Fruit of the Spirit – Faithfulness
Fruit of the Spirit – Faithfulness
In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul wrote that the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, … and the next fruit he mentions in this verse, which I would like to talk about today is FAITHFULNESS.
But before we get into the lesson I would like to share with you another story that Jesus told in Luke 19:11-26 (It has a lot to do with being faithful)
The Parable of the Ten Minas
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’
17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’
19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’
20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’
22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’
25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’
26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’” NIV
I think all of us don’t mind talking about, and learning how to love more and experience more joy, peace and patience in our life. And even talking about the benefits of being good and kind are not difficult lessons to hear because they make us feel good. But I have to admit, as I began to dig deeper to prepare for this lesson I found it difficult because it was convicting me.
What did Paul mean when he spoke about faithfulness here in this context? It refers to being absolutely trustworthy, totally dependable and loyal, it refers to someone that you can always count on no matter what, someone who is totally reliable… someone who will not give up their faith.
That’s how two of the three servants acted and carried out their duty in the parable. But unfortunately one failed miserably and lost out in the end.
I guess I was moved as I thought about what it means to be faithful and the attributes that should be present in each of us as we now serve our King and as we serve others. The more I thought about it the more I realized faithfulness and being faithful involves every part of our life.
It concerns, how act towards God, and others including; our spouse, family members, the church, our brethren, our friends, our co-workers, our neighbors, even people we don’t know personally. Even how loyal we are to our employer, our work, our government, our possessions, our planet. Even how faithful we are to our self and what we believe in, or what we want to do.
The more I worked on this lesson the more I realized that this one is a biggy.
I believe in this parable Jesus was letting us know that yes He would leave, He would become King (that is the King of kings) and even though there are going to be those who reject Him and is Lordship, one day He is going to return as the Lord of lords. But until that day, He has given us some responsibilities; not just in how we use and treat the things He has put in our charge, but also how faithful we are in other parts of our life, because if you think about it, this world and everything in it belongs to Him.
So when he returns the King is going to want to take and accounting, or a look at what you and I have been doing and how faithful you and I actually have been to Him. And depending on how faithful and how good of a steward you’ve been, well that will determine how you will be rewarded later on.
See what I mean by saying this one is a biggy?
But I do not want to frighten you today with this lesson. Rather I want you to be encouraged and I want you to see what the Apostle Paul was saying back there in Galatians 5. That if we continue to walk with and in the Spirit, if we continue to learn to put our selfish, self centered ways aside and even die to them and follow Him, then this fruit of faithfulness will grow in us just like all the others.
As a matter of fact I believe that as some of the others fruit of the Spirit develop in us, they in turn will help us become a more faithful, trustworthy, and reliable person. In other words…..
The more the fruit of Love grows in you, and the more you love God and Love others, the more faithful, and true you will be towards them. The more the fruit of self control grows in you, the more you will be able to control yourself and do what is right, and the more disciplined and faithful you will be.
The point is, God knew that we would need help here, and that is why He sent His Spirit into us to help us grow and mature in this area.
All too often, we just keep on doing the same old things we’ve been doing, and living the same ol’ way we’ve been living. But if we keep doing the same ol’ things, we won’t change much, or grow as a Christian. So that’s why I think we need to look at ourselves occasionally and do a self evaluation to determine where we are.
Concerning faithfulness, maybe we need to ask our how well we are doing, or even how others may view us in certain areas. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:
– What does your work mean to you? Do you take it serious, do you do your best, or is it just a place to pick up a pay check? Or do you care less about the place?
– Do others have to remind you over and over to get certain things done because your priorities are out of wack?
– Do you have a habit of forgetting to follow through with projects you start? Do you have a bunch of them left undone at work or at home?
– Do you make promises to your spouse and or kids or others, and then not follow through?
– Do you pay your bill on time? Do you get back to people when you say you will? Are you regularly late at doing other important things?
– Can people always count on you at work? At home? At church?
– Do people trust you when they share something important and confidential with you?
