Fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness
Galatians 5:22-23
May 20, 2018
On December 5, 1914, Ernest Shackleton embarked on what he called “the last great polar expedition to Antarctica.” His crew of 27 men set out on the ship called Endurance. For 6 weeks they fought through frigid seas and ice floes trying to reach Antarctica, until the ship became frozen in the ice. All they could do was wait it out until the Spring thaw. They ship became stuck on February 24 and the thaw came on October 23. That’s 8 months waiting on the ship.
The ice shifted as it melted and crushed the ship and it ultimately sank. Shackleton’s new mission was to get every man home safely.
So, they set up camp on a giant ice floe, hoping the current would carry them toward Paulet Island, where provisions were stored. But the ice carried them further out to sea. They made it to an uninhabited place called Elephant Island.
For the first time in 497 days, they set foot on land. Elephant Island was far from any shipping route, and no one on earth knew they were there. Shackleton determined their only course of action was to take one of the life boats and head for a whaling station on South Georgia Island for help. That would be an 800 mile journey across treacherous waters. Shackleton promised those left behind, he would come back for them, and the 22 men left behind assured themselves that if anyone could save them, it was Shakleton.
After 14 days they arrived at South Georgia Island, but on the wrong side. They had to hike across 22 miles of mountainous terrain to get to the supplies. Shackleton and his group trudged 36 hours without sleep before stumbling into the whaling camp.
He acquired supplies and a new ship. His first three attempts to return, failed, as sea ice prevented him from reaching Elephant Island. On his 4th attempt, Shackelton made it through the ice, and as he approached the island, he saw men gathering on the shoreline to greet him. Every man remained. They believed and trusted that Shackelton was a man of his word. He kept his commitment. We could say Ernest Shackelton was a man of faithfulness.
That’s the fruit of the Spirit we’re looking at this morning. We’re looking at the 9 different Fruits of the Spirit, so we can better understand who God is calling us to be in our everyday relationships.
Paul told the struggling church in Galatia ~ Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
We’ve met people of faith, but what does Paul mean when he talks about faithfulness? What really is it and what does faithfulness look like in the church?
Obviously, faithfulness comes from faith. We can say FAITH is believing in what we cannot see. It’s trusting in someone who is going to do something for us.
Faith is the basis for our relationship with God. To have faith in God is to trust God, to take Him at His word, and to put our confidence in Him. And God is worthy of that trust. When God says He’ll provide, He provides; when He says He’ll forgive, He forgives; when He says He’ll be there, He’s there. In other words, God is faithful. He delivers on His promises.
And I say all of that knowing there are times when we really wonder if God is reliable and faithful. Sometimes it seems like life is punching and kicking us, then pulling out our hair, along with calling us some not so nice things. I understand that, but in spite of the hardships, the tragedies and disappointments of life, I still believe God is faithful and worthy of worship.
Faithfulness has to do with our character. It’s about being committed, demonstrating integrity and showing a strong, steady and consistent character.
When you think about people in our lives, we don’t often describe them as faithful. We say they were good, kind and caring. We’re probably more apt to describe our dogs as faithful.
Paul is using this word to help us understand how we should be in our relationships with one another. In the same way that God is faithful to us, we are called to be faithful to one another.
The dictionary defines faithful as ~ true to one's word, promises, and vows.
Steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant; trusted. Reliable and believed.
Implies qualities of stability, dependability, and devotion. A steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty, or obligation. Unswerving allegiance to a person, organization, cause, or idea.
Faithfulness means keeping your word, no matter what. Let’s say you promise a friend you’ll come over and play video games on Saturday. Then another friend calls and invites you to go to a movie that day — something you like better. What do you do? If you’re a faithful friend, you keep your word and play video games, even though it means passing up a better offer.
Faithfulness seems to be a vanishing virtue. People change jobs, change homes, change brands, and spouses with alarming frequency. Some couples don’t like the phrase in wedding vows which say ~ “in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as you both shall live.” They say it sounds so permanent! YES, it’s supposed to be that way.
Loyalty, commitment, and faithfulness are rare commodities. It’s hard to know who or what you can count on anymore. For those who are older, you based a lot of what you did according to loyalty. It was a matter of being faithful. You expected the workplace to treat you with loyalty and you did the same. That’s not so true anymore. Now, we should be able to find faithfulness in the church. We should be faithful not only to God, but to one another.
The body of Christ should be the place where people keep their word to one another, even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, difficult, or costly. But, that doesn’t always work that way.
When Paul came to Galatia, he was suffering from some physical ailment and the people cared for him and welcomed his ministry.
