What
Do We Know About Faithfulness
To Our Creator?
Faithfulness to God is our maintaining continual allegiance to our great Creator. Those people who are faithful are loyal to God. A sense of duty or responsibility to God is shown by those who are faithful. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) Those who are faithful are the true children of God. They have the hope of heaven. What do we know about faithfulness to our Creator?
We know that those who stay faithful to God pray often. Are a Christian's prayer answered? Yes! The Bible gives many assurances that God answers the prayers of His children. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) Prayer is the vital link of communication between a Christian and God. Prayer is a part of the daily life of those who are faithful to God. "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
God will give good things to those who ask. (Matthew 7:11) He may say "no" in answer to our prayers because the thing we are asking for is not in our best interest. Parents say no to their children when they ask for something that would hurt them. James says our prayers must not be selfish. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4:3) An amazing calmness and change will take place when we are willing to wait on God in unselfish prayer.
A personal closeness to God, a real sense of spirituality, an awareness of the needs that exist and a desire to see those needs fulfilled are great assets to a good prayer life. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." (Psalms 37:4) We know that those who stay faithful to our Creator pray often.
We know that those who stay faithful attend all the services of the church. God commands Christians not to forsake the assembly. Hebrews 10:25 is a powerful warning for Christians. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." The context of Hebrews 10:25 is sobering. "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:24-31)
Missing worship indicates that we are letting our salvation slip away. "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." (Hebrews 2:1) I need to assemble steadfastly for worship for my own spiritual strength. Those who miss the assembly are neglecting their salvation. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him." (Hebrews 2:3) Bible Christians assembled and worshipped steadfastly. Those who do not assemble steadfastly become weak, sickly and dead spiritually.
Acts 2:42 describes the steadfast worship of the early church. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." The word steadfast means "standing fast." The early Christians were regular in their worship. Worship does not bring sadness, weakness and emptiness. It brings joy, strength and fullness. "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." (Psalms 122:1) We know that those people who stay faithful to our Creator attend all the services of the church.
We know that those who stay faithful study the Bible regularly. Only from the Bible can I know the certainty of my soul's eternal salvation. The urgency and necessity of rightly dividing God's word should be ever before us. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) The King James Version says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) We are commanded to study and rightly divide the word of truth so as to be approved unto God as an acceptable workmen.
The Bible is God's word of truth and it will judge us in the last day. "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." (John 12:48) These words are found only in the Bible. Jesus did not write the Bible Himself. The Holy Spirit of God inspired the prophets, apostles and other men to write the Scripture. To reject the apostle's writings is to reject the commandment of God. "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 14:37)
The scriptures are inspired by God and thus are able to thoroughly furnish us unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The Bible is God's only source of authority in religion. Therefore, we must search the Scriptures to see if what we hear is so. (Acts 17:11) We know that those who stay faithful to our Creator are serious students of God's word.
We know that those who stay faithful share the gospel with others. The "Gospel" is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. "Good News" must be shared. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) Jesus commanded the gospel to be preached to every creature in every place. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15-16) Based on the suffering of Jesus let us preach repentance and remission of sins throughout the world. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47)
Those who have learned the gospel must share it with others. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2) Let us all come to feel as Paul felt, "...woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16) We must become aware of other's need for the gospel and realize that we owe it to them to share the gospel with them. Let us lay aside all hindrances and start now on the task of taking salvation to the lost. We know that the faithful share their faith with others.
These four things are essential to Bible faithfulness: (1) Faithful prayers, (2) Faithful attendance at all the church services, (3) Faithfulness in Bible study, and (4) Faithfulness in evangelism. These are necessary in order to stay faithful. Are you faithful?
The Bible teaches that baptism is essential to one's salvation. Have you been baptized according to the Lord's commands? If not, you should be. "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16) Believers contact Christ's saving blood by being baptized into His death. Those that become children of God have reason to rejoice. (Acts 8:39) Rejoicing follows man's response to God's good news of forgiveness by the death of Jesus.
By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, P.O. Box 551, Greenville, Alabama 36037 USA