Fruit of the Spirit – Faithfulness April 20, 2009

Paula Robinson

I felt that it would be helpful to start with discovering the meaning of faithfulness.

In William Barclay’s commentary the Greek word for faithfulness is “pistis”.  This is translated trustworthiness.

However, to further understand faithfulness I looked up some dictionaries.

The following is the best of what I found, combined with some of my comments.

So faithfulness can mean:

Strict/thorough in the performance of duty.  As in the term “a faithful worker”.

True to one’s word, promises, vows etc.. As in someone who can be depended on.

Firm, steady and constant in maintaining unswerving allegiance, affection, or attachment. Loyal.

Eg. Faithful friends, being loyal to a cause or idea (eg. One’s country)

Reliable, trusted or believed.

To follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty.

Long, continued, stable and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge duty or obligation.

Synonyms for faithfulness can also help us to discover its meaning.

Some of them are:  adherence, adhesion, allegiance, attachment, care, constancy, dependability, fidelity, trustworthiness, truth, sincerity, stability and devotion.

My daughter Jacqueline also wanted me to include the word staunch in this description of faithfulness. The word staunch means steadfast and strong.

Faithfulness in these terms is definitely a very attractive quality or fruit of the spirit to possess,

as well as to be thankful for when we see it displayed in those around us.

especially when we are recipients.

As I pondered faithfulness as the fruit that I had been assigned to preach about,

I wondered at its significance to my life

and also wondered how much fruit was working through me.

Initially I felt condemned, but realised that comes from the evil one.

After that passed I felt encouraged

and also challenged to continue in faithfulness in areas that I find it difficult to be faithful.

I also thought about the people around me who had been faithful to me in different ways and was thankful for their faithfulness.

So let’s pause for a moment and think about whom in our lives has been faithful to us in some way. What is it that they do that enables you to see their faithfulness.

To look into the purest form of faithfulness I felt that it would be essential to explore just some areas of God’s faithfulness to us.

Ps 100:5 says

“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

So God remains faithful always.

2 Timothy 2:13 says

“If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”

So God will be faithful in line with His word, regardless of our loyalty.

God reminds us with rainbows of His faithful promise to Noah and all generations that the whole earth will never again be flooded.

In Matt 24:35 it says:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

So all of Gods’ words, the bible are completely reliable and are guaranteed fulfilment.

God was also completely faithful to His people the Israelites in the O.T..

They continued to stray from Him and fall into slavery and bondage.

Each time they turned back to Him, He faithfully received them and delivered them.

Jesus lived a life of complete faithfulness to His calling, to suffer and die for us. He knew what He had to go through and yet still chose to do it.

1 Thess 5:23,24 encourages us greatly with;

“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you, through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”

These are but a few examples of God’s faithfulness expressed to us.

If you study the bible you will discover that there is not any area of our lives

that God will be unfaithful in since He cannot be what He is not.

I can recall many times in my own life where God has been faithful to me.

One particular remarkable occasion that I remember was many years ago when I was leading a women’s group in our home.

That summer we had a bug infestation.  Those bugs used to crawl into your bed and bite you as you slept.

I had just finished preparing my home and the bible study for the next morning with the women and was ready to go to bed in the air conditioned lounge room, when I noticed some bugs beginning to march right in.This normally meant that by morning they would be all through the house.  I was very concerned about this, as I knew that I would not have time to vacuum them up before group.  I also had a young baby to care for and it just was not possible to deal with them on time.

I lay down and prayed a desperate prayer explaining my circumstances, which God knew anyway, and I asked Him to take the bugs away somehow.  The next morning I got up to see what the damage was.

I found one half dead bug in the sink and one somewhere else.  I was overjoyed.

I assumed my husband Andrew had vacuumed them up for me before work. So I called him to thank him.  Andrew however had not vacuumed, which left me to believe that God had used a heavenly vacuum, in the form of a miracle, faithfully taking care of circumstances that would not have been very nice for a women’s group.

