#1) God’s faithfulness changes us.

“God’s finger can touch nothing but to mold it into loveliness” George Macdonald

No one who comes to Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth will remain the same. The faithfulness of God
changes us from darkness to the light in Jesus our Lord. We are better people because of God’s
faithfulness in mercy and transforming power.

#2) God’s faithfulness gives us value.

“God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us.” Fulton Sheen

The faithfulness of God is demonstrated by sacrificing His one and only Son, Jesus, for those who come
to Him. Even we don’t value ourselves—He still values each and every living soul as worthy of being
redeemed and set free from the power of sin.

#3) God’s faithfulness protects us.

“There is more safety with Christ in the tempest than without Christ in the calmest waters.” Alexander
Grosse

It is often in the valleys and storms of life that we begin to doubt God’s faithfulness. But how could we?
He is faithful to never leave nor forsake us. In the times of trouble, His faithfulness is most demonstrated
even when we are most unaware of His presence.

#4) God’s faithfulness is enough for us.

“God’s strength behind you, His concern for you, His love within you, and His arms beneath you are more
than sufficient for the job ahead of you.” William Arthur Ward

Many of us are deceived into thinking we can handle things on our own. However it’s the loving
faithfulness of God who gives us all things to accomplish His will in our lives. Through His grace and
faithfulness we have everything necessary to finish well.

#5) God’s faithfulness sustains us.

“The same everlasting Father who care for you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day.
Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it…” St. Francis de
Sales

Through the faithfulness of God we are well able to do achieve great things for the kingdom. We will be
tempted to worry and flee from our circumstances. Yet through the faithfulness of God we can remain
steadfast and hopeful in strength.

#6) God’s faithfulness cleanses us.

“God sometimes washes the eyes of His children with tears that they may read aright His providence and
His commandments.” Theodore L. Cuyler

No one loves a time of discipline that comes through the faithfulness of God. We resist painful situations
because they reveal more clearly our sinful nature. Yet God is faithful to allow the right amount of
pressure to cleanse us from our selfishness so we can be more readily used by Him.

#7) God’s faithfulness is revealed in us as we pray.

“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness.” Richard Chenevix
Trench

The Lord is faithful to answer our prayers according to His will and not ours. Many times we resist this
because we are afraid that His will is not best. However the faithfulness of God moves beyond our
meager requests and presses us to see His glory in answered prayers in His will.

#8) God’s faithfulness is beyond us.

“O Lord, thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget thee, do not thou forget me.” Lord Ashley

Even as believers we can be consumed by our schedules—even those we make in God’s service. We
sometimes lose our focus on God and move forward with our busyness. The Lord is faithful even we
were aren’t and He will come through to remember us.

#9) God’s faithfulness is demonstrated by His power in and around us.

“It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.” Jeremy Taylor

The power of God reveals His awesome faithfulness to us. He is faithful to deliver, heal, set free, bless,
and protect us through His omnipotence. There is no power on earth greater than the Almighty God
who is in control of our lives.

#10) God’s faithfulness is shown through His love for us.

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” St. Augustine

When we were still in our sins and never gave one thought about God—He still had His hand over us.
The love of our Father for His children is great and overcomes our weaknesses. We love Him because He
first loved us—enduring and faithfully all along.

“If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

Great is His Faithfulness!

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Here is a list of some other Powerful quotes from Max Lucado.

Article by Crystal McDowell

Crystal McDowell is a writer, speaker, and teacher with a passion to encourage believers to know and
grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through practical application of God’s word.  

1. Being Faithful to God and His Word

A. All of us are forced to wait at certain times of life and waiting is a time when our faithfulness is put
into test. If we are faithful we will wait upon the Lord for sustenance, not anything or anyone else,
(Psalm 62:5).
B. We need to be faithful to God’s word also. We are to know it by heart so that we will not sin, (Psalms
119:11).
C. God will certainly bless when we abide in his word. Above all we will have his perfect peace, even
while living in a world of tranquility, (John 15:7; Isaiah 26:3).

2. Being Faithful to the Local Church

A. The local church is every Christian’s spiritual family. Don’t be like the Woodpecker Christians that go
from one church to another over disputes with the leadership or other believers. God has called us to be
of one spirit, (1 Corinthians 1:1o).
B. Faithfulness to one’s local church is best expressed by his obedience to his leaders. Don’t judge, seek
to take revenge from them or harm them, (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21; 1 Samuel 24:1-6; Psalm
105:15).
C. Always support them in ministry, as they labor for the Kingdom of God, in tears and in sweat, (1
Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 5:17-18).

3. Being Faithful to Your Family

A. Husbands are commanded to love their wives like Christ loved the Church and gave his life for her and
wives are told to submit to their husbands, (Ephesians 5:22-25).
B. Husbands should be faithful to their wives and wives should be faithful to their husbands, (Hebrews
13:4).
C. Children are told to obey their parents in the Lord. It’s a conditional promise. Parents are told not to
provoke their children to anger. but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,
(Ephesians 6:1-4).