But after Paul left, false teachers came in and began teaching a false, different, gospel - - - and the people bought it and abandoned what Paul taught. Listen to what he said earlier, in chapter 4 ~
15 What then has become of your blessedness?
For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.
How’s that for devotion? They were totally devoted and cared for Paul. They would have done anything for Paul. Now, this is what’s going on.
16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. – Galatians 4:15-20
You can sense Paul’s disappointment and hurt from their lack of faithfulness, trust, integrity and commitment. The false teachers wanted honor, not Christ. Paul was confused at how quickly they abandoned their faith. It caused a great deal of pain for Paul that one moment they would do anything for him, now they act like they don’t know him.
But isn’t that the world we live in? Paul was learning that the church in Galatia and all around the world are simply a collection of people.
We don’t say it, but we’re fickle people. We want to be pleased and if something isn’t up to our liking, we begin to threaten to go elsewhere. It’s like the church is a collection of people, instead of a community of faith.
If we don’t like something we threaten to leave. Instead of participating in the life of the church and making a difference and being part of something bigger than ourselves, we sit back and rate everything that goes on. That’s not what faithfulness is about . . . that’s selfishness and arrogance.
A collection of people really don’t care about the problems of others, but a community of faith is intimately concerned about one another. It’s what Paul was getting it for the church in Rome, in Romans 12, he said ~
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. – Romans 12:15-16
That’s what we’re supposed to be about. That’s a sign of our faithfulness. It’s our commitment to one another. We celebrate together, we grieve together, because we are a collection of people who have formed a community in the name of Jesus. Ultimately, we live in harmony, which literally means to be of the same mind.
Many other scriptures call for us to encourage one another, to build one another up, to love one another, to support one another. All of that takes faithfulness. It takes commitment and integrity on our part. Without faithfulness, the church is sunk, like Shackelton’s ship. God’s Word never calls for us to beat one another up, we’re not to discourage or beat down one another. That’s never the call of the Gospel.
I’ve used these next verses so many times, because they are so important in the life of the church. When talking to the church in Philippi, because of their problems, Paul told them ~
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Notice, Paul repeats himself. He’s using that same Greek word to be of the same mind twice in that sentence. Then he says,
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. – Philippians 2:2-4
That’s not so easy to do. Do nothing from selfish ambition. Have ambition, but not at the expense of others. Then practice humility, that’s a huge character trait, so that in everything you do, you count others as more significant than yourselves. That doesn’t mean you don’t stand up for yourself. We’ll actually talk about that next week when we look at the power behind gentleness.
Also, know that as we seek to be faithful to God and to one another, God has promised He would be faithful to us. Passages like ~
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the FAITHFUL God who keeps covenant and steadfast love
with those who love him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations, – Deuteronomy 7:9
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his FAITHFULNESS is a shield. – Psalm 91:4
9 If we confess our sins, God is FAITHFUL and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is FAITHFUL. – Hebrews 10:23
These all remind and encourage us that God is faithful. He will not run and hide from us. He will fight for us, and will love us and grant us His power and strength to overcome any battle we find ourselves in.
It’s to hold onto Jesus’ prayer in John 17. On that last night, He prayed for Himself, the disciples and the future church. Listen to what Jesus’ prayer is for you and I ~
20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be ONE, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be ONE even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become PERFECTLY ONE,
so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. – John 17:20-23
That’s what Jesus wanted for us as a church. It’s to get over ourselves, our selfishness, our desire for me, me, me and to be faithful to Him and to one another so we could become PERFECTLY ONE! That we could be of the same heart, spirit and mind.
It’s what Paul was calling for in Ephesians 4 ~
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is ONE body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the ONE hope that belongs to your call —
5 ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism,
6 ONE God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:1-6
How many of us would be like Ernest Shackelton and make a promise, a commitment to his sailors, I will return, I will make it back and you will get home? He showed his faithfulness.
But even greater than that there is one who showed His faithfulness in greater ways. That ONE is Jesus. He was faithful to you and I - - dying on the cross, so we could experience the abundant life here, and eternal life in some future day!
God is always faithful to you and I. Even when we struggle and life doesn’t seem fair . . . God is there. Even when your ships are sinking and your stranded on a huge ice cube . . . God is there.
He will be faithful to you. That’s who God is. His call for you and I is to be faithful to Him and to one another.
This may sound burdensome to you, but there are a lot of people who walk out of churches on Sunday and never find the joy and hope of community. I don’t want that to ever happen. And if you’re feeling guilty and gritting your teeth and saying to yourself, I’ve gotta try harder, then you’re missing the point. This kind of faithfulness can’t be produced by guilt or grit. It’s a work of the Spirit. It begins when we open our heart, spirit and mind to the working of God. That we might call on Him to create us into the people He wants us to be
