Faithfulness Is Important
I like my truck. When I go out to get in it, it starts right up and takes me where I desire to go. I think we would call this truck faithful.
However, there have been times when I go to start it and it does nothing. These times are frustrating to say the least. I venture to say that many of you can identify with this when it comes to your own vehicles. It’s at these times we have to have a mechanic look at it and then repair it for us—unless we just decide to trade it in for another one.
We want the things in our lives to be faithful to us, whether it is a vehicle, spouses, children, or anything else. And this is the way our God desires we are to Him—faithful. He doesn’t want us to be lax in our service to Him. And the Scriptures tell us in many places that this must be a part of our lives to Him.
In the Galatian church we see false teachers who were leading the brethren astray. Paul would say to them, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4 (NASB) These were Christians. They had done all that was required to become a child of God. It’s not like they were alien sinners who had never believed and obeyed Jesus and the Apostles teaching.
Later Paul would add, “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:7 Did you notice that Paul said the church was not obeying the truth? They were expected, as are all of us, to be faithful in our obedience to Christ. This obedience is not just for a limited amount of time, but for all of our lives.
Paul also told the Corinthians this in 1 Corinthians 10:12. In that passage he stated, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Here Paul told them there was a possibility that they could fall. They could lose their salvation if they did not remain faithful.
And it was Jesus who told the church at Smyrna to “...Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10b How long were they to remain faithful? Until the day that they died. And that is what our Lord expects of us today as well. Over and over again we hear these words as we read through the Holy Scriptures.
Our spiritual lives and obedience that we give to Jesus is much more important than my truck. Let’s make sure we are putting the Lord and His will first in our lives. As we do this we will one day live with Jesus through all eternity.