4. Be Faithful to Your Finances

A. Plan your expenses with great care, (Luke 14:28-30). Constantly give attention to your financial
health, (Proverbs 27:23).
B. Pay your tithe on time. Everything you have belongs to God. But he is asking you to give one-tenth of
it back, for the welfare of his servant. He has promised to bless your tithe and told you to test him on it,
(Malachi 3:10).
C. Give regularly, in addition to the tithe. Not because God wants your money. Giving is a form of
worship. To worship means to surrender your whole self and surrendering your finances is a good place
to begin with, (Proverbs 3:9).

5. Being Faithful to One’s Country

A. The Bible commands us to submit to the government because it’s the established will of God,
(Romans 13:1).
B. The Bible forbids rebelling against the governing authorities. Rebellion against the government is
rebellion against God, (Romans 13:2).
C. B. Do not be like pagans and criticize the government authorities. God is in control of all. The Bible
also urges us to pray for those who govern, (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

6. Being Faithful at the Work Place

A. We are to obey our employers in the Lord. Means we should obey them, as long as their wishes don’t
contradict God’s word, (Ephesians 6:5).
B. Don’t steal from your employer or deceive him. We should work for our employers as if we are
working for God, (Ephesians 6:8).
C. Employers should treat their employees with respect. God will judge the employer that that
oppresses his employees, (Ephesians 6:9).

Conclusion

In closing, I want to urge you to search for yourself and know whether you have been unfaithful in any
of these areas. Remember, that the one who conceals his sin shall not prosper. But God will restore us if
we confess and renounce them, (Proverbs 28:13).
Sermon: Jesus Wants Steadfast Faithfulness - 2 Timothy 1

by Calvin Wittman on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 at 7:00 AM

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Sermon series: What Does Jesus Want from Us?

1. Loving Obedience - Matthew 7

2. Humble Service - Philippians 2

3. Steadfast Faithfulness - 2 Timothy 1

Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:1-7

Background and introduction

Throughout history fear has been one of the most formidable enemies humanity has ever faced. One of
the least known catastrophes brought on by fear happened during World War II in the subcontinent of
India. It has come to be known as the Bengal Rice Famine. From October 1942 till October of 1943
somewhere between two and four million people died of starvation in India. They did not die because
there was a lack of food. They died because the government acted on fear rather than fact.

The local government in the Bengal area was afraid that the Japanese would invade their country as
they had invaded Singapore and Burma. In reaction to this supposed threat decisions were made by
local Muslim leaders to move the bulk of rice and foodstuffs to Calcutta, which was deemed more
important and more defensible, leaving millions in the rural areas without adequate food supplies. The
Japanese never came, and before it was over millions were dead of starvation, most of whom, ironically,
were also Muslims. They died because crops were hoarded to avoid them from getting into the hands of
an enemy that never came. They died because of fear.
Fear is the chief enemy of faithfulness. It is the great immobilizer; it has frozen many people in their
tracks and kept them from accomplishing all they were created to do in God's kingdom. Fear caused the
Israelites to grumble and complain as God was about to deliver them from Pharaoh's advancing army.
Fear froze the armies of Israel before Goliath, it caused the disciples to wake Jesus from His sleep in the
midst of a storm, it caused Peter to deny Jesus during the passion and it has been the culprit in many a
Christian's failure to be and do all God has commanded them to be and do. Fear has long been the
enemy of faith and continues to derail those whose heart desire is to be steadfast and faithful in their
service to our Lord.
 
It is somewhat comforting, however, to realize that great men and women throughout history, people
who have accomplished great things for God, have also had to struggle with fear. Many great people
who ultimately proved to be faithful, along the way were tempted to give up. Our text this morning
gives us insight into how we as Christians can overcome fear, specifically the fear that keeps us from
being effective servants in God's kingdom. It tells us how to be steadfast and faithful.

In the first seven verses of 2 Timothy, Paul reveals to us something about the personally and makeup of
Timothy, his son in the ministry. Paul had poured his life into Timothy. He had worked hard at
developing him into the person he would need to be to assume the responsibilities he would one day
inherit.

As Paul sits in a cold and damp prison cell, facing certain death at the behest of the Roman Emperor
Nero, he is preoccupied with one thing and one thing alone: the forward movement of the gospel and
the kingdom of God. We are not privy to other concerns that may have weighed upon his mind, as he
writes under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, Paul tells his young protégé Timothy,
the essential things he will need to know to carry on with his work. Central to Paul's message in this
book is the preservation and the advancement of the gospel.

Timothy, however, by personality and nature is not one we as humans would normally deem fit for the
task. Shy and retiring, timid and fearful by nature, Timothy would seem, at least from a human
perspective to be an unlikely candidate to assume the mantle of the great apostle. And yet, as 1st
Samuel 16 reminds us, God does not see things as man sees them. Whereas man looks at the external
appearances, God looks at the heart. God sees us, not based upon what we can do, but based upon
what He can do through us.

