ESGAL15 Fruit of the Spirit Part 9 Faithfulness

Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

There is a story of an Italian man. He had come to the US from Italy in the 1920’s as a young man with nothing but the clothes on his back. A Christian couple befriended him and through their love he came to know Christ as his Lord and Saviour. One Sunday in church, he prayed: "Lord, if you give me an idea for a business, I will be faithful to give a portion of everything I make back to Your work." That very morning, the idea of "Fresh squeezed orange juice" popped into his head - and the rest is history – he bought an Orange Field and Anthony Rossi founded the "Tropicana Co" and was faithful to give God - not 10% of his income, as many faithful believers do, but 50% of his income and was known as one of the most generous Americans who ever lived! He also gave truckloads of free orange juice to Christian colleges throughout the country as well as buying substantial land for retired ministers and setting up a mission in his native Sicily. Anthony Rossi had both faith and faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness

In Greek (pistis πιστις) faithfulness is really the same word for faith.

This has to do with being dependable, trustworthy, and committed. It includes all that we believe as Christians.

First we see that God is faithful. He is committed to us, completely trustworthy and steadfast:

Lamentations 3:22–23 NKJV

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Out of which we have a great hymn that says:

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

Other verses about God’s faithfulness say:

1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV

13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

1 John 1:9 NKJV

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

And there are so many other verses which speak of His faithfulness.

All this gives us great assurance of how good God is; how much we can rely upon Him. That He will never leave us or forsake us for even if we are not faithful he continues to be faithful to us. And then when we turn our faces to God He can be relied upon to forgive us our many sins. Because of His great love towards us it inspires us to love Him and be faithful to Him. Because God’s faithfulness is shown in that He never lets us down and never deserts us we in turn are motivated to be the same in all our life’s dealings.

Faithful to God

Our faithfulness to God is demonstrated in both our private and public life. You see, it is easy to put on a show for others of our spirituality; raising our hands in worship, praying out loud, doing good deeds, etc. None of these things are wrong unless they are done to get praise from people rather than God.

Faithfulness to God is first demonstrated when we are alone and then with our families. We are to be faithful in praying alone and then with our families. We are to be faithful in reading God’s word when we are on our own and allowing God’s Spirit to speak to us and then we should be reading it with our families.

We should then be faithful in meeting with God’s people for worship and for fellowship. None of us chose our Mother and Father and none of us chose our Christian brothers and sisters and they will be forever. We do not have a choice, if we are obedient to Scripture, about meeting up with them on Sundays, on Thursdays and at other times...we are not free to flit between different churches until we feel we fit...God expects us to be faithful to Him and His people where you are. We are not consumerists in the Capitalist sense – we are to be faithful where God has put us.

We are not takers but givers. We are here for God’s glory. We are all here to serve not to be served. Many of the problems that people have in Church are because they expect the Church or the Pastor to help them. But if instead they came with the attitude of serving as Jesus did, who is their mentor and teacher and Lord, then many of the problems they have would cease to exist.

The man who started the fresh squeezed orange juice company considered serving to be important and he worked out his salvation in the very deeds he did in helping others. We are all called to some form of ministry. Some, yes, are called to upfront ministry such as Mirche, Stole and Marino in being Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Ministry and serving are synonyms. We are all called to serve God’s people and to be witnesses to those who are not both in word and deed. If we want to be great in God’s Kingdom then we need to be servants and slaves and to minister.

If we are following Jesus we have put our hand to the plough. We are not to look back. We are to keep moving forward. We are to press on into the work that God has prepared in advance for us to do and be faithful in it. Are we working out our salvation? The key word is ‘working’! We cannot be lazy but it requires effort on our part. This working means thinking about how we can be useful to God’s people and in ministering to the world.

An American tourist travelling in Southeast Asia stopped to take a picture of an old man out in the field with an old wooden plough attached to his son. When he reached the next village, he mentioned the incident to the local missionary, saying how bad he felt for the poverty of the family.

But the missionary explained that they were one of the original believing families in the village, and faithful members of the church. When the congregation recently gathered funds for a little building, the family had no money, so they gave their only possession - their ox. The son was willing to pull the plough, because Jesus said, ’No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.’" (Luke 9:62)

Perhaps we feel we do not have much to give for God’s Kingdom but we are called to be faithful with what we have.

Jesus says in:

Luke 16:10a (NKJV) — 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.

If we are faithful in the little we have God may give us more to be faithful in. But if we can’t be bothered with dealing with the little we have, then we are proving we will not be faithful even if we had millions more. (God has called me to be faithful to Ely Baptist – even though they are small)

Notice that we are called to be faithful not successful. Successfulness is not proof of faithfulness and nor is the lack of success proof of unfaithfulness. The work we do is God’s and it is He who gives the increase in His own time. God will build His Church. He is faithful to His own Word.

Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

We cannot add to what God is doing but by being faithful in all that He has given us and in what we do, He makes us co-workers with Him which is a great mystery indeed for surely He has no need of us! But God honours those who labour for Him and desires for us to be fruitful for Him.

It could be that we will be called to suffer for Jesus and the way the world is going that even we in the UK and USA will be next so don’t be surprised if you see it here in Macedonia too but Jesus through John tells us:

Revelation 2:10 NKJV

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

What is important about this is whether persecution comes or not we are to be faithful until we die. Remember that Jesus was faithful unto death setting His face to go to Jerusalem with absolute dedication and commitment knowing He would be crucified.

We are to be faithful in all things:

Indeed if we are employed or are an employer or are a student or stay at home we have to show ourselves faithful, dependable, reliable for it is in this way we are demonstrating the life of a Christian who follows Jesus.

In everything we are to be faithful and not to quit. In everything we are to keep on going on until God says ‘stop’. There will be a time when everything will be called to a stop. A full stop.

Matthew 25:13–30 NKJV

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

It is about being faithful to Him in both the small things and the big things. When Jesus returns as He surely will very soon let us NOT hear these words: ‘Wicked and lazy servant!’ But instead let us hear ‘Good and faithful servant!’ In doing so the reward will truly be great...and we will live and reign with Christ. So, not only are we co-workers with Christ, we will also be co-regents! Wow! How blessed it is to know Jesus!

Surely in knowing that He is coming

1 John 3:3 NKJV

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Conclusion

We have learned that God is every bit faithful to us and to His Word. What He says He will do. We, in response are faithful to Him and to His people and in the work that God has given us to do.

It may be that we are failing in some point or another. The great thing is that it need not carry on that way. We may have fallen but it is now time to get up again. Don’t quit! God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is now time to put our hand back to the plough and not look back.

Jesus is coming soon and His reward is with Him.

Then we will hear that great words spoken from His lips to each one of us: Good and faithful servant.

Benediction

John 15:16 NKJV

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.