August 29, 2020
We often confuse Faith and Faithfulness.
Faith:
• Dictionary - Faith is “trust, confidence, complete acceptance of a truth which cannot be proved.”
• Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
• Oswald Chambers - Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.
Faithfulness:
• Faithfulness expresses the idea of “reliability” or “trustworthiness.”
• Faithfulness is the concept of remaining loyal and unwavering to someone or something regardless of the circumstance.
o "The Faithful." - That is what 49er fans are called. In recent years, that has been pretty easy. In the years before however, it might have been difficult to remain a 49er fan. Nearly eight years of struggle, composed of a revolving door of coaches and players, made being one of The Faithful a difficult endeavor. Yet “The Faithful” remain true to their team, regardless of how the franchise itself is performing.
Today, if something isn’t working, instead of sticking it out, we dump it and move on to the next thing. If one job isn’t the greatest, we quit and find something else. If a relationship isn’t meeting all our dreams and desires, we get out and look for someone who will make US happy. Commitment seems temporary, only lasting as long as “it’s working for me.” When things get difficult, our world tells us to cut and run.
Because we live in this type of “Cancel Culture”, Faithfulness as a concept of “remaining true regardless” is tough to wrap our heads around.
Luckily for us, God is not in to “Cancel Culture”. He is faithful = He remains true regardless = He completes what He starts and brings about what He has promised:
• Deuteronomy 7:9 - Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
• Psalm 33:2-4 - Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
• Isaiah 55:10-11 - For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
• Lamentations 3:22–23 - The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
• 1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:24 - The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it {see Philippians 1:6}
• Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
• Revelation 19:11-16 - I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True…. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Faith is a gift from God. Faithfulness, on the other hand, is what we do with our faith. Faithfulness is Faith in action.
• When we accept Jesus as our Savior {the One Who SAVES us}, we put our faith IN Him.
• When we accept Jesus as our Lord {the One Who has authority OVER us}, we are faithful TO Him.
o 2 Chronicles 31:20 - This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.
o Matthew 25:21 - His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
o James 2:17-20 - Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, "You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
o Revelation 14:12 - This calls for the patient endurance of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Here’s an anatomy lesson – muscle only strengthens through fatigue. If you just sit on your couch you will NEVER gain muscle mass, even if you eat the best diet in the world.
Whether we like the idea or not, both faith and faithfulness are developed and strengthened in the presence of trouble – not in the absence of it. If life is good and everything is going our way, we don’t have much of a chance to take our faith out for a spin and demonstrate faithfulness. = see 49ers.
Christ followers are faithful in the mundane and monotony of daily life. Faithfulness cannot be strangled by suffering or crushed by hard circumstances or frustrated by unmet expectations – Examples:
• Joseph: And after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" 8 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" {Genesis 39:7-9}
• Shadrach-Meshach & Adeb-Nego: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." {Daniel 3:17-18}
• Daniel: When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. {Daniel 6:10}
• Paul: For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. {2 Timothy 4:6-8}
• Jesus: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!! {Philippians 2:5-8}
o Ellen White {DA 753.2} - Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal.
o Ellen White {AG 171.3} - If the sufferings of Christ consisted in physical pain alone, then His death was no more painful than that of some of the martyrs. But bodily pain was but a small part of the agony of God's dear Son. The sins of the world were upon Him, also the sense of His Father's wrath as He suffered the penalty of the law transgressed. It was these that crushed His divine soul. . . . The separation that sin makes between God and man was fully realized and keenly felt by the innocent, suffering Man of Calvary. He was oppressed by the powers of darkness. He had not one ray of light to brighten the future. . . . It was in this terrible hour of darkness, the face of His Father hidden, legions of evil angels enshrouding Him, the sins of the world upon Him, that the words were wrenched from His lips: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" . . .
o Ellen White {2 T. 210} - In His dying agony, as He yields up His precious life, He has by faith alone to trust in Him whom it has ever been His joy to obey.
Their faith IN the faithfulness of God was demonstrated in their faithfulness TO God – regardless of circumstance.
• Faithfulness means keeping our word, doing what we said we would do.
• Faithfulness means sticking with someone or something through the difficulties.
• Faithfulness means remaining in a relationship through the seasons where you give more than you get, where you sacrifice, where you set aside your needs for the needs of others.
• Faithfulness means staying with your church through challenging times, encouraging your team even when they are losing, sticking by a friend when they make yet another poor decision.
Our world needs that kind of faithfulness……
FAITHFULNESS is meant to be a hallmark of the Christian life – it is not an optional extra. However, FAITHFULNESS does not come naturally to us --- we have no ability to manufacture it through human effort………. So how do we become faithful people?
Allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives to guide and transform them.
The Holy Spirit will not automatically operate in the life of a Christian. A transformed life only happens as we surrender to and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
Choosing the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity for Victorious Christian living. Why? Because the power of a fruitful life does not lie with the believer, but with the Spirit. Just as an apple tree doesn’t think about producing apples – it produces apples because it’s an apple tree and because it’s connected with the source of life, so it is with a believer. A believer doesn’t TRY to produce righteous fruit. He produces fruit BECAUSE he is a believer and BECAUESE he is connected to his source of life --- the Holy Spirit.
• John 15:4-5 – Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
FAITHFULNESS is produced by God’s work in us --- it’s a gift.
• Galatians 5:22-23 - The FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
FAITHFULNESS is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives – transforming us into the image of Jesus.
Every Good Tree Produces ---- FAITHFULNESS