If you've ever felt in inadequate for the task, if the fear of failure has ever gripped you, if you've every
felt like the passion of fire which once characterized your service to God has burned low and is in danger
of going out, this is a book for you. If you've ever found yourself spiritually dry, feeling alone and useless
in God's kingdom, there is a word from God for you this morning.

Notice four things our text says will enable us to overcome our fear.

I. We overcome fear and remain faithful by reassuring one another (vv. 3-4)
The nature of this letter is intensely personal. Paul loved Timothy as a son, and writes to him as a father
would write to a son. While he is painfully honest, notice that before he calls upon Timothy to rekindle
the flame within him and abandon his fear, he begins with words of reassurance, words that encourage
and strengthen.

All of us need words of reassurance. All of us need someone who will love us enough to encourage us.

In verses 3 and 4 Paul says five things that speak to reassurance.

Five ways to reassure one another:

1. Gratitude - I am thankful for you (v. 3)

It's always encouraging to know that someone can appreciate what God has done through you and is
thankful to God for you. Paul was grateful to God for Timothy, for his ministry and for his friendship. It's
always nice to know that as others remember you before the lord that it is with a sense of gratitude, not
with a sense of grief or complaint. When was the last time you thanked God for a brother or sister in
Christ that He has put into your life? When was the last time you told them that you were grateful to
God for them?

2. Faithfulness - I am praying for you (v. 3)

Paul was quick to let Timothy know that he was making intercession on his behalf. One of the most
encouraging things I have ever experienced as a pastor is the knowledge that there are folks out there
praying for me, praying that God will protect me, will use me and will continue to guide me. Fear often
brings with it doubts, not only doubts about yourself but doubts about others and doubts about God.
When you know someone loves you enough to remember you in prayer, to be faithful in taking you
before heaven's thrones, it is reassuring and encouraging.

3. Fellowship - I want to spend time with you (v. 4)

It had been some time since Paul and Timothy had been able to visit with one another. And yet time and
distance had in no way diminished the strength of their friendship. Facing what was a certain death, Paul
now tells Timothy that it sure would be nice to see him again, to talk together about all that God had
done and was doing. While Paul had been used greatly by God we must never forget that like all of us,
he was merely human. Even as he wanted to strengthen and encourage Timothy, he too needed to be
reassured and strengthened; he needed the comfort his friendship with Timothy afforded him.

But then there was the element of empathy, of understanding what Timothy was going through.

4. Empathy - I know what you are going through (v. 4)

Some say that Paul is referring to when they had to part ways, and Timothy wept, others hold that the
difficulties Timothy had experienced in ministry had led to tears. Anyone who has spent a substantive
time in ministry understands that sometimes the going gets tough. Sometimes the stresses and strains,
the disappointments and difficulties lead you to tears.
Jesus wept out of compassion for those He loved and anyone who has taken up their cross and is
following Him will also, at times, be driven to tears.

I remember several years ago, within a few short weeks we had lost several of our members to death.
Ministering to the families, experiencing their pain, and dealing with the personal loss of those whom
God had entrusted to my care was nearly more than I could bear.

I remember sitting outside in the parking lot one day, my wife had come to join me for lunch and I just
began to weep. She said, "what's the matter," and I said, "I'm tired of death stealing folks that I love."

Paul had shed his share of tears, he understood where Timothy was; he understood what he was going
through. Acts 20:36-37 tells us that as Paul left Ephesus, he and those with him wept freely.
 
It is encouraging to realize that others understand what we are going through and can empathize with
us.

5. Blessing - You are a blessing to me (v. 4)

Paul saw Timothy as one of the blessings God had given him. It is always encouraging to know that
you've been a blessing to others. Paul wanted Timothy to know that as he counted his blessings,
Timothy was among them.

What does it do to you when someone lets you know that you are a blessing to them? How does it affect
you when someone drops you a note and tells you that God has used you to bless their lives?

This is what Paul wanted to do in Timothy's life. He wanted to encourage him, to strengthen him, to lift
him up from the pit of fear and despair and to reassure him that he was still useful in God's kingdom and
that Paul could see it.

We overcome fear by reassuring one another.

II. We overcome fear and remain faithful by Remembering what Jesus has done in our lives (v.5)

It is easier to be faithful to God when we remember His faithfulness to us. The old song says:

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count
your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

As a people we have a tremendous capacity to forget. We forget that we are not where we are simply
because of our own efforts. We forget what others have done for us. We forget what God has done for
us. And when we forget what God has done for us we are tempted to believe that God has never used
us and never will use us.

Paul points Timothy back to things in his life that demonstrate God's hand on him and his ministry.
Notice two things:

1. Genuine faith
The apostle tells Timothy, "As I think about you, as God brings you to my remembrance, I am reminded
of the genuine faith that is in you." The Greek word for genuine here is literally translated,
"unhypocritical." In other words, Paul was saying to Timothy, "The faith I've observed in you is the real
thing." Perhaps Timothy's timorous and fearful personality had led him to doubt his own salvation,
perhaps he had begun to question whether or not God had really called him to service, but Paul says,
"Timothy, I've seen a lot of Christians in my day, and from all of my experience, from all my observation,
son you've got the real think, yours is the genuine article."

