Faithful and True
Is God “abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6 KJV)” or is he “abounding in love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6 NIV)?” Both phrases are correct. Translators have to make choices in selecting words that best convey the meaning from one language to another. There is no such thing as a completely literal translation from one language to another. The Hebrew word “ehmeth” translated either “truth” or “faithfulness,” depending on the version you are reading, contains nuances of both English words. God is both faithful and truthful. He is trustworthy and honest. We can count on him telling us the truth. We can count on him doing exactly what he says he will do. We can count on him keeping his promises. We can count on his perseverance in finishing the work he set out to do. We can count on his character to be unchanging.
How do we know that for certain?
God told us. How do we know he is truthful? Because he said he does not lie. You might say, “Prove it.” God says the same to us, “Prove it” (Malachi 3:10;Acts 17:11; Romans 12:2; I Thessalonians 5:21; I John 4:1).[There is a difference between an investigation of the truth of a matter and a defiant challenge to the Sovereign God of the universe (Luke 4:12).] What do we examine to discover the truth?
We can read the witnesses to his good character from the Bible. We can examine history to see if his promises came true. We can examine the living witnesses to the faithfulness and truthfulness of God from those who are followers of Jesus Christ today. Granted the evidence from his followers does seem rather scanty, sorry to say. But even though Christians are flawed, and some are genuine and some are fakes, those who are really able to see the transformation that takes place in their lives will see evidence of the living God at work. The evidence of who are Jesus’ disciples is revealed in the fruit of their lives:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35.)”
The best way to know whether or not God is telling the truth is to test his truth by putting it into practice in daily life. David wrote:
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name (Psalm 86:11.)
The apostle John gave this account of Jesus:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32.)”
He went on to say:
“Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God (John 8:45-47.)”
On the night of his betrayal Jesus told his disciples:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him (John 14:6-7.)”
Jesus made a promise:
If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever---the Spirit of truth (John 14:15-17).
To know God as truth, we have to love truth and obey the truth, even when it hurts, and especially when truth calls on us to give up a love of wickedness:
…They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness (II Thessalonians 2:10-12.)
Being saved from perishing does not depend on our reasoning powers or research abilities. Salvation, eternal life, is God’s gift. If we want what he is offering, he wants to give it and will make it possible:
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word (II Thessalonians 2:13-17.)
God revealed his name to Moses. He revealed himself as Truth and as Faithfulness. Jesus revealed himself as Truth. The Revelation of Jesus Christ gives us a vision of him at his return: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war (Revelation 19:11.)”
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