He cannot deny Himself ∙
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. – 2 Timothy 2:13
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
Frequently, individuals struggle with punctuality or completing tasks on time. This can be incredibly frustrating when we rely on them. How do we react? We often become annoyed, irritated, or worse. People always have excuses to defend their behavior: hard luck stories, forgetfulness, car trouble, etc. Sadly, for some, this unreliability becomes a recurring pattern. Over time, consistent irresponsibility can drive people away, and ultimately, trust is broken.
Vince Lombardi famously said, “If you are 5 minutes early, you are already 10 minutes late!” This emphasizes the importance of not just being on time but being ahead of time. Being on time means being early. Punctuality reflects reliability and respect for others’ time. The Father is never late. He always follows through and does what He promises.
The Father is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.
It is as though the Father has a schedule to keep, which was booked in eternity past. He orchestrates situations and guides individuals precisely where they need to be at the exact moment He has predetermined. This unseen guidance ensures that crucial encounters unfold as intended. Reflect on the encounters of Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch and the Lord Jesus Christ with the Samaritan woman as examples of this divine scheduling, where each was led to a pivotal moment in their lives by a plan set in motion from eternity past.
Acts 8:26-39
26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia . . .. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”
38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.
John 4:4-29
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.
5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.
7 Soon, a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.”
14 “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.
25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming – the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah!”
28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,
29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”
As children of the King, we are part of His Forever Family. The Father has made magnificent and precious promises to each of us. His promises are always fulfilled based on His character, not our performance. He remains steady and sure regardless of how we perform.
Regrettably, our understanding and expectations are often skewed. When we fail, we usually expect Him to withdraw. We fear that punishment is just around the corner. We might expect this reaction from others but not from the Father. He operates differently, offering steadfast love and grace instead of withdrawal or punishment.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
What fabulous reassurance and comfort we find in this truth! The Father is faithful. Faithfulness is a core aspect of His essence and character. He is not whimsical, arbitrary, or capricious. He is never erratic. He doesn’t play games.
He is also omnipotent and thus fully capable of fulfilling His promises. He promised to finish what He had started in each child of the King perfectly and on time.
REFLECT & PRAY
“How does a human father ‘pity’ His children? He considers their weakness, immaturity, and ignorance, and so does not require of them more than they can handle. Our Father does the same with us” (Stanley).
Father thank You for being faithful and for remaining faithful to me. Encourage me to be faithful to You and not shrink back.
INSIGHT
Philippians 1:6 I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
He never gives up on us, no matter what we do. No matter our actions, He remains unwavering in His commitment to us. He is faithful and determined to accomplish what He set out to do.
What is the good work that the Father has promised will complete? First and foremost, it is the work of the gospel (Philippians 1:3-5).
The work of the gospel produces salvation. “In the New Testament, God has revealed that salvation is a process. It involves justification when a sinner trusts Jesus Christ as their Savior. It includes progressive sanctification that occurs from the time of justification to the Christian’s death or the Rapture. It culminates in glorification when the redeemed sinner finally sees Jesus Christ and experiences transformation into His image” (Constable).
Only the Father has the authority to justify the children of the King. He alone will bring us to glory (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). While every child of the King is involved in sanctification, our role involves active participation and cooperation. Despite this, it’s possible for us to resist, challenge, and even hinder the sanctifying efforts of the Father within us (1 Thessalonians 5:19, Ephesians 4:30).
Our Father is merciful and compassionate. That is what He is and what he does. He chooses to forgive and forget our sins, iniquities, and transgressions.
Psalms 103:10-14
10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is (2 Timothy 2:13).
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© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 