What an affirmation, what a help in overcoming his fears, to hear from someone like the apostle himself
that his faith was recognizable as authentic.

But more than that, Paul points back to his upbringing. Look at the rest of verse 5.

2. Godly family

Timothy had been blessed to grow up in a Christian home. His mother and grandmother were both
believers who, according to chapter 3:15, had taught the scriptures to Timothy from an early age. Paul
was reminding him that this call on his life, this evidence of faith was not some anomaly; it was part of
his spiritual heritage, part of the blessing God has bestowed upon him.

I've heard a lot of testimonies in my day. Some testimonies are dramatic, and we've all heard them.
They tell of how someone was lost in sin, addicted to alcohol or drugs, or about someone who for years
had walked on the wild side of life, and then one day God hit them like a bolt of lightening and they
were gloriously saved. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes these testimonies tend to glorify the
wickedness of their sin rather than the wonder of their Savior.

And then there are those of us who were raised in Christian homes who began going to church at an
early age, whose parents taught them, from childhood, the great truths of Scripture, the wonderful
stories of the Bible. And somehow we think that this kind of testimony is boring when compared to
those whose conversion was dramatic. But friends, I'm here to tell you that the greatest testimony
anyone could ever give is that they were blessed to have Christian parents, folks who loved Jesus and
who modeled the faith in their home; a testimony that tells how they were spared from having to walk
down the pathway which leads to destruction but from an early age realized that the straight and
narrow way was the right way.

I thank God that I was reared in a Christian home, that I gave my heart and my life to Jesus at an early
age. I thank God that I was spared a lot of the things other people had to go through before they came
to Jesus.

Paul wanted Timothy to remember that God had been working His plan even before Timothy was born.
God was bringing that plan to fruition in Timothy's life, and the reality of God's work through Timothy's
faith and his family was something that should give him strength and enable him to overcome his fears.

We overcome fear by remembering what Jesus has done in our lives.

III. We overcome fear and remain faithful by rekindling the gifts God has given us (v. 6)

Doubts and fears have a tendency to cause us to let the flame of passion, the fire for action burn low in
our lives. As Paul writes to young Timothy, who is probably in his early to mid thirties by this time, he
tells him that if he is going to assume the responsibilities for which God has preordained him, he must
keep the fire of passion for ministry alive in his heart.
 
Timothy had been called by God to oversee the ministries in the church. He was called to be a pastor
and I can assure you that, as a pastor, there will always be those who want to test your mettle, to see
how tough you really are. If the church at Ephesus was anything like most churches today, and we have
not reason to believe otherwise, there were those who questioned Timothy's authority, who questioned
his ability to lead and his judgement. They caused him to be fearful rather that faithful. To this Paul
enjoins Timothy to resuscitate the fire of the gift that is within him, to go back to his call, to the
realization that as he acted and as he led, he did so with authority from heaven itself.

Make no mistake about it, your pastor is not perfect, but he has been given authority from heaven, for
which God will hold him accountable, and he is called by God to exercise that authority as he gives
leadership and direction to the local church. That is what Timothy had been called to do. That was the
gift that needed fanning back into a flame, his passion for ministry.

The Greek word here, translated "keep ablaze," or "kindle afresh," literally means "keep the fire alive."
Allow me to suggest four things that I believe will continuously add fuel to your fire and keep it burning
brightly within you.

1. Strong in your walk

This speaks to both your walk with God and your walk with the family of God. We have a tendency to
grow cold when our quiet times with God fall by the wayside, or when we cease to have fellowship with
other Christians. Our fellowship with God keeps us connected to the source of our fire, and God has
given us other Christians to fan that flame, to hold us accountable, to encourage us, to exhort us and to
work along side of us. If you want the flame for ministry, the passion for service to burn hot within your
spirit, you must stay strong in your walk.

2. Spiritual in your worship

We cannot allow what we do for God to become perfunctory, or something we do just because we are
supposed to do it. Worship should ever be personal and intimate. What we do for God should be the
natural outflow of our relationship with Him. We should take our ministry personally. We should see it
as a reflection of our love for God. When what we do for God becomes more of a ritualistic practice than
a relational passion, the fire within us will grow cold and die.

3. Study in the word

It is nearly impossible to stay solid in your walk, to be spiritual in your worship and keep the fires alive
when you absent yourself from time in the word of God. Like the prophet says in Jeremiah 20:9, "But His
word was in my heart like a burning fire." If you want to keep the fire burning within you, study the
word and it will ignite your soul.

4. Steady in your work

Keep your priorities what they need to be. The world is filled with many good things to do, but God
directs us in that which is best to do. We are called to seek first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness. If we will stay focused on what He has called us to do, our hearts will stay where they
need to stay. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your works to the lord and your thoughts will be established."

