Faithfulness

Mark Dunagan
02/22/15 - Sunday Morning

Faithfulness

To be faithful means to be reliable, trustworthy, dependable, consistent, and especially faithful to God and His teachings. The Bible reminds us that such faithfulness is at times uncommon:

• “Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?” (Proverbs 20:6). That is, it is not easy to find someone who can really be relied upon. Many people talk about how loyal or committed they are, but actual faithfulness is far rarer. 
• Jesus was surrounded by all sorts of people who respectfully called Him Lord, but most did not act as if He was the Lord (Luke 6:46).

The Cost of Unfaithfulness

• “Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble” (Proverbs 25:19).

In other words, unreliable people are a pain, like a bad tooth or a sore foot. Unfaithfulness can be extremely frustrating and discouraging to others. Working with people who are inconsistent or “no shows” can take its toll. So none of us should ever want to be that person that others say, “I wonder if they will really show up”. You can never relax after you have entrusted something to an unreliable person.

Let’s Be More Like God

Over and over the Bible makes the point that God is faithful:

• “For the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness” (Psalm 33:4).
• “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

When it comes to God’s faithfulness, here is what impresses me:

• He is faithful even when others are not faithful.
• He is faithful even when very few serve, worship or thank Him.
• He is faithful even when He is not being appreciated or respected.

All of us have benefitted from God’s faithfulness:

• He kept His promise of a coming Messiah.
• He still gave His Son to die for us – even though most did not appreciate such a sacrifice.
• He continues to care for this earth and provide physical blessings even to those who are not grateful (Luke 6:35).
• He faithfully has preserved His word for us today (1 Peter 1:23-25).

Some Specifics of Faithfulness

• The Faithful Keep Their Promises

“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely” (Proverbs 25:14). “To the farmers of ancient Palestine, clouds black and bulging with promise yet devoid of moisture were infuriatingly unproductive. They were like people who boast and brag, promise and predict, but never produce” (Proverbs, Alden p. 183). Frequently the Bible emphasizes the need to keep one’s promises and verbal commitments:

• “He swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalm 15:4).
• “It is a trap for a man to say rashly, ‘It is holy!’ And after the vows to make inquiry” (Proverbs 20:25). To pronounce something sacred (holy) was to dedicate it to God. In the heat of the emotional moment this man dedicates something to God – then seeks to get out of that commitment.

 “In other words, it is always easier to get in than it is to get out. Do you know the number one problem in parent-child relationships? Resentment. And the number one cause of resent is broken promises” (God’s Power to Change Your Life, Rick Warren, p. 161). Remember Colossians 3:21.

• “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow” (Ecclesiastes 5:4).
• “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5:37).

Over time the track record of the faithful (and unfaithful) speaks loudly. When you are faithful you don’t have to convince others of your faithfulness. We do live in a culture where promises are taken lightly. Yet God reminds us that He is expecting us to keep our promises. So when one makes a commitment to the marriage relationship (Matthew 19:4-6), keep it (Hebrews 13:4). If you promise to change – then change. If you make a promise to wife and children, then keep it. Another way to put this is that being faithful and being loving go together. On the flipside, being undependable is being unloving.  “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). 

Faithfulness with My Time

• “Making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). 

“You can do three things with your time – spend it, waste it, or invest it. The best use of your time is to invest it in something that is going to outlast you.  Faithfulness involves time management. There are two primary time wasters:  regret and worry” (Warren, pp. 164-165). How often do we look at the use of our time as being an investment? Studying the Bible so that I can teach others and stay strong. Praying so that I can be the husband or father that I need to be. Taking the time to talk to people and listen. Taking notice of someone who might be hurting. These are all great ways of investing my time.

When and Then Thinking

We can also waste a lot of time by thinking, “When this or that happens, then I will be happy or faithful”. When I get married. When the kids start school. When I have more money. When I am more established in my career. When I am done with school – then I will be able to serve the Lord. Actually, God says to be faithful now. “When you burn the candle at both ends, you are not as bright as you think you are. You probably need to cut out some things. You may need to add some other things” (Warren, p. 165). By the way the word of God will always tell us in any situation or time of life that what we need to make room for is Bible Study, Prayer, and time with other Christians. These are always essential for anyone and at any time in our lives.

Stand by the Faithful

• “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17).
• “I am a companion to all those who fear you, and of those who keep your precepts” (Psalm 119:63).

This means that when a faithful Christian in being ridiculed that we stand up for them, even if that means we will become unpopular as well. A true friend is always loyal. The faithful can be counted on in a crisis. When times get tough, a genuine friend does not see through you, but sees you through. “If I asked you to write letters to five people you knew you could count on, to whom would you write? What if I turned it around? Who would write to you and say, ‘I know I can depend on you if things get tough?’” (Warren, p. 166).

A Faithful Member

Among other things, being a faithful member of the body of Christ would include:

• Supporting the work of the Lord with my prosperity: 1 Corinthians 16:1-3. A faithful person’s giving is regular and systematic, not spasmodic. Our giving needs to be planned.
• Commitment to a local congregation (Hebrews 10:24). Christians are in a spiritual battle, and not being faithful in reference to a local congregation is like a soldier who wants to be part of the army, but not part of any group or platoon of soldiers.
• I faithfully use the gifts, opportunities and talents that God has given me (Matthew 25:14-30).
• I am faithful to the teachings of Christ (2 John 9). That is, my opinions and the opinions of others mean nothing to me. My complete loyalty resides with the words of Jesus.

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net