The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians
5:22, 23. NIV
Merriam-Webster says faithfulness is
“having or showing true and constant support or loyalty.” We always like to go
a little deeper just to be sure of what the original Greek word meant (in this
case, “pistis”, Strong’s #4102). W.E.Vine tells us that this Greek word is used
in both a passive and an active sense. The passive is “to be trusted, reliable”; the active is “believing,
trusting, relying”.
Who might your first Scripture choice be to illustrate “faithfulness”? Mary’s
husband, Joseph, was “faithful to the law” (Mat.1:19), Timothy
was “faithful in the Lord” (1 Cor.4:17), the believers in Colossae were
“faithful in Christ” (Col.1:2), Epaphras was a “faithful minister of
Christ”, (Col.1:7). So were Tychicus (Eph.6:21; Col.4:7), Onesimus
(Col.4:9), Paul (1 Tim.2:7), and Antipas (“my faithful witness”,
Rev.2:13).
 |
| Genesis 24:27.God is faithful to Abraham. |
From the Old Testament we have Enoch
(Gen.5:22, 24), Abraham (Gen.24:40), Sarah (Heb.11:11), Moses
(Num.12:7; Heb.3:5), David (1 Kings 3:6), and Hezekiah (2
Chr.31:20).
But, above all these, we find early on (Genesis 24:27) that “faithfulness”
describes God Himself—in Sarah’s time God is the faithful One, Who keeps his
promises (Heb.11:11). Then one of the last occurrences is in Revelation 19:11,
where it is Jesus, and His very name is “Faithful and True”.
Look up some of these references; read their stories. What was the key component
of their faithfulness?— They tried to keep everything open before God—would he
be pleased, would he approve? With many of these believers Scripture adds these
qualifications: They were faithful “in the Lord”, faithful “in Christ”,
faithful “with God”, faithful “before God”, faithful “to God”.
Hebrews 11 is known as the “chapter of faith”. Wouldn’t it be great one
day to come across a book in heaven, flip open a few pages, and there read your
own name! Another “chapter of faith”—with additions!
Strive, man, to win that glory;
Toil, man, to gain that light;
Send hope before to grasp it,
Till hope be lost in sight.
The Celestial Country
Bernard of Cluny
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