While rehearsing the classic hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, I found myself asking, “To what is God being faithful?” As I thought through all the ways God shows Himself faithful in my life, it occurred to me that above all, God is faithful to Himself. He is faithful to His character, which does not change (Numbers 23:19). The fact He never wavers to any degree is proof of His faithfulness.

That He is faithful to Himself assures us He will always be faithful in kindness, goodness, mercy, grace, love, and even in His wrath (James 1:17). God’s faithfulness is great because it is reliable, trustworthy, righteous, and altogether holy. When we sing, “Great is thy faithfulness,” we are praising God for His unchanging character, unwavering love, and unstoppable power.

Because God is faithful in mercy, we know our sins are forgiven. We no longer live as slaves to their power because the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If He was not faithful to forgive us our sins, we would live lives without hope. No one could ever know for certain what their destiny is because we wouldn’t be able to trust God’s word. But throughout history, God has demonstrated his faithful mercy, rescuing His people against all odds, and forgiving their transgressions against Him (Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:18-19). The mercy of the Lord is a deep and inexhaustible river, always flowing from Himself and washing over those who love Him (Lamentations 3:22-23).

That God is faithful in His wrath is seen when, after numerous warnings, He exacts justice on those who refuse to bow to His Lordship (Romans 1:18-19; Colossians 3:5-7). The fact God that is holy and we are not demands our subservience and obedience to Him (1 Peter 1:15-16). Perhaps you don’t like those words. You want to be your own person. Go ahead, but understand your sin cannot exist in the presence of His holiness (Habakkuk 1:13). If you reject God, He must reject you or else He wouldn’t be faithful to Who He is (Matthew 10:33). When we sing, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, we must understand that for God to be faithful means He must be faithful in all aspects of His character, even in the ones where we’d prefer a little leeway (Hebrews 12:6).

God is faithful in His mercy and His wrath because He is faithful in His love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). This is the one we most like to talk about, perhaps to the neglect of all His other holy and amazing attributes. God is love to the core of His being (1 John 4:8). His love for us is so deep none can fathom it (Ephesians 3:16-19). Only God’s love is truly unconditional. No love on earth can even come close.

God is no more, and no less, faithful in love than He is in mercy, wrath, grace, and judgment (Psalm 36:5). He is perfect in all His ways (Deuteronomy 32:4). If you don’t care for some aspects of His character, then recognize that reveals a fault in your character, not in the character of God (Isaiah 55:8-9). We can sing, “Great is Thy faithfulness” because He is first faithful to His character. Our every breath is wrapped up in our great God. He is great; He is holy. And He is faithful in all His ways, perfectly trustworthy, and able to save us no matter what we’ve done. Take a moment to worship our King, who has no equal. How great is His faithfulness (Psalm 89:8)!