Some of you are here this morning and you can look back and remember a time in your life when things
were different, when you had a deep longing, a passionate fire within you to serve God, to accomplish
something in His kingdom. And then life happened. It didn't happen all at once, but rather it was a
process, over the course of years other things seemed to creep in and steal the passion from your soul.
Maybe it was a bad experience you had at church or perhaps it was something that happened between
you and another Christian, or maybe God did not answer your prayers as you thought, but I suspect that
in most cases it was nothing really dramatic, but rather over the years the fire for ministry, the passion
for service simply began to burn low.

To you, this morning, God is telling you that He wants you to rekindle the flame, to fan the embers back
into a flame. He has never changed His plans for you. He still wants to use you, but He will not force you
to be used, you must want it, you must take the initiative, you must fan the flame yourself.

Rekindle the fire and keep the flame burning and you will not give in to fear, because, as verse 7 tells us,
fear is not in keeping with the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

IV. We overcome fear and remain faithful by Relying on God's strength (v. 7)

Of all the things of which we need reminding, perhaps the most important this is the fact that we are
not alone, we have been given the Spirit of God, and His Spirit is not one of fear but of power, of love
and of sound judgment.

The strength of man will always leave you fearful. There is always someone bigger, someone better,
someone stronger, someone of whom, in your own strength, you should fear. One of the reasons so
many Christians give in to fear is because they look at things from the point of view of their own
humanity. "Can I do it?" they ask themselves. "Can I afford it?" they question in their fear. And the
answer is nearly always "No."

If you can do it without supernatural strength, it is probably not of God. What is not of faith is not of
God. God does not call us to do things that we can accomplish without Him. In fact, Jesus tells us that
without Him we can do nothing.

Timothy was fearful because the flame within him had burned low. The faith within him was weak and in
need of exercise.
Instead of giving in to fear, which is inconsistent with the very nature of the Spirit of God, we are told
that we have been possessed by His Spirit, one of power, of love and of sound judgement.

Power - A force of character, which if not natural to one's character should be inspired by the fact that
God has appointed you to serve Him and you go forth in His name.

Love - Not to be confused with weakness, love is strong it that it does what is best for others, even if
that is not always the popular thing to do. In Timothy's case some of the decisions he made as a pastor
were undoubtedly unpopular, but he was to make those decisions with the best interest of God's family
in mind. He was to serve God and others with a heart of love.

Sound judgment - Ministry always requires self discipline, good judgment and sound decisions.

Let me paraphrase: "Timothy, this fearfulness and timidity that is holding you back and keeping you
from accomplishing your God-given mission is not from God. God's Spirit within you is one of Power,
that is, He will give you the confidence you need to be assertive and certain as you lead, it is a Spirit of
love, that is, you will make decisions based on what God shows you is His best for His people, not always
what is popular, and it is one of sound judgment, you will need to practice discipline in your personal life
by praying faithfully and studying diligently. "

Application

1. Be an encourager

For some morbid reason our human nature seems to be more delighted when others fall than when
they succeed. But this is not in keeping with God's Spirit. As Christians we are to support one another, to
hold each other up in prayer and encouragement. Look around you. Take note of the people God has
brought into your life and you will find there are those who need a word of encouragement, those who
are paralyzed by fear and doubt. God has sent you to them as His emissary, to encourage and
strengthen them. Be an encourager.

2. Be mindful of the past

Look back on where you are and where you have been. Yes, you may be in a difficult position now, but if
you'd be honest, you've been in difficult times before. Has God not always been faithful to you before?
And will He not continue to be faithful to you in the future. Even as Timothy was encouraged to
recognize that which God had done in his life, this morning God is calling upon each of us to look to all
He has done, to remember that He who has been faithful will ever be faithful. He will never leave you or
forsake you. He will not leave you alone. He will accomplish in you all He has ordained.

3. Be active in the present

One of the best ways to overcome fear is to step forward in action. Make no mistake - young David was
afraid when he went to fight Goliath. He was human and therefore it was natural for him to be afraid,
but he did not let his fear immobilize him. Stepping out in faith he took action. The only way to
overcome your fear is by exercising your faith, and faith without action is not really faith. You may be
here this morning and God has given you clear instructions as to what He wants you to do. He has
shown you what it is He wants to accomplish through you. But fear has gripped you. It has intimidated
you and is keeping you from the blessings of obedience. This morning God is telling you to exercise your
faith, to step out in action and as you exercise your faith, as you put that faith in action, your fear will
disappear like a midst before the warmth of the sun. If you want to overcome your fear this morning
you must take action.

4. Be reliant on the Spirit

This is the spiritual realm where we walk by faith and not by sight, where we trust in God and not in
ourselves, where we are not calculating our success based on what we can do, but rather by what we
know God can do through us as we yield to His Spirit and trust in His strength.

