God's Faithfulness: What it is & What it Ain't
By Dennis Pollock
In Christian circles, one of the most common statements you hear related to God is that "God is faithful." I think the statement: "God is good all the time" probably beats this out, but "God is faithful" runs a close second." We say it often, but a lot of times we don't stop and think about what this means, and more importantly, what it does not mean.
Let's begin by looking at faithfulness in a general way. If I am a business owner, and I am showing you around my business, and I point out one of my employees, and say, "Now that is a very faithful man," what am I saying? Most people would assume I meant that this individual was reliable, honest, hardworking, and trustworthy, for starters. He may not be perfect; he may not be my most intelligent employee, but he is completely dependable and works responsibly in any assignment I give him. He is faithful. I know that he will do his best at any task assigned.
But if a man or a woman is faithful, it not only means he will work hard and do his best – it also means that he or she is consistent in their work. They do not merely work diligently on their good days or when they are especially happy. They will give 100 percent effort on their good days and their bad days. They will be reliable and constant in giving their best on Fridays as they would any other day. Winter, summer, rainy days, sunny days, happy days, and not-so-happy days, it doesn't matter. And because of this, they never have to fear being fired. They become so valuable to their employer that they will be kept on the payroll if they care to stay.
Of course, when we talk about God's faithfulness, we are not talking about an employee; we are talking about the One who rules the universe, the One to whom we must all give account. He doesn't work for us; we serve Him.
Faithful to Confirm Us
Still, we say, and more importantly, the Bible says that God is faithful. When we say that God is faithful, we are saying that He is consistently good, consistently reliable, and consistent in the way He watches over, defends, encourages, blesses, and provides for His children. We can count on Him because He is faithful. We can count on Him today, we can count on Him next year, and 30 years down the road if He allows us to live that long. The apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians to be: "eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful." (1 Corinthians 1:7-9). God is reliable, dependable, and consistently faithful to confirm us today, tomorrow, and to the end of our lives blameless. We can count on Him. He will not let us down. He will bring us through this difficult and dangerous world safely and wisely, and ultimately bring us into His presence on the Day of Jesus Christ.
Unlike human beings, God is never moody, and He never has bad days. When we were children and we wanted a favor from our dads, we would wait until he was in a good mood to approach him with our requests. We would not even think of asking Dad a favor when he came home from work angry and in a terrible mood. But God is not moody. We can approach Him in the morning or the evening, in a bull market, in a recession, in a time of political uproar, or in a time of political calm – it does not matter. Our Heavenly Father is faithful, reliable, and consistent. He loves us all the time, and He is completely approachable.
Jesus demonstrated this. Did you ever notice that in the gospels Jesus healed every single person who came to him for healing – lepers, blind people, paralyzed, unable to walk – it didn't matter what the affliction, nor was there ever a time when Jesus was in too much of a bad mood to heal anyone. He was always available, always accessible, and always concerned about the needs of people. He was, and is, faithful. Moses wrote: "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God…" (Deuteronomy 7:9). Like His Heavenly Father, Jesus was and is a faithful Savior.
Good & Faithful Servant
Jesus expects us, His followers, to be faithful. He tells us that when we stand before Him after our lives are finished, He should be able to say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Not good and intelligent servant or good and pretty servant, or good and cool servant or good and charismatic servant – but good and FAITHFUL servant.
No, we can never match God's faithfulness, but in our small way, we are called and expected to be reliable, consistent, dependable, diligent, and willing to serve Him and His people. Paul told Timothy to be able and willing to minister "in season and out of season," which means when you are eager to serve the Lord and when you are not feeling it, when you are excited to testify of Christ, and also when you would rather go home, open a soda, and watch television. Faithfulness in our lives means when God calls, when the Holy Spirit prompts and urges us, we respond and follow His leading. And it means living honestly and humbly on our good and bad days.
But let's get back to the faithfulness of God. What exactly does this mean and how does it work out in our everyday lives? Let me give you an example of a misinterpretation of God's faithfulness. Suppose a young man, after receiving Jesus as His Savior, prays this prayer:
"Lord, I have given my life to You, and I trust in Jesus as my Savior. I am trusting You to be faithful to me so that I never experience one bit of pain the rest of my life. I trust in your faithfulness to keep me from ever having any troubles, struggles, or sickness. I trust that because of Your faithfulness, everything will be smooth sailing for the rest of my life."
Preserved for His Kingdom
Is this an example of God's faithfulness? Should we trust Him to keep us from ever having problems or challenges, from being sick or unhappy about anything? We all know the answer to this. Jesus says, "In this world you shall have tribulation!" And that is a promise that He will be faithful to keep, or at least allow. God's faithfulness does not mean that we will not suffer, struggle, or never get sick. It does mean that our caring compassionate Father, our wonderful Lord Jesus, and the mighty Spirit of God will be faithful to be with us, to encourage us, preserve and sustain us spiritually, emotionally, and physically until it is our time to leave this earth.
The apostle Paul, in the last season of his life, wrote: "And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" (2 Timothy 4:18). Yet historians tell us that Paul was killed by the Romans by being beheaded, probably not very long after writing those words. Did God somehow forget about Paul? Was this the one case where God was not faithful? Of course not! God's faithfulness means He will be with us and give us all we need to navigate our life and calling on this earth. He will not keep us from suffering, struggling, or eventual death, but He will be with us and enable us to triumph even amid adversity.
Or as Jude puts it:
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.” (Jude 24-25).
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