– How well do you take care of things that you own, that God has blessed you with; your home, your car, your cloths, your tools?
Are you concerned about the welfare of your community? What about the environment? Are you willing to do your part and take care of it? I remember years ago how factories just dumped all kind of nasty chemicals and dies into our local rivers until they were so polluted they flowed with different colors. People just buried all kinds of chemicals and poisons anywhere and everywhere. That was totally irresponsible, and today we wonder why so many people are getting sick with cancer and other diseases.
– How faithful are you to God? Do you only think about Him and pray, and sing to Him on Sunday?
– Do you do what God asks you to do? Do you avoid things He tells you to stay away from, even when no one else is looking?
– How faithful have you been lately in developing a relationship with Him, and getting to know Him better; reading His Word and talking to Him?
– How faithful are you to studying His word, sharing His word with others, or in your Church attendance, or even in your giving. Could you do better?
If you are anything like me as I think about such a list of questions like this I’ve come to realize that there are some areas in my life I am pretty good at. But then there are some areas I know I need to improve in.
How we act concerning these and other aspect of our life demonstrate how faithful, reliable and trustworthy we are. Do you see how this can overflow into so many areas of our life, if not every area?
I read someplace that we have become a sloppy generation with all kinds of cover ups for our unfaithfulness, making up all kinds of excuses like, “I just
forgot”, or “I just didn’t have the time,” or “I can’t help it.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to be one of the ones that Jesus says, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
So what do I have to do to become a more faithful and trustworthy person? With the Spirits help I need to stop making being sloppy, stop making excuses and grow up, grow up into what God wants me to become.
In Hebrew chapter 11 the writer gives us an extensive list of those who live by faith in the Old Testament. Many have called the list the Hall of Fame of Faith. As I read thru the list I realized that the individuals mentioned were not perfect people. For example, Abraham deceived two Egyptian rulers when he deceived and lied about his relationship to his wife. Moses murdered an Egyptians and had a problem with his temper which eventually prohibited him from entering the Promised Land. David committed adultery and then tried to cover it up by having Bathsheba’s husband killed.. None of them were perfect, but in the end they were labeled as the faithful.
Why? Because they did not give up on God. They were willing to repent and were also willing to learn and continued to serve Him and grow spiritually.
After the writer of Hebrews wrote about those men and women of faith in chapter 11, he has some advice for those of us who would like to be added to such a list by God Himself. In chapter 12 starting in verse one he writes, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” NLT
So what advise did he give us in these verses? #1. Be aware of those who lived before you. They weren’t perfect, yet when it was all said and done they were considered faithful. If they could do it, you can do it too… especially now that we have the Spirit of God living inside us to help us along the way.
#2. Cast away or strip off anything that may be slowing you down, or whatever may prevent you from being more faithful in a certain area of your life; especially if its sinful. Maybe it’s hanging around the wrong people, maybe you are watching to much TV or the wrong kind of programs. Maybe you’ve formed some bad habits you need to break from. Whatever is holding you back, you need to cast those things off if you ever hope to become the man of woman of faith that God wants you to become.
#3. The Hebrew writer then tells us to press forward, and with endurance run the race set out before you. Endurance (or perseverance) mean we are to hang in there and stay faithful to the course, even when it gets difficult. And he said the way to do that is to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Jesus wants to help you become even more trustworthy and faithful.
#4. We need to remind our self of the goal and prize set before us. Even Jesus looked forward to what was and head and He is enjoying it today.
In Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life he closes chapter 3 by writing this: “One day you will stand before God, and He will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, “Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God…. Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.” Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions:
First, “What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?” God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust Him? Jesus said, “l am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Second, “What did you do with what I gave you ?” What did you do with your life—all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources I gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes I made you for?”
If you were to die tonight how would you answer those question? Brethren I encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Keep in step with His Spirit, work on being trustworthy and faithful in all areas of your life and one day when the King returns, I believe you will hear Him say to you, “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, now enter in to my heavenly kingdom. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s happiness.”
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