La reconfortante cualidad de la fidelidad

The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Therefore, go around the world teaching and preaching the gospel to every creature, to the last of the earth. En Contacto, the biblical teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Today on En Contacto, the comforting quality of fidelity. Fidelity is one of the most important qualities we have to find in our life. When we think about what it implies, sometimes we have believed in people, we have had faith in others, and they have disappointed us. They tell us something and do something else. Then there are those who go through very difficult moments in life, difficult moments. They often suffer deception or are in debt, or whatever the case may be, because of someone's disloyalty, lack of fidelity. So it is a very important quality, and I ask you, would you fall into the category of someone who is faithful? If he says he will do something, does he do it? When he says who he really is, does he take it lightly? God does not take it lightly. So I wish to title this message, The Comforting Quality of Fidelity. When I think about that, I remember this passage in Genesis, chapter 32, I listen for a moment to what verse 9 says, Jacob said, Examine your life and see how faithful God has been, and is grateful for the fidelity of God to you. So, throughout the Bible there are many verses about his fidelity, and I would like to read several just to remind us how important it is in Deuteronomy 7, verse 9, it says, Know, then, that Jehovah your God is God, a faithful God.

One of his attributes is that when he says he will do something, he will do it. Psalm 33, verse 4 says, For upright is the word of Jehovah, and all his work is done with fidelity. He does what he says he will do, faithful to his promises. Psalm 36, verse 5, Jehovah to the heavens comes your mercy, and your fidelity reaches the clouds. Psalm 119, verse 90, From generation to generation is your fidelity, and lamentations 3, verse 23, great is your fidelity. Of course, when I think about this, I think about what 2 Timothy 2, verse 13 says, Listen, if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. Our sin does not nullify, does not nullify the fidelity of God. That is, sometimes we are not faithful, but God is. We have never confessed our sin to God in a genuine, sincere way without God having forgiven us. We cannot mention a single promise that God has not fulfilled. This is how God is. He is a faithful God who fulfills his promise in all circumstances of life. So, we say that God fulfills his promise, but another of his attributes is that God is immutable. That is, he does not change. Everyone changes, we all change, but God never changes. When he says, I will neither leave you nor forsake you, what does that mean? God says, no, I will not forsake you, I will not leave you. Fidelity is one of the attributes of God that we depend on. So, fidelity, to be who we say we are, to do what we say we will do, as a lifestyle, was what God planned for everyone without exception. Because to be unfaithful is to say something that is not true or to represent something that is not true. So, with that in mind, the Holy Spirit makes it part of his responsibility to guide us, direct us, and empower us to be faithful in him. in very difficult situations. The Holy Spirit is faithful in expressing through us the qualities that are in accordance with God's nature. He always acts that way.

He will not do in us something that is not true of God. When He sent the Holy Spirit, God sent Him because He knew that we would not be able to lead the Christian life alone. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot. Not a single one of us has the strength, the energy, the interest, the fidelity to lead the Christian life without the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, if you are a believer and you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you were sealed until the day of redemption, as it says, so you have someone who will enable you to be faithful in every circumstance of life. When we are unfaithful, it is the same Holy Spirit who dies in us, who convinces us of sin. Fidelity is very important for God. It is important for each other. It is important for ourselves to have the quality of being faithful in what we say we will do. So, the Holy Spirit has equipped us for that. When I think of the Holy Spirit, I consider Him the trainer of God. He has placed in us the power that trains us to do what we say we will do. So, we have a helper, Jesus Christ called Him that, a consoler, the Holy Spirit. Let us think about that for a moment, and about some very specific aspects in which God has promised to be faithful to us every day. One of them is one of the best known, and it is 1 John 1, verse 9. It is known by heart. Notice, let us see what it says. Yes, we confess. We agree with God about something. If we confess our sins, that we have sinned against Him, He is faithful, that is the part of God, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all evil.

