CAN WE TRUST GOD

I Corinthians 1:9

  1. Intro.
    1. life is filled with many heartaches and disappointments
    2. sometimes God seems to be so far away
    3. some Christians even begin to wonder if God can or will do anything about their situation
    4. can God really be trusted
    5. what evidences do we have that says God can be trusted
    6. what is the basis of trust (what causes us trust anyone)
      1. a person must tell the truth
      2. a person must do right, and be just
      3. a person must be dependable or reliable
    7. these conditions are necessary, if real trust is to exist
    8. these qualities can be found in the attributes of God (we can fully trust Him)
  2. God is holy, He will not lie to us – Isaiah 6:3
    1. this is one of the most important attributes of God
    2. "holy" means that which is separate, to be separate
      1. God is separate from all that He created (shows His greatness)
      2. God is separate from all that is unclean or sinful (shows His moral purity)
    3. God is separate from His creation
      1. in His person – I Samuel 2:2
        1. there is no one like Him
        2. God is totally and completely different from anyone we have ever known
          1. He is in a class by Himself
          2. man is not always reliable, people will disappoint us and let us down
          3. this is why God’s holiness is so important
          4. God is unlike us in so many ways
        3. we create problems for ourselves when we assume that God is like us
      2. in His position – Psalms 99:2-3, 5, 9
        1. His holiness separates Him from His creation
        2. there is no one else in all creation that is over everything
        3. there is no one else who possesses all authority, like He does
        4. our world covets position and power, but He alone is over everything
        5. no one is higher than God
    4. the moral purity of God (separate from all that is unclean or sinful)
      1. this is what people think about when they think of holiness
      2. this is absolutely essential if God is to be trusted – I John 1:5, Hebrews 6:18
        1. God’s holiness means that there is no sin in Him at all
        2. He is incapable of committing sin, and will never do anything wrong
        3. holiness demands "clean hands, and a pure heart" – Psalm 24:3-4
      3. God’s holiness backs up the truthfulness of His Word – Psalm 89:34-35, 93:5, 138:2
      4. God’s holy character guarantees that He is trustworthy
  3. God is just, He will always do right
    1. in order to trust someone, we must believe that they will do right
    2. God will always do right – Genesis 18:25
      1. there are no crooked dealings by God
      2. He will not deviate from what is right
      3. God will always do right, therefore, He can be trusted
    3. throughout the Bible God’s righteousness is affirmed – Psalm 145:17
    4. God’s righteousness is a guarantee that He will keep His promise
      1. His promise to Israel was kept in spite of their sin and disobedience
      2. if God has promised something, He must and will keep His Word
    5. God will judge those who do wrong
      1. people often wonder about the justice of God, when they see the wickedness of this world
        1. good people suffer
        2. wicked people seem to get away with their wicked deeds
        3. where is God in all this
      2. can God be trusted to rectify these things – Romans 12:19, Revelation 16:5-6
      3. we can trust God to judge those that wrong us
    6. we can trust God to save us – Romans 3:24-26
    7. we can trust God to forgive us – I John 1:9
    8. we can trust God to remember our work for Him – Hebrews 6:10
      1. even when no one else notices
      2. God remembers and will not forget
      3. God cares because He is just
  4. God is faithful, He is always dependable
    1. trust is sometimes based solely on the faithfulness of the person
      1. without dependability, it is difficult to trust
      2. the dependability of God is based on His unchangeable character – Hebrews 13:8
      3. the Bible teaches that God does not change, therefore, we can depend on Him
      4. God is predictable
    2. God does not change
      1. man may change, but God will never change
      2. His character and His plans will always be the same – James 1:17
      3. His unchangeableness is a guarantee of His dependability and reliability
    3. it will be relatively easy to trust God, if we are convinced that He is faithful – Romans 8:28
    4. what the Bible says about the faithfulness of God
      1. it shall not fail – Psalm 89:33
      2. our lives are dependant on the faithfulness of God in showing His mercy – Lamentation 3:22-23
    5. God is faithful, acceptance of this truth will affect the way we see and respond to difficult circumstances