If you are feeling defeated this morning, succumbing to the empty threats of fear, trust in God. The
Spirit of God, given to you at the moment of salvation is not one of fear. It is not one of timidity or
apprehension. You have been given the Spirit of the Living God, He is in you, He is for you and He will
give you confidence, victory and triumph. He wants to do great things through you. To lead you to places
you could never go on your own, to do things through you humanly impossible. God has given you His
Spirit to enable you, to equip you and empower you for success in ministry.

So when the dark whispers of the enemy try to freeze your very soul, when the shadows of fear cast
darkness across your appointed path, trust in God, look to Him Who is in you for greater is He who is in
you than he who is in the world.

Trusting in your own strength will always lead to failure, exercising your faith will lead you to victory.
Trust in God, rely on His Spirit and He will use you in ways you cannot even imagine.
What is the difference between faith and faithfulness? Faith is belief, assurance of God’s word and all
that he has done. Faithfulness is living in accord with that truth. In other words, faith leads to
faithfulness. This is an important distinction to maintain in Christianity. We are not saved through
faithfulness. Neither are we saved by faith and faithfulness. If either were the case, how many of us
would measure up? I mean, who among us always lives in accord with their beliefs? I know that I do not.
But I want to.

The next fruit of the Spirit that the Apostle Paul brings up in Galatians 5 is ‘faithfulness.’ Understanding
the distinction I’ve drawn above is important when we come to this fruit. Like all the others, we must
remember that this is something that God works in us by his Spirit. Moreover, the faithfulness that he
calls us to have is simply a reflection of his own faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness is his perfect loyalty and consistency in being true to his name, his character, and his
word. This is something that is part of who God is, his nature. The prophet Jeremiah declared, “The
steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” This was after Jeremiah
surveyed the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem in the Old Testament. He knew that
even though God had brought judgment that even that was in accord with his nature, with his steadfast
love.

This faithfulness of God is seen clearly in Jesus. As the one who was the perfect image of God, very God
of very God, and the “exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3), his faithfulness is shown in many ways.
It is seen in his words. What he said came to pass and he was faithful to fulfill all the promises he made.
We also see his faithfulness in his actions, all the way to the cross.

The promises of God’s faithfulness sustained believers in the Old Testament and the same is to be true
for us. Many of us have probably sung that wonderful hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” That song
speaks of God’s faithfulness to us because of who he is – and because of who we are as his children.
Whatever the season (summer and winter, springtime and harvest), whatever the struggle (pardon for
sin and a peace that endureth), God does not give up on his people.

That brings us, then, to Paul’s words in Galatians 5:22. God’s faithfulness is the ground of our
faithfulness. While ours will pale in comparison to his – as it is riddled with our sins – we are
nevertheless called to be faithful to our God. Paul speaks of this, elsewhere, in 1 Corinthians 15. The
whole of the chapter is a masterful explanation and defense of Christ’s resurrection and our own
resurrection that is yet to come.

At the very end of that chapter, Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” The words
Paul uses here give us a way we can think about faithfulness to God. To be steadfast means that you are
settled in your thinking or belief. You are not one of those who are tossed to and fro like the waves in
your thinking about God. Immovable describes the same sort of position (showing that Paul believed it
important). Abounding in the work of the Lord means that we love God and love our neighbor.
Throughout our lives, we ought to keep the end in mind. Paul says that “in the Lord your labor is not in
vain.” All that we do in this life is not in vain because, one day, Christ will return to judge the living and
the dead. The end is what matters. That’s what Paul is saying.

Paul knows that you and I are going to struggle with these words. We are not always immovable.
Sometimes our faith is shaken, whether it is by a tragedy or it is by someone questioning us. We ought
to build up our faith in those days when things are not difficult so that when they are, we know where to
turn. When the storms of life come, and they will, we must be prepared to cling to Christ. We are saved
through faith alone, in Christ alone. Saved through faith and called to faithfulness.

Faith according to Hinduism

Faith has a great significance in Hindu devotional theism. In Sanskrit faith is known as sraddha or viswas.
The theistic schools of Hinduism are faith based, in which devotion and faith (bhakti and shraddah) are
central to spiritual practice. Faith in God, faith in the scriptures, faith in the teacher, faith in the path,
faith in dharma, faith in the possibilities of liberation, faith in the inviolable laws of God, these are a few
explicit forms of faith, which are emphasized in the scriptures of Hinduism as the highest virtues. Since
God is invisible and unknowable to the senses, and since he cannot be verified by rational means,
tradition suggests that the Vedas should be used to sustain faith, holding them as the reliable sources of
verbal testimony to establish metaphysical truths about him and his eternal laws. Since they cannot
rationally or empirically be established we have to rely upon faith and the knowledge of the scriptures
to practice dharma and strive for liberation. While reason belongs to the mind, faith belongs to the
heart. Hence, intuition is regarded as a corollary of faith. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.29.1)
declares that the resting ground of faith is the heart.

In Hinduism, faith (shraddah) is used in a very broad sense. It not only means belief but also interest,
dedication and application. They are interrelated. For example, you cannot be interested in any goal
unless you believe in its possibility. You cannot dedicate yourself to a cause or to a path, unless you
know in your heart, or believe, that it is good for you or lead you in the right direction. None of it would
be possible, unless you have faith in yourself.