Why does He put that there, just? Because if God only said, very well, you are forgiven, you are forgiven, then forgiveness would not mean much. Faithful and just to forgive our sins. In other words, when Christ went to the cross and paid our sin, He made it possible with God, legally, that if we confess our sins, we agree with God that we did evil, He will always forgive us because He paid all our debt of sin, He has the right to forgive us. Secondly, and it is, the faithfulness of God limits the power of our temptation. Now you will remember 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13. Perhaps we should read this passage. Almost all of us know it by heart. Chapter 10, verse 13. No temptation has overcome us that is not human, but that faithful God, look, will not let you be tempted more than you can resist, but will also leave you, along with the temptation, the way out, so that you may endure. In other words, when we are tempted, we have the promise of the Holy God that He limits all our temptations. Some people are stronger than others. Some are like a mongrel for the devil. Some people are unconditionally strong, obedient, faithful, servants of God.

It is said that this is their promise. God will not let the devil tempt us more than we can resist when we trust in God. This refers to the believers. Now the non-believers have no help. Listen to what it says. No temptation has overcome us that is not human, in other words, there are all kinds of temptations. God is trustworthy. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted more than you can resist. So the Bible says that God promises that we do not have to surrender to temptation, because the Holy God has set a limit to every temptation that we face. Now, if you say, Lord, if you had done this, I would not have done such a thing. No, no, no, no. God says, I have given you this promise that I put a stop to temptation. It only goes as far as what I say. It is a promise from God. Does He believe that God fulfills His promises? Yes, He does. I am sure. So, God says that He has set a limit. Then it says in Philippians 4, verse 7, And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. In other words, this is His promise when we are troubled by something.

Now, someone will say, Is it the anxiety of a sin? Let's look at it this way. We should not be anxious, but sometimes something affects us and suddenly we feel anxiety, especially if it has to do with a loved one who may be in trouble, or something happened to him, or a disease or whatever. We will all go through those moments in life when we will feel anxious about something. If you went to the doctor and told him that his heart was very bad, and his heart got worse because of what the doctor told him. But there are times when we feel anxious, sometimes we feel anxiety when we see someone do something that we know will be a disaster if they don't stop him. God has made us a promise. He fulfills every promise. And that promise is that we can have God's peace. And notice what it says, notice that it goes beyond all understanding. In other words, God says, I will give you a peace that you cannot understand. The peace of God that goes beyond all understanding. What Paul says is that there are times and situations that we don't understand. And we think, my God, where were you? Lord, this is what you said. This is what the Bible says. But look at what you allowed. What's going on? Where were you when this happened? Why did you let her or him do this? Why did you allow my children to get involved in these situations? The peace of God that goes beyond all understanding. Thank God for that verse. There are things that we don't understand.

In some situations we think, Lord, if you loved us, you wouldn't let that happen. Lord, why did you let that happen to so and so? Why did you stay there with your arms crossed, seeing the outcome of all this? The peace of God that goes beyond all understanding. He will keep your hearts and minds in Christ, Jesus. There are people who become alcoholics because they don't know how to face certain situations in life. And they go to the bottle. Or people who get involved in adultery of any kind. People go through everything. That is, there are so many circumstances. God understands how traumatic, how difficult, and how painful they are. This is what it says. And the peace of God is the peace of God, not someone else's explanation. Not a bottle, not an alcoholic. And the peace of God that goes beyond all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ. That is, my relationship with Christ will keep me from losing hope. My relationship with Christ will keep me from blaming God and accusing Him, or keeping me away from God and His will. The peace of God will keep our hearts and minds in Christ, Jesus. Great promises of God. The fidelity of God. Think about this. From the moment you accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit came into your life and is there. He is the one who convinces us of sin, gives us comfort and security in life. He is also the one who limits the power of Satan in our lives. 2 Thessalonians 3, 3

