Title: Stewardship and Faithful Saints Ephesians 4:15
Fidelity is one of the most important things required of the church today. The church needs people who will not only refrain from lying, but also not hypocrites. Indeed, Paul refers to honesty as an essential component of church growth.
The church's need for honesty is directly related to the needs of the world in which we live. Quite a few outside the church will rejoice and seek to imitate the faith of the faithful, which is the example of the honesty and integrity they aspire to. Today, we would like to share our grace while examining faithfulness at this time.
1. It is a characteristic of faithfulness. In Proverbs 12:22, it says, “False lips are an abomination to the LORD, but he who walks in truth is pleased with him.”
1) Be an honest person. It is essential to know that the biblical concept of faithfulness is rooted in the concept of wholeness: a faithful person is a perfect person. Faithfulness refers to the whole person, and what kind of person
I'm not talking about some features. A faithful person is righteous and honest from beginning to end. He is not only in his heart but also in his outward actions. Psalm 15 celebrates the integrity of the faithful.
We should not deceive others by omitting or obscuring what we ought to say in order to save face or not offend others. Sincerity always requires intentionally speaking truthfully.
2) He is a believer with principles. A faithful person is a person of principle. It must be understood that a person with principles here means more than just a person with principles. It is a matter of following the principles,
It means having the courage to hold on to the belief that you will keep it even when it asks you to make a sacrifice. As the psalmist puts it, a faithful person is the one who does not change the vows he made in his heart, even though it hurts him in Psalm 15:4.
The Bible says that such a person is very difficult to find. Proverbs 20:6 says, “Many boast of their kindness, but who can find a faithful one?” Faithfulness like this is rare, but it is a virtue that must be found in the life of a believer.
2. It is the benefit of fidelity. Proverbs 20:7 says, “The righteous are the ones who walk in perfection, and blessed are their descendants.”
1) It glorifies God. There is no doubt that fidelity is a reward in itself. For it forms a person, and although there is divine intervention, a person determines the course of a person's life in the world.
Moreover, faithfulness will glorify God through His grace forever. The faithfulness of the soul ensures a deep communion with God. God wants truth at the heart.
Psalm 51:6 says, “You desire truth in the heart, and you will make wisdom known in me.” And when there is sincerity, God delights in fellowship with his heart.
A transparent and honest soul is the resting place of the Spirit of God. Fidelity also has external benefits. Because faithfulness also improves the lives of other believers.
2) It represents the charm of the gospel. Faithfulness also reveals the charm of the gospel. It cannot be overemphasized how important this faithfulness is to a generation of believers whose ethical conduct is almost no different from that of the world.
The people of the world are thirsty for the existence of faithfulness somewhere. That is, we must have faithfulness and plant the gospel in them. As we read in the Bible, the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira testify to the importance of faithfulness.
If we live faithful lives, the gospel we preach will arouse interest in people, and many souls who did not believe in the Lord will turn to Christ. Faithfulness is a powerful evangelistic companion.
3. It is a discipline of fidelity. 1 Timothy 6:11-12, “But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness, and fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of eternal life, to which you were called and in the presence of many witnesses. I have testified of good things.”
1) There is a need for training. The desperate need and importance of faithfulness puts one thing on the heart of a serious person. It is a necessity for training. First, we must train ourselves to be honest in everything we say.
The Bible's intent is not to discourage us from joking around with our friends, from jokingly hype, or even from fantasies.
But God's Word requires us to be honest from beginning to end. In order to maintain face or to get along with others, we demand that you never lie or say anything that is obscure that can be interpreted in one way or another.
We must never be indifferent to the truth. We must evaluate our own words.
2) There must be faithfulness in the body. Inherited fidelity should be the goal of every attitude we take. We must train ourselves not to neglect even the so-called “trivial things.”
By “trivial things” here we mean things that are easy to do if we are not careful in our lives. It's usually easy to be insensitive to these little things without feeling guilty.
For example, not following the basic order well or habitually lying. But if you are not faithful in the little things, you will not be faithful in the big things as well. If you make it a habit to be faithful in the little things, the “big things” will go well.
“Beware your actions and you will get a habit, abstain from your habits and you will get a character, take your character, and you will save your own destiny, your family, your church, and the world.”
4. Arrange the words. Only faithful people can be called stewards of God. A faithful person becomes a great tool for spreading the gospel. Faithfulness will be a refreshing drink to quench your thirst in the wilderness of the world full of deceit.
The experience of Ananias and Sapphira tells us that our sincerity has something to do with God. We should live like Job, who said, "Until I die, I will not forsake my innocence" (Job 27:5).
On the day your life ended and you stood before the Lord, the Lord said in Matthew 25:21, “His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. ” he said.
Dear saints, In the name of the Lord, I pray that the saints who can hear these praises from the Lord in the last days have a blessed life.