FAITHFULNESS
The Fruit of The Spirit (Part 9)
Galatians 5:22-23
• Galatians 5:16-25 (NIV)
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
INTRODUCTION:
This morning we are going to continue our series of messages with the seventh of the nine expressions of the fruit of the Spirit—FAITHFULNESS. However, God has worked this out that I can have a heart to heart talk with our graduates. The rest of you have the opportunity to eavesdrop and listen in.
Why talk with graduates about faithfulness?
Faithfulness sets us apart from other people. Faithfulness separates:
the successful from the failures,
the finisher from the quitter,
the responsible from the irresponsible,
the mature from the immature,
the righteous from the sinful.
You have grown up and are living in a society that is unfaithful. The tabloids are filled with stories of unfaithfulness; Hollywood marriages, divorces and love affairs are glamorized and sensationalized for all to see.
It’s apparently no big deal for marriages to come and go. If we were to take a poll of your graduating class statistics would tell us that over half of their parents have divorced. Today it’s marriages that last the test of time that are unusual.
We can even find the society’s acceptance of unfaithfulness at the card shop. Visit a Hallmark store, “when you care enough to send the best,” and you can find cards that fit the unfaithful style of our day. One card in the love and sweetheart section reads, "I can’t promise you forever, but I can promise you today." I suppose you could even put that on an anniversary card! That’s about as deep a commitment as some are willing to make.
I’m glad God promises us more than just today!
• Psalm 100:5 (NIV)
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
When it comes to faithfulness one thing you can know for sure; GOD IS FAITHFUL. God will never turn His back on you; God won’t abandon you. God will never take advantage of you or mistreat you. God will be faithful!
What is faithfulness?
Let me ask you what does faithfulness mean? What word would you use to describe faithfulness? Authenticity. Truthful. Real. Accurate.
I don’t normally go to the dictionary, but I liked this definition of faithfulness. The American Heritage Dictionary defines faithfulness as “adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person cause or idea.” Faithfulness is a stick-to-itiveness that won’t be broken; faithfulness is the “superglue” of the heart that holds fast and won’t let go. Faithfulness means you follow through with your commitments regardless of what it costs.
Through out this series on the fruit of the Spirit, I have described each as an expression of love. Love is the blossom; without love it is impossible for the fruit to develop. The fruit of the Spirit begins and ends with love.
o Joy is love rejoicing.
o Patience is love enduring.
o Peace is love trusting - resting.
o Kindness is love serving.
o Goodness is love extending.
o Faithfulness is love proving.
o Gentleness is love touching.
o Self-control is love restraining.
Faithfulness is love proving. Faithfulness is love that hangs on to the end; it’s love that won’t quit. Faithfulness is not just a one-time display; faithfulness proves itself over and over again. Faithfulness is a lifestyle of consistent dependability; it’s the superglue of the heart that won’t let go.
What does faithfulness look like?
Well in a word faithfulness is Jesus. If you want to see faithfulness lived out in the day to day life of someone look at Jesus. If you are going to live a faithful life, then live your life just like Jesus.
• Hebrews 2:17 (NLT)
It was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us . . . so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.
Jesus lived His life with unwavering commitment and faithfulness. He didn’t quit or throw in the towel when things got hard; His love for us was steadfast and true. Jesus remained true to His commitment regardless of the cost—Jesus loved us to death, and beyond! Not only did Jesus go to the cross to lay down His life for our sins, He was resurrected to life so that we might be able to live with Him.
The faithfulness of Jesus continues. He will never be unfaithful to us.
• 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
Jesus is faithful and true. Jesus shows us how to live faithfully – to adhere with firm devotion to God and to have an unbreakable stick-to-itiveness for one another.
But what will faithfulness look like in you and me? Above all else be faithful, but what does that mean? How will you recognize faithfulness when you see it? How will you know when you are living a life of faithfulness?
Four characteristics of faithfulness
1. The faithful hold onto TRUTH.
You need to have an unshakeable tenacity that will not let go of truth. Opinions may change; values may differ, but truth remains the same. What is true for you is true for me, and what is true for me is true for you.
Our society wants us to believe truth is relative, that there is no absolute truth. Do you notice the contradiction in such a belief? How can you claim absolutes don’t exist with an absolute statement?
• Revelation 2:25 (MsgB) To the church at Thyatira Jesus says,
Hold on to the truth.
Values are relative; values will differ from person to person or culture to culture. Truth is absolute; truth is the same for all of us, so HOLD ON TO TRUTH.
At one time Americans valued the wisdom of older people; we respected those who had gone before us. However today we are more likely to look up to the young. At one time we valued discipline and respect; children were expected to act in a certain way. In many oriental cultures children are still expected to behave in certain ways, and disobedience has definite consequences. Yet for us discipline and respect is no longer held as an important value. Instead of teaching discipline and respect we diagnose children with ADD and medicate them with Ritalin.
Values change, not always for the better. Truth remains the same. If you are going to be faithful, then HOLD ON TO THE TRUTH.
What are some basic truths we should all hold onto? Let me quickly share with you five basic truths I will never let go of. These are truths you should take with you through out your life.
1. The Bible is the authoritative guide for how to live.
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
[16] All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. [17] It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.
2. Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation.
• Acts 4:12 (MsgB)
Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one."
3. People are more important than things.
• Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
[19] Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
4. God owns everything and loans it to us for a short time.
• Psalm 24:1 (NIV)
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
5. What happens in me is more important than what happens to me.
• Philippians 1:6 (GW)
I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.
• Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2. The faithful PERSEVERE through difficulty.
Essentially you can make four basic responses to difficulty in your life. Only two are the right kind of responses. You can give up and be crushed. You can whine and complain. You can pray victoriously. You can endure and refuse to give up.
• Mark 11:23 (NIV)
"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
I pray that when you have trials and difficulty God gives you an abundance of faith by which you can have victorious prayer!
Unfortunately when you pray and nothing happens to the mountain before you there will be some people who will say, “You are unfaithful.” That’s not true! Sometimes you pray victoriously; other times you persevere and with God’s help you tunnel through your mountain. THAT’S FAITHFULNESS TOO!
• Hebrews 11:32-39 (NIV)
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, [33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. [35] Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. [36] Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. [37] They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- [38] the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. [39] These were all commended for their faith.
3. The faithful keep their COMMITMENTS.
• Matthew 25:21 (NIV)
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful.”
Lives by commitment not by feelings
• Jesus in the garden
• Tomas Edison-Invention is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration
• At the judgment seat Jesus is not going to ask if you were successful, but faithful.
4. Faithfulness makes a FRESH START.
• Psalm 51:10 (NIV)
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