In prayer many times God has encouraged me to ask for the things I need and want so that He can bless me and show me His faithfulness.

How about you?

In what ways can you recall God’s faithfulness to you?

I also realized as I studied faithfulness that it is best displayed in adverse circumstances. It’s easy to be faithful when everything is going well.

The bible character Job had his faithfulness tested when He lost everything including his health.  Yet He remained loyal in His devotion to God.

Many people blame God when everything goes wrong rather than turn to Him and rely upon His faithfulness to help us through and to overcome.

In the end Job was blessed and had everything restored to Him in far greater measure than what he had lost.

God rewarded His faithfulness, as God also rewards ours.

In Matthew 25 in the parable of the talents, the servants who were faithful with their masters’ goods in His absence

were honoured, given more responsibility

and invited to share in their master’s happiness.

Sometimes we get to enjoy rewards on earth and other rewards will wait till heaven.

So, how does this faithfulness develop in us?

The bible teaches us that we are made in God’s image.

Therefore it is reasonable to expect that as we mature

we would also develop faithfulness to reflect the character of our creator.

John 15:5  reads

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit: apart from me you can do nothing.”

These are Jesus words to His disciples.

So Jesus gives us an instruction to remain in Him

so that we will naturally bear fruit just like plants do.

What does it mean to remain in Jesus.

I think the implication is to be very close to Him

.

We can do this through;  regular prayer, worshipping Him,

reading the bible, His word to us,

and also regularly meeting with His people,

who are other image bearers of Himself.

I believe we have a choice whether or not to position ourselves close to Jesus making fruit development possible.

So how close to Jesus are you?

What opportunities are you giving Him to grow fruit in you?

Romans 12:1 says

“Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

I think this not only describes worship but a call to faithfulness with every part of our beings.

So what might faithfulness look like in practical terms?

Rev 2:10 Challenges us

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Romans 12:12 says to

“Be faithful in prayer.”

1 Corinthians 5:18&20 commends us to

“Flee from sexual immorality. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

This is calling us to be faithful in our sexuality.

1 Corinthians 13 calls us to be faithful in our love, ensuring that every form of service expressed through us, has love as its base.

I would even say that faithfulness is also an expression of love.

2 Corinthians 9 talks about being faithful in giving generously, even describing it as an act of obedience to God’s purpose.

Galations 6:9 & 10 encourages us to be faithful in doing good. For it says

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

I think “doing good” is a useful blanket term to cover a multitude of services that would bless other people as we faithfully choose to do good.

This doing good could cover;

being hospitable, helping the injured, giving practicle help, being a listening ear, offering your expertise, and generally assisting in the hum drum things of life.

There is not a cap on what doing good could encompass.

We are also called to be faithful in our readiness to witness who Christ is to us.

1 Peter 3:15 says

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

I also read this challenging question on the internet regarding our faithfulness in our calling to serve in the ministry of the Church.

Note, this question is not for condemnation,

as each person’s call to service is unique to themselves.

However it is useful at times to ask questions of ourselves to highlight areas of weakness.

It goes like this: “If everyone were as faithful as I am, what kind of church would this be?”   or    “what sort of church life would we see?”

Like Jesus was we also will be tempted to be unfaithful.

However,1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that

God always provides a way of escape from the temptations.

It is important to get up again when we fall, just like Peter did after denying Jesus. Jesus restored him and Peter became a beacon of faithfulness.

We need not become discouraged in faithfulness as Lamentations 3:21-23 reminds us

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Because God is faithful to us we can safely be faithful to Him, knowing that He will reward us,

lift us when we fail,

And return faithfulness back to us.

So, again in reflection what does faithfulness look like? Or how can it be described?

Faithfulness implies consistency and unchangeability in its allegiance.

Its devotion is steadfastly and sincerely attached to the cause,

in this case, Jesus, whom it completely trusts in, believes in  and has pledged itself to.

It is something that won’t be shaken, but endures no matter what may come.