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LIFE BY THE SPIRIT—FAITHFULNESS

Faithfulness is the seventh attribute the Holy Spirit desires to implant into our daily walk. In the New Testament the Greek word is pistos and is often used in the context of conviction of belief in respect to God and Christ. But it is also used to describe the quality of faithfulness which as been explained as “the character of one who can be relied on”.

While many claim this attribute the wisdom of Proverbs 20:6 tells us it is a hard virtue to find. Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? The Psalmist tells us about the lack of faithfulness in his day. Psalm 12:1-2, Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. 2 Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. Sounds a lot like the present days we live in but faithfulness is essential for those who would receive the crown of life. Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

To encourage the development of this attribute in our lives let’s first look at Jesus as our example and then share together a few areas in which we need great faithfulness.

Jesus was faithful in fulfilling His role as the Son of God. He was faithful in carrying out the work given Him. These passages from John’s Gospel back this fact up.
John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
John 8:29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.
Jesus is also faithful in the role of being our high priest. Hebrews 2:17-18 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Jesus is faithful because He understands our weakness. Hebrews 4:14-15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Jesus is faithful because He richly supplies with grace and mercy. Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Isn’t wonderful to have a Savior upon whom we can rely?

Some ways we need to be more faithful to God and Christ:
• We need to be faithful in the way we use our gifts, talents, abilities and opportunities. Too often we are like the man in Jesus’ parable that buried their talent and this displeases the Lord. Like Moses at the burning bush we make excuses, but for every excuse we can come up with, God can provide a way for us to be faithful. We may need to begin to be faithful in small things in order to be faithful when the going gets tough.
• We need to be faithful to our church. The family of God always has a need for people who are truly faithful. Lack of faithfulness to the church can be seen in several ways. By the forsaking the assembly of ourselves; church attendance. We might need to ask ourselves if everybody else were only as faithful as I am what kind of church would we have. Consider this example of "faithfulness" to the church... Grandma Taw Bow, a resident of Thailand, does not impress strangers. She is small of stature, bent with age, her hands and fingers gnarled with arthritis. She often stands quietly to one side. Her name translated into English means "Always." Despite her unimpressive physical appearance, Grandma Always has inspired her missionary friends and Thai Christians by her faithfulness. A widow and over ninety years of age, she lives as a servant in a Thai home. Every Sunday she walks two miles to church. Out of her income of five cents a day, she regularly gives one day's wages to the Lord every week. When her missionary friends drive her home from church services, she gets out, and bows her head in an audible prayer for the missionaries and the work of Christ in Thailand. One missionary says, "The thought of Grandma Always' faithfulness humbles and deepens us." (A Dictionary Of Christian Illustrations, p. 121) What every church needs is more Grandma Always!
• We need to be more faithful to our families. Fathers need to be faithful in fulfilling their spiritual roles. Mothers need to be more faithful in fulfilling their family responsibilities. And of course husband and wives need to be faithful to each other in their respective duties. Children, you also have a need to be faithful to your parents.

In his commentary William Barclay ended his examination of this word in this way: "Pistos is indeed a great word. It describes the man on whose faithful service we may rely, on whose loyalty we may depend, whose word we can unreservedly accept. It describes the man in whom there is the unswerving and inflexible fidelity of Jesus Christ, and the utter dependability of God."

Will you not strive to be faithful, in your service to God, in the use of your gifts, in your church and in your family?

To be continued…

Tommy—one counted among the redeemed