You should have faith (shraddah) not only to practice your religion or achieve liberation but also to gain
mastery in any endeavor. A student should study with faith, a teacher should teach with faith, and a
devotee should worship God with faith. If you are faithful to the gods and nourish them with faith, they
will serve you with faith and strengthen your faith in them. In all these, faith is propelled by both
conviction and dedication.

Faith according to Hinduism is the sum of your worldview, your values and convictions. It encompasses
the whole spectrum of your thought since much of what you know is what you believe to be worth
remembering and paying attention to. From faith arises trust, devotion, loyalty, commitment, dedication
and assurance. Faith may arise from simple observation, facts, inference, intuition, assurance,
experience, commonsense or a simple belief. Faith is difficult to sustain because the world is an
appearance, and we are subject to delusion and ignorance.

The Bhagavadgita affirms that those who worship God with faith, who contemplate upon him and
establish their minds in him are dearer to him, and they will be speedily rescued from the cycle of births
and deaths. People who have faith in God and believe in his greatness are not deluded by his forms or
appearances. They readily recognize him even when he manifests in mortal form, but the ignorant ones
who lack faith cannot perceive him. They mistake him for an ordinary being and ignore his teachings. It
is faith which sustains your devotion, and by devotion only you achieve union or oneness with God.
Faith, thus, is at the heart of Hindu devotional practices.

Three types of faith

According to Hinduism, Nature (Prakriti) is made up of 23 realities (tattvas) or so, and three gunas or
modes. The gunas are responsible for modalities or patterns of behavior and attitude in beings. They
influence our thinking and actions. A person’s essential nature is determined by them. The gunas are
three, sattva, rajas and tamas. In humans as well as in all other living beings, they are found in various
permutations and combinations. The gunas compete with each other to dominate. A person’s natural
propensity depends upon which gunas are predominant. For example, sattva makes a person gentle and
pleasant, rajas makes him ambitious and competitive, while tamas makes him harsh or cruel.

Just as they influence your behavior, they also influence your faith. This is explained in the 17th Chapter
of the Bhagavadgita, which states that in three ways the faith of embodied souls manifest, according to
their own nature namely sattva, rajas and tamas. A person is made up of faith only. As is the person so is
his faith and his living and eating habits. Sattvic people worship gods, rajasic people worship yakshas and
rakshasa and tamasic people worship ghosts and elemental spirits. Those who are filled with vanity and
egoism and driven by lust and passions perform severe penances, which are not sanctioned by
scriptures. They indiscriminately torture their bodies with demonic resolve, ignoring that the Self resides
in them. Their approach to worship also vary as stated below.

 A sattvic person believes in God and in Dharma, his eternal law. He strives to achieve liberation
and experience the supreme bliss of self-realization, having realized the true nature of his
mortal existence and the need to become free from it. He offers all his actions to God without
expectations. Thus, his faith is selfless and free from expectations.

 A rajasic person looks to God to fulfill his desires or achieve worldly ends. He remembers God
when he needs something and makes offerings to him to fulfill his desires. He uses the name of
God to show off his wealth, power or status. His faith is selfish and conditional.

 A tamasic person looks to God with envy and contempt. When he worships, he tries to control
him or manipulate him. During worship or while performing a sacrifice he makes no offerings at
all to God, or makes them with disrespect or in disregard to established norms and rules. He
may also not pay the dues to the priests who perform sacrifices for him. Therefore, his faith is
foolish, vain and delusional.
Sattvic people are rare to find in the world which is dominated by people who are predominantly rajasic
or tamasic. Hence, we have so many problems with our faiths (religions), which divide us and draw us
into conflicts. They are either used by people for selfish ends to gain power or wealth or for perverted
ends to hurt and harm others or to control or manipulate them. The influence of rajas and tamas is why
we have religious extremism and fanaticism in today’s world.

The faith of Is and Is not

In Hinduism, religious faith is not stratified into two rigid categories of whether you believe in the
existence of God or not. You have a whole range of belief systems, each supported by a particular school
of Hinduism, which make it fundamentally different from the religions of the West. They are listed
below.

 God is (Astika)

 God is not (Nastika).

 God is not, but souls are

 God and souls are the same.

 God and souls are different.

 God and Nature are the same.

 God and Nature are different.

 Nature is, Souls are, but God is not

The advantage of faith

Your faith defines you and distinguishes you. It speaks a lot about you, your personality, thinking and
attitude. As part of your belief system, it shapes your life. It helps you overcome your fears and
transcend your limitations. In moments of crisis, faith is your support. When you have faith, you
persevere and continue with your effort, even if the circumstances are against you.

