Faithfulness

Faithfulness faithfulness: The quality of being faithful. a. Fidelity, loyalty (to a superior or friend); trustworthiness, conscientiousness. b. Strict adherence to one's pledged word; honesty, sincerity. c. Exact correspondence to an original or fact. faithful: Of persons, their actions, etc.: Full of or characterized by faith (sense 3); believing. 3. True to one's word or professed belief, abiding by a covenant or promise. fidelity: The quality of being faithful; faithfulness, loyalty, unswerving allegiance to a person, party, bond, etc. infidel: Of persons: Unbelieving; adhering to a false religion; pagan, heathen, etc. I. This study addresses one of the most important attributes of our existence. A. We probably all know someone who has not dealt faithfully. B. We have probably all been disappointed or hurt by someone who dealt unfaithfully. C. We have all at some time or another been unfaithful to God, to our fellowman or to our own word. 1. Have you ever lied to get your way or to damage someone? made a promise that you intended to wiggle out of in order to get what you wanted? PRO 14:5; JER 42:20. 2. Have you ever taken advantage of someone who should have been able to trust you? 2SAM 11:14-15. 3. Have you ever betrayed a confidence that someone placed in you concerning his own weakness, need, secrets, etc? PRO 11:13. 4. Have you ever willfully delayed or skipped a payment that was due? PRO 3:27-28. 5. Have you ever pilfered, peculated, purloined or otherwise taken something that was not rightfully yours? EXO 20:15; TIT 2:9-10. 6. Have you ever not faithfully cared for someone or something committed to your trust? EZE 34:2-3; 1TI 5:8. 7. Have you ever gone back on a promise to men, spouse or children without just cause? 2SAM 21:1-2 ct/w PSA 15:4. 8. Have you ever made a promise to God that you reneged on because no other man knew about it? DEU 23:21-23. 9. Have you ever just gone through the motions of an assigned or accepted task, done it for show? EPH 6:5-6. 10. Have you ever been the recipient of a beneficial mistake from some business and just kept it? EZE 22:13 ct/w 2CO 8:21. 11. Have you ever plagiarized someone else's work and not given credit where it should have been given? ROM 13:7. 12. Have you ever been unfaithful to someone you care for by not correcting them in due time? PRO 27:5-6. 13. Have you given people enough reason to not want to deal with you because they can't trust you? PRO 25:19. 14. Faithful men are far less numerous than self-promoters. PRO 20:6. III. Our God is the ultimate model of faithfulness. DEU 7:9. Faithfulness 6-2-13 Page 1 A. He is a faithful Creator. 1PE 4:19. 1. He is faithful in preserving the earth and heavens He created, even though they be under the bondage of corruption. PSA 119:90-91; GEN 8:22; 2PE 3:7. 2. He is faithful in preserving the spiritual children He created. 1TH 5:23-24. a. They are preserved forever. PSA 37:28. b. Their preservation is owing to His faithfulness to His covenant, not according to the faithfulness of His children. ROM 11:27-29; 2TI 2:13. B. He is a faithful Father. 1. He was faithful to His Son. a. He honored His prayers according to His own word. PSA 34:15; JOH 11:42. b. He did not leave His soul in hell. ACT 2:27 c/w LUK 23:43. c. He did not leave His body in the grave. ACT 2:32. d. He honored His sacrifice for sinners. EPH 4:32. e. He gave Him the promised Davidic throne. ACT 2:30-32; PSA 89:30-34. f. He kept His promise to put all things under His feet. HEB 2:8. 2. He is faithful to confirm His children unto the end. 1CO 1:8-9. 3. He is faithful to limit their temptation. 1CO 10:13. 4. He is faithful to afflict them that they stray not. PSA 119:75, 67, 71. 5. He is faithful to chasten them for disobedience. HEB 12:6-7. 6. He is faithful to show mercy to His penitent children. 2PE 3:9; 1JO 1:9. C. The Son is faithful. HEB 3:1-2. 1. He always pleased the Father. JOH 8:29. 2. He fulfilled all prophecies concerning Him. LUK 24:44. 3. He did the Father's work fully. JOH 17:4. 4. He put His trust in God. HEB 2:13. 5. He was obedient unto death. PHIL 2:8. 6. He is the faithful witness. REV 1:5. 7. He is now a faithful high priest. HEB 2:17. 8. Compare Jesus Christ with the questions asked earlier! D. The Spirit is faithful. 1. The Spirit always attended Jesus Christ. LUK 1:35; MAT 3:16; HEB 9:14; 1PE 3:18. 2. He only speaks that which Christ speaks. JOH 16:13; REV 19:10. 3. He quickens every predestinated son inwardly. ROM 8:30; GAL 4:6. 4. He helps us and intercedes for us. ROM 8:26-27. 5. He ever attends the preaching of the true gospel. 1PE 1:12. 6. He filled Christ's church as promised. ACT 2:1-4, 16-17. 7. He will surely quicken the body of all whom He indwells. ROM 8:11. E. Bless God for His faithfulness. LAM 3:22-23.