The Bride of Christ Lesson 2a (The Bridegroom: Faithful)

In this lesson we will begin looking at the second characteristic of the Bridegroom.   

Psalm 119:90, Your faithfulness is for all generations; You have established the earth, and it is firm.  

Lamentations 3:22-23, It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed; His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 

Dictionary.com defines faithfulness as: Lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships.  

“The faithfulness of God means God is unchanging in his nature, true to his Word, has promised salvation to his people, and will keep his promises forever.”i 

Characteristic Number 2: The Bridegroom is Faithful 

First, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us. 

Exodus 34:6-7, The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”  

Ephesians 1:7, In Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.   

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

“Thankfully, God is “faithful” and “just.” These terms in 1 John 1:9 describe the nature of God. The word faithful means “characterized by steadfast affection or allegiance.” God will never give up on us. We can always count on His steadfast love and forgiveness (Isaiah 43:25; Romans 8:38). When we turn to the Lord, He will have mercy on us and freely pardon our sin (Isaiah 55:7).”ii 

Second, He is faithful to heal/restore the backslidden. 

“The word backslide, in a Christian context, implies any movement away from Christ rather than toward Him. A backslider is someone who is going the wrong way, spiritually. He or she is regressing rather than progressing. The Old Testament uses the term “backsliding” to speak of those who have been near to God but have allowed sin to take them away from Him.”iii 

Zechariah 1:3, so you will say to them, Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts. 

Joel 2:13, Rend your heart, and not your garments, return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents from punishing. 

Jeremiah 24:7, I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. 

Nehemiah 1:9, but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and bring them back to the place where I have chosen to establish My name. 

Hosea 14:4, I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. 

Revelation 2:4-5, 4 “But I have something against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your candlestick from its place, unless you repent. 

“Jesus calls them to remember, repent and repeat the first works. The humble and contrite ones enjoy the blessing of healing when there is backsliding.”iv 

Thirdly, He is faithful to keep and sustain us through temptation. 

1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, and He will not permit you to be tempted above what you can endure, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. 

James 1:2-4, Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. 

God will always provide a way of escape in every temptation, however, as we read in James 1, when we persevere though the trial godly character is being developed in us.   

Matthew 6:13, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

2 Thessalonians 3:3, But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 

“Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else— what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations— He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16).”v 

Hebrews 2:18, For since He Himself suffered while being tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. 

Hebrews 4:15-16, For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Questions for reflection:  

  1. 1. Have I ever believed the lie that God had given up on me? That my sin was too great for forgiveness?  


  2. 2. Is there any area in my life where I have “backslidden” and am going the wrong way, spiritually? If so, how can I remember, repent, and repeat my first works? 


  2. 3. When temptation comes my way, do I: A. rely on God to sustain me through it so that my faith is built. B. look for the way of escape. or C. yield to the temptation?     


Note: All Scripture references are from the MEV unless otherwise specified.   

Works Cited:

i https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/faithfulness-of-god/ 

ii https://www.gotquestions.org/confess-our-sins-faithful-and-just.html 

iii https://www.bible.com/events/245649 

iv https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/healing-for-a-backslider-isaiah-57-14-21-11633056.html 

v https://utmost.org/updated/is-there-good-in-temptation/#:~:text=Beware%20of%20thinking%20that%20you,4%3A15%2D16).

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