can rest in His faithfulness revealed in His Word.
Although we are often unfaithful, God is faithful. People will betray us. Friends and family will let us down. Allies will turn out to be enemies. But God is faithful. He doesn’t change His love for you. He doesn’t forget His promises. He doesn’t leave you behind. Praise God for His faithfulness.