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by Kevin Pauley
For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth--how you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth. - 3 John 1:3-4 HCSB
It should come as no surprise that the Bible has much to say on the subject of faithfulness, seeing that God is Yahweh Aman (Faithful God). When we hear the word “faithful”, we humans tend to jump to the context of sexual fidelity. In fact, there is some Scriptural basis for this, for Quoheleth taught in Proverbs, “Take pleasure in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful fawn – let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever. Why, my son, would you be infatuated with a forbidden woman or embrace the breast of a stranger?”[1]
However, faithfulness is a character trait and as such it should penetrate into every aspect of our lives. Deuteronomy teaches that we are to faithfully instruct our children the commands of the Lord as we sit in our houses, walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up.[2]
The book of Romans says that our joyful hope should motivate us to patience in affliction and persistent or faithful prayer lives.[3] 1Corinthians challenges us to be faithful in stewardship,[4] and Ephesians, using the example of Tychicus, the faithful servant of the Lord, speaks of faithful service.[5]
It’s interesting to note how often the issue of testimony arises within the context of faithfulness. As we saw earlier, we are to faithfully instruct our children. The end result of Tychicus’ fidelity was that he told the Ephesians everything Paul told him to. In Philippians, we are instructed to “hold firmly the message of life”[6] and in 2Timothy that the things we hear from the apostles we need to commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.[7] Faithful Epaphras also accurately conveyed the Colossians spiritual state to the apostle Paul.[8] Even the concept of a manager or steward being faithful, as seen earlier, is in direct regard to the ministry of the Word.
However, it is impossible to maintain a faithful message if we do not possess the character trait of faithfulness. We cannot effectively preach what we do not practice. The apostle John was very glad to hear that his spiritual brothers and sisters were “faithful to the truth” and he defined that as “walking in the truth.” It was not simply that they were accurately repeating a dogma. They were exemplifying the truth in their lives!
This kind of faithfulness will allow us to earn a crown of life.[9] It will allow us to hold firm in the face of persecution.[10] And ultimately, it will allow us to stand side by side with the victorious Lamb on the day that He is named King of kings and ourselves receive the coveted name – “the faithful.”[11]
[2] Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 11:18-19
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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