Foundation For Faithfulness

Robert F. Turner

In order to cur the favor of God, one must be faithful to His cause and devoted to His principles. Christ "became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:8-9). John wrote, "be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev 2:10).

The Bible term for faithful indicates a trust or confidence in God. One manifests such a trust in obedience to God, the object of his mental confidence. This idea is beautifully illustrated in Hebrews 11:6, where the writer declares that a man must not only "believe that he is" (that is, be convinced of His being), but must also trust unhesitatingly in the fact that He is "rewarder of them that diligently seek him." And so, our faithfulness to God is seen in the conviction of His being and in the performance of that which He has assigned, believing that He is fully able to provide all that He has promised as the reward for faithfulness.

There are certain underlying factors which bring about faithfulness, and the obvious failure of some to obtain or maintain these conditions is tire primary cause for most of our unfaithfulness.

Love for God. To know God is to love Him, and His great and abiding love for us is a magnificent and wonderful thought to contemplate. The fact that He loved us "while we were yet sinners" is grand to ponder. And what of His marvelous character? Consider His care; muse upon His mercy; reflect upon His righteousness; meditate upon His mystery; study His salvation; and chances are very good that you will not only choose Him as your sovereign, but that you will be greatly motivated to faithfully dedicate your life in service to Him. Love for God is the very foundation for faithfulness.

Love for souls. The soul of man is his most precious possession. Its care should occupy the very highest place on our list of things to which we attend. The Bible teaches that in order to be faithful we must care for not only our own soul, but for the souls of others as well. And while soul winning is not the only responsibility of the faithful, it deserves a high place when considering what is and what is not important. Sin is the common enemy of mankind and the faithful person so realizes the fact that he is vitally interested in the remission of sin for both his own soul and the soul of others. (See Prov. 11:30)

Love for truth. A faithful man will seek after truth simply because he has come to realize that truth and voraciousness are the identifying marks of faithful men. He knows that the truth is that which dispels doubt, retards prejudice, quiets anxiety, instills hope, and, ultimately, saves souls. Without truth no man could be faithful, for he could not know if and when he is going the right way. Truth and faithfulness are inseparable, though one is cause and the other effect. Truth produces faithfulness, and would be unnecessary only if faithfulness was not demanded.

Let us strive to be faithful by knowing and loving God, His truth, and the souls of men. -- Dee Bowman

Robert F. Turner has released the Plain Talk to the Public Domain. Following his initiative and desire, all material on this page is also released to the Public Domain. This includes content, as well as graphics, formatting, and styling. Brother Turner wants his material to help as many Christians and lost souls as possible. Therefore, we offer no restriction, so that we may facilitate the broadest possible circulation for the greater good.