Be Faithful and True

The Lord Jesus, reflecting on the crises of these last days warned that, “…because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12).

Indeed, many are beginning to lose hope, wondering if God still cares and protects. Of course, He still cares for, and protects, His children!

Psalm 91:3-8 represents God’s sovereign declaration regarding His commitment to protect and take care of you—even amid all the troubles and crises in the world! It says, “Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee….” How comforting this is!

Trust His Word. You’re shielded and divinely protected against the onslaught of the enemy: whether at night, or in the day, the Lord protects and takes care of you. Your faith response, therefore, should be, “The Lord is in me, with me, and for me; therefore, I refuse to fear!”

No matter how adverse or severe the situation or the circumstances around you might be, refuse to let your heart be troubled! Keep your focus on God’s Word. He said in Isaiah 43:2, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Trust and hold on to His Word, for therein is your safety.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Colossians 3:23).

Each one of us is called to fulfil a unique role in Christ; we all have varied assignments given to us by God. It was the same in Bible days. Some assignments could be greater or more far-reaching than others, but how you perform in your assignment is judged by your faithfulness. The Lord will judge and reward you based on your faithfulness in service, in the assignment given to you, not the one given to someone else.

Remember, He’s the One who gives you the ability to do whatever He assigns to you. If He gave you more to do than someone else, He doesn’t think that makes you greater as a person; it’s about His placement and choice. So, it matters that you’re diligent in carrying out what He’s assigned to you.

Proverbs 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Take God’s admonition in our theme verse to heart; whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

If you serve the Lord as though you’re serving man, whatever reward you get won’t go beyond this world. Therefore, whatever assignment God gives you in His Kingdom, do it with joy, passion, and with faith, as unto the Lord. Practice it, and you’d be amazed at the demonstration of His grace in your life.

And it is God’s faithfulness that leads a Christian to be faithful to the Lord. Because He is faithful, we are faithful. Faith in and faithfulness toward the Lord and His Word are vital for Christ’s followers.

In Hebrews 11:1 we are given an exemplary definition of faith: faith is the “confident assurance” of things hoped for, the “evidence” of things not seen. The word “faith” indicates either “an attitude of the mind or a pattern of conduct being the product of that attitude of faith.” Throughout chapter 11, these two meanings are closely interwoven. In each instance of faith recorded corresponding faithfulness follows. Genuine faith always leads to faithfulness.

If we want to be faithful to the Lord who is faithful to us, then we must trust in Him, have confidence in His desire to want what’s best for us, and have faith in Him and His Word. Our faith rests upon the faithfulness of God and His promises to us.

Hebrews 11:2 tells us that by a faith that produced faithfulness the “ancients” (men and women of old) obtained a good report. Their faith led to faithful conduct, which in turn testified to the reality of their faith. When we go down the list of those named in this chapter, we wonder how some of them could have ever obtained a “good report.” But if only faultless individuals were listed, the account would provide little encouragement for the likes of you and me.  Because they obtained a “good report” then we can obtain one too!

They were faithful, but were they faithful to the end? It’s one thing to be faithful today or for a time, but it’s quite another to be faithful to the end. Many marriages start well but don’t end well. Many start their new job well, but don’t end well. Many start the race well, but don’t finish. We want to be faithful, but faithfulness to the end is of utmost importance.

Something intriguing is said of these pioneers of Faith who obtained a good report through faith in Hebrews 11:39: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” Now what do you suppose this means?

Hebrews 11:13 tells us that the reason they did not receive the promise is because they didn’t live long enough to receive it. Regardless, they didn’t die in vain. The verse tells us that they died in faith. And what promise did their faith cling to? They desired “a better, that is, a heavenly country.”

The faithful of the past were faithful to the end because they aspired to receive the ultimate promise God held out to them—a new heavens and new earth. But not just that. They longed to be with the Maker of the city. They believed in Him; they were persuaded by His faithfulness and embraced His promise with all they had. Why? Because He had proven Himself to be faithful to them during the good times as well as the bad. God was everything to these people, because God had been everything, they needed Him to be.

Sometimes we read about the lives of these worthies and wonder whether we might ever be able to live a life of faith and faithfulness they achieved. More than wondering, some even begin to lose heart that they can’t possibly finish the race, let alone finish well.

Now, I want you to notice Hebrews 11:40. God tells us that you and I have been selected to be among the best as well. “God having provided something better for us.” There’s no reason to lose heart or to give up because God has provided something better for us who live down here near the realization of the promise of His soon return. Not something better than proposed to those who came before us, because what can be better than entering into glory and the land of eternal peace? Instead, something better in that we have the opportunity to join their ranks.

You didn’t think you’d make the cut, did you? God has other plans. You did not think you could make it? God thinks otherwise. You don’t think you have what it takes? I suspect those who had gone on this path before us thought the same, but God made them worthy, and He will make you worthy as well. O friend, there’s wonderful hope for you and me, isn’t there? But it gets more encouraging.

Verse 40 goes on to say, “that they should not be made perfect [faithful to the end] apart from us.”

Friend, God is telling us that the faithful who came before won’t proceed those who come afterward. Just as they were faithful to the end and will receive the promise—the inheritance of indescribable glory—we too can be faithful to the end and receive the promise!

God has ordained in His infinite wisdom that the faithful of all ages, whether young or old, whether male or female, whether black or white, whether tall or short, whether thick or thin, whether educated or uneducated, whether swift of slow, whether poor or rich, will enter the eternal inheritance together. Not one will have the advantage or priority over the other. We all receive grace to be faithful, and we all receive the gift of eternal life together! Just as those before made it to the end, you can and will make it to the end also.

How can this be possible, you ask? “Faithful is He who has called you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

In Matthew 25, Jesus talked about three servants who were entrusted with talents. One was entrusted with one talent, another with two talents, and the third, five talents (Talent being a weight measuring standard, usually of money, e.g. talents of silver). The talents were given to them based on their abilities. So, what their master was looking out for was their faithfulness.

The one who got five talents came back with 100% success (Matthew 25:20). The one that was given two talents gained two more, which was also 100% (Matthew 25:22). But the servant that was given one talent was a disappointment to his master. He said, “Master, I know you very well; you like to reap where you didn’t sow; therefore, I kept your talent for you” (Matthew 25:24). He did nothing with it.

Evidently, he was a bellyacher. His life was never productive. He had only the ability to manage one talent, and he still ruined his chances. His master called him wicked and unprofitable because he desired him to be faithful. It’s the same with the Lord. As read in our theme verse, we’re all so uniquely graced and gifted by God, and He seeks faithfulness; He expects results.

You may wonder, “How do I know what’s expected of me?” It’s simple: You know what’s expected of you by what you’ve been told. The ability of God is given through His message, His Word. What did He expose you to? What information did He give you? When you analyze what He’s told you, you’ll understand His expectation of you.

Whatever the Lord has taught you or is teaching you, whatever He’s exposed you to and helped you to know are all for the furtherance of the Gospel. Therefore, find the opportunity to use them to advance His righteousness and the reign of His Kingdom in the earth.

Remember, He tests your faithfulness. If you’re faced with certain challenges or difficulties in carrying out what He’s asked you to do, your only option should be to win! Don’t have excuses. Be fully committed to the furtherance of the Gospel. Remain steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Surely, at the end of all things, the Lord will say to you, “…Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” (Matthew 25:21).

-GSW-