It is not an exaggeration that faith moves mountains. In fact, one person in India, a villager, named
Dashrath Manjh, dug a whole mountain with a hammer for 22 years to create a path for his village
through the hills to a nearby town. Faith helped people to survive the worst of calamities and
adversities. Faith helped nations to sustain through the worst phases of two World Wars. Faith also
connects you to God and helps you establish a deeper communication with him. Without faith it is
difficult to navigate through the problems and uncertainties of life. Faith heals the mind and the body.

Although we are rational people, in many matters concerning our lives we rely upon faith or our beliefs
rather than reason. Since we cannot discern everything and cannot always ascertain truth, we have no
option but to rely upon faith to make sense of the world. Whether we know it or not, many of our
conclusions and opinions about people, relationships, events, situations, and the world in general are
derived from our faith or beliefs rather than facts. Since they are shaped by faith, many times it
becomes difficult to resolve our problems or settle our differences with the help of reason. Faith also
played a significant role in shaping our civilization. On the positive side, it led to many inventions and
discoveries, but on the negative side it led to many wars and large scale destruction.

The crisis of faith

At some point or other, we all experience crises of faith. We may experience doubts about ourselves or
others. We may doubt our methods, relationships, the integrity of people, the paths we have chosen or
the world in which live. When something which we expected to happen did not happen, we may lose
faith in God also or in the scriptures. Many disciples lose faith in their spiritual masters, and some end
up as their bitter critics. When spiritual teachers of great repute are caught in public scandals, it breaks
the hearts of many. Faith sustains hope and keeps people going against odds. When it is shaken, people
feel devastated and betrayed. Their reaction may range from mild to extreme, depending upon how
important it is to them. Some people may even commit suicide or fall into severe depression from which
they may not easily recover.

The world also often suffers from crises of faith. When people lose faith in their leaders or their
governments or their political system it leads to social upheavals, mass protests, civil commotion,
internal wars, and violent revolutions. When they lose faith in their religions or spiritual beliefs, it
impacts their lifestyle choices, values and morals, marital relationships, social and religious issues and
political affiliations. When people lose faith, they lose hope. When they lose hope, they become
irrational and emotional, which in turn lead to other consequences. Whatever faith builds and sustains
in you becomes destroyed when your faith is lost. It is like a part of you is destroyed forever.

Being Faithful

We are at the end of the year and aspire room would like to share their view on faithfulness. Have you
been faithful to yourself, your love ones and those around? Don’t worry because we have 2019 to make
it right, to be faithful with yourself and to others.

Faithfulness sets the right example for your children and others to follow. Being faithful has a positive
effect on your character. That way, you are able to live out your greatness with confidence. Integrity
is important, and it starts by how you live your private life, it gives moral authority. When you are
faithful to yourself, everyone around will identify you as a faithful person, you will be trusted, people
will want to seek your assistance and talk to you because they have confidence in you. It is very
important to be faithful to yourself and to others.

What the bible says about Faithful

Let’s look at what the bible; “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen” Hebrews 11: 1. Faith is the connecting power into the spiritual realm, which links us with God and
makes Him become a tangible reality to the sense perceptions of a person. Faith is the basic ingredient
to begin a relationship with God.
Faithful in Relationships

Now let us look at faithfulness in the marriage or relationships, being faithful means not having sex with
other people. It also means that you refrain from investing romantically in others. This means that all of
your attention, love, respect should be directed toward your partner. It not just about sex, you have to
be faithful with your heart, finance and telling the truth at all times. So, if you lie, you are unfaithful, if
you cheat, you are unfaithful, if you break your promises, you are unfaithful. All these makes a
relationship blurry and shaky which makes faithfulness very important.

What do you need to be faithful?

Read your bible: Read and understand what the word says and practice it for it is the best guide and will
lead you to the right path. Another point is prayer, often and believe. God is always there to listen, he
knows what everyone is going through but you need to pray and talk to be.

Talk to your partner. A true relationship is about more than just sex. Having a strong, open partnership
in which you can talk freely is important to keeping that bond strong. The basis of a good long-term
relationship is more than sexual, It has to be a friendship — it has to be about humour and daily stuff,
so, talk.

 Stay intimate. Physical contact in a strong relationship should involve more than just actual
sex. Intimate touch from stroking hair to massaging to simply holding each other, is key to keeping those
bonds strong. Kiss, massage, and keep those loving hands on each other: This works on basic biological
levels to keep people literally wired to respond to one another, to anticipate each other’s needs, to look
to each other rather than new, unknown partners. But this physical part, sorry to say, always gets
thinner with time. So, we have to make up for it with effort.”

Avoid potential cheating traps. Most men are smart enough to know the potential traps that lead them
down the road to becoming unfaithful. So, if you truly want to avoid that scenario, simply steer clear of
these situations. Avoid meeting alone with anyone that you feel attracted to sexually or romantically
and do not confide personal details to anyone that you may feel attracted to sexually or romantically.
It’s also a good idea to avoid or eliminate ‘friendly’ hugs and kisses. The same goes for new avenues of
cheating, such as online chat rooms.

We will like to hear from you, share your thoughts about faithfulness or being faithful. Don’t forget to
live a faithful life this new season and Happy New Year.