His Reliability
Reliability is the quality we ascribe to someone or something that we can count on to function as we are accustomed. Our life depends on things and people being reliable, does it not? My car is reliable, as long as it is in good working order. My pen is reliable, as long as there is ink in it. My computer – uh, won’t go there. Now, my wife is very reliable…always. If I place my key in the lock of my office door, it will reliably unlock it – has to be the right key. There are many reliable people in my life as long as they are around when I need their reliability.
If we go back into the Old Testament we find a king who knew how reliable God was. David said it this way in Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where
can I flee from your presence? If I go up
to the heavens, you are there; if I make my
bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise
on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the
far side of the sea, even there your hand
will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
David thinks the reliability of God is a good thing, but it could be a fearful thing knowing that God is always there. For the believer God’s continual presence is a reliable blessing that we count on.
There is no doubt as to the reliability of Scripture. Everything the prophets said concerning the one who was to come reliably happened.
So, if our reliable Heavenly Father through reliable Scripture makes known His Son, we can count on that Son manifesting that same reliability.
There seemed to be people in Jesus’ day who were counting on His reliability. There was a centurion who depended on Jesus’ reliability to the point He didn’t need Jesus to go to his house, just say the word (Matthew 8).
Even the apostles had their moments reflected in Peter saying to Jesus, "To whom shall we go, (John 6:68)." Here Peter acknowledges Jesus as the one and only reliable source.
So, when Jesus says He will be with us until the end of the age, we can rely on Him to do exactly that.
The King James Version of Scripture made reference to faithful sayings that were worthy of all acceptance. The NIV says it is "a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance." These were/are promises you and I can count on - reliable. One reliable promise is that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, (I Timothy 1:15)." You find some more reliability in what Paul says in I Timothy 4:8-9, "holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
What more do you need - life now, life then? Jesus tried to tell us that when He promised that He came, "that they might have life and have it to the full, (John 10:10)."
There are no contingencies or conditions attached to Jesus' reliability like there was with my car, my key, my pen, or my computer. Jesus is purely and totally reliable.
Come to Him. Go to Him. He's there. He's reliable.
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