But faithful is the Lord, pay attention, faithful is the Lord, we can trust in Him, who will affirm and keep you from evil. This is the promise of God. And when people say, the devil forced me to do it, it was not him. The decision was his. He decided not to believe God and to call Him a liar, who says that He will affirm and keep you from evil. Perhaps He has said, no, God, if it were you, this is His promise. Here are four simple promises. The first is the forgiveness of our sin. A simple promise limits our temptation, gives us peace in the midst of our anxiety, and limits the power of Satan in our lives. With those four promises in his life, he can face anything. And they are all simple verses that are known by heart. If you have come to this congregation or to a church where the pastor is faithful when preaching the word, you already know those verses. But he combines them in a capsule of fidelity. Because God is faithful, I will not doubt that, because God is faithful, I do not understand it, but I will trust in Him. In other words, he can make a list of these four verses,

forgiveness of sin, limits the power of temptation, gives us peace in the midst of our anxiety, limits the power of Satan, he can go through anything. If he believes it, if he trusts in God, let us think about this. The Bible says that when the Holy Spirit dies in us, we will have a certain experience. of life. In other words, if we walk in the Spirit, trusting in Him, we will be consecrated to God. In other words, He will be the one we will follow. Are you a consecrated person to God? Do people know you as a Christian, as a believer in Christ? Is that how you are? Loyal. Do they know you as a loyal person? Will you do what I say? Will you be where I say? Will you give what I say? Will you help when I say? Are you loyal? Can others count on you being by their side in a difficult situation? Third, unbreakable. In other words, the same every day. Not this today and that tomorrow. Can they believe what you say? Can they trust that you tell the truth? Firm. Are you firm? In other words, stable. Do not let anyone shake you for this and that. They can count on you. Trustworthy. Believable. We only tell the truth. Those who know you can say, this person is very trustworthy. If he said it, you can believe it. Responsible. In other words, when we say that we will be there or that we will give something, we will do that. When we say that we will do something, we will do it. In other words, those who know you say, one thing he or she has is responsible. Obedient. Can you say that you are someone who tries to obey God? It is not that you are perfect, but without a doubt you try to obey God. They know you as someone like that. Also fruitful. May our life count. Your life counts. It makes a difference. You are influencing someone. And the truth is that we influence our co-workers, those who live in our house. We influence them in some way or another. And finally, I will say, faithful. So, look. If you live in obedience, you are consecrated to God, loyal to God, unbreakable before sin, firm, trustworthy, responsible, obedient, fruitful, faithful. Maybe you say, well, all that in a person's life, he already has it. What can he do with his own strength? We are all wrong.

What God seeks in all of us, pay attention, is that we create Him to the point that we trust in God for everything in every circumstance of life. You say, well, I am not there yet. Most people are not there yet. They will say, when will you get there? I cannot answer that. If you ask me, can I trust God for everything? I have two ideas. I think I can, but there are situations that I have not faced. I don't know. I only know that at this stage of my life, I think I can trust God practically for anything. But I would not deny that. I would never tell anyone that I said I could handle anything and everything. I have gone through many things, but there are people who have gone through situations and circumstances that I have not gone through. So, we must be patient with each other. If we see someone stumble, do not rush to judge. Maybe we have the same opportunity. We do not call it an opportunity, but in other words, that is when it is about learning to trust in God. We have opportunities to trust in God in every circumstance of life. Trust in God. So, does this describe you as a person? Your actions, your deeds, your thoughts? If you are a person consecrated to God, you are first. You are faithful to God. Do not deny it. Do not deny that you are a believer. You are unbreakable. You are not up today and down tomorrow. You are firm in your Christian life. You remain firm, committed. You are reliable. What He says is what He will do. He is responsible. In other words, someone can trust that He will do what He promised to do. He is obedient, according to what He knows that obedience requires of His life. He is fruitful. His life makes a difference in someone else's life, and He is faithful. In other words, He is the One who says He will be, does what He says He will do, and will be what He says He will be. Amen? Father, how grateful we are that when you saved us, you did not leave us here so that we could fix ourselves as best we could. Because you know, Lord, that we do not always do the best we can. But do you know the desire of our hearts? I ask you for those who are fighting today. Perhaps they live in a home where no one else is a believer, or their wife or husband is not, or their children make them go through difficult times, whatever the case may be. Thank you for living inside of us and for giving us these promises to help us do everything you want us to do. Thank you for these simple biblical passages that transform our lives and truly comfort us. We love you, we praise you and we thank you because your word says, and we know from experience, that you are a faithful God. And we love to sing, great Lord is your fidelity. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ♪♪