FAITHFULNESS

Psalm 33:4, Pro 3:3, Isa 55:11

To be faithful is to be reliable, steadfast, loyal, devoted, unwavering, worthy of trust, consistent with truth, uncompromising and is to be full of faith. A faithful person is someone who walks consistently with God in humble service. Someone who is true to his or her word, promises and vows. One who is loyal and steady in allegiance or affection.

Faithfulness is one of the characters of God and is an attribute of him. He is faithful in discharging every aspect of the covenant he made and to his promises and vows. It is part of God's faithfulness that made him to send Jesus Christ to us. And Jesus Christ was faithful from cradle to the cross to the one who appointed him. Even when the feature is bleak and circumstances are impossible and hopeless, one can always count on God's faithfulness. Jeremiah could say of the Lord in Lam 3:23 "Great is your faithfulness." When the Israelites were faced with the desolation of Jerusalem because of the nation's sin. Faithfulness is also a gift of the Holy Spirit and a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If faithfulness is a character of God, and of Jesus Christ and a gift of the Holy Spirit, then it must be a characteristic of man. It is a quality God wants to reproduce in us through the salvation that comes in Christ. God expects us to be faithful in all things.

Faithfulness in using God's talents and gifts received from Him to serve others as faithful stewards of God in various forms. It is to be a hallmark of a true Christian.

God's faithfulness as supported in the Bible:

• Ps 33:4 - "For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does."
• Ps 86:15 - "But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."
• Ps 91:4b - "His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
• 1 Cor 1:9 - "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
• 1 Cor 10:13b - "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
• 1 Thess 5:24 - "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."
• 2 Thess3:3 -But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."
• 1 Jn 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
• 2 Tim 2:13-"If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."
• Gal 5:22-"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

We can see faithfulness being demonstrated by God the Father, God the son and faithfulness as part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. God demonstrated faithfulness in many places in the Bible. In Gen 12:1-3 The Lord had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all people on earth will be blessed through you and God fulfilled these promises." In Gen 18:10, a child was promised and God fulfilled it by blessing Abraham and Sarah with Isaac, Gen 21:1-3."

You are admonished to embrace faithfulness. Prov 3:3 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. "God wants us to be faithful and he even said in 1Sam2:35a "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind." Jesus encourages us to be faithful by using the parable of the bags of money in Matt 25:21 and 23 where the two of the three servants that were faithful were rewarded. He told the Pharisees in Matt 23:23 that justice, mercy and faithfulness are more important matters of the law they should have practiced and He said in Rev 2:10b "be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life."

Brethren, if Abraham, Daniel and Moses being human were faithful during their time, we should be too. Abraham did as God instructed him and it was credited to him as righteousness by God.
Gen 15:6 "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Abraham is known as father of faith. He was faithful enough for willingly wanted to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God's command. Gen 22:8-10.

Heb 3:5 "Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future." The LORD said of him in Num12:7b-8" he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD."

Daniel remained faithful in trying situations that might have caused him to lose faith and bend from his beliefs. In defiance to King Darius command that nobody should pray to other God except his gods, Daniel knew the penalty and still went ahead to pray to his God. Dan 6:10 "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." He did not argue when he was to be thrown into the lion's den as penalty for praying. Contrary to expectation Daniel was not hurt and when the king called out to know whether he was dead or alive. Daniel answered Dan 6:21-22 "May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions .They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight." Hence the king issued a decree that in every part of his kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel and also wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth about the living God of Daniel. Daniel's case should be an inspiration to us.

Brethren it is possible to be faithful in all things .How?

• Stay in fellowship with God. - 1 Jn 1:3.
• Be consistently righteous. - Hos10:12.
• Walk by faith and not by sight.-2 Cor 5:7.
• Align yourself with people of faith and walk with wise men. – Pro 13:20.
• Be fervent in spirit. – Rom 12:11.
• Be disciplined. – Pro 3:11-12.
• Be hot for God. – Rev 3:16.
• Be not moved by evil tidings, but trust in God and fix your heart on him. – Ps 112:7.
• Feed yourself with the word. - 2 Tim 2:15.
• Walk in obedience to God's commands. - Deut 5:33.

Brethren, all round faithfulness is expected from you. Faithfulness to God and to man. Faithfulness in your ministry and in using the spiritual gifts given to you, in paying your tithe, offerings, vows and promises, in your relationship with others, marriage, in handling resources in your care, in your place of work and in discharging your duty.

Benefits of Faithfulness:

• The LORD preserves the faithful. – Ps 31:23.
• The faithful shall flourish and abound with blessings. – Pro 28:20.
• More responsibilities shall be given to the faithful. – Matt 25:21.
• The faithful will have favour and a good name in the sight of God and man. – Pro 3:4.
• A crown of life will be given to those who are faithful unto death. – Rev 2:10.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are faithful in everything and you sent Jesus to us as an example that as human we too can be faithful. LORD, I pray that the grace to be faithful in all things and to the end grant unto me in Jesus' name. Amen.