Column: God not just 100% faithful, he's faithful 100% of time

Over the years he said numerous people would suggest that he should divorce her and “go on with your life.” Each time his answer was: “When we married I made a commitment to be faithful to her ‘until death do us part.’”

Twenty-eight years later his wife came out of her coma and met her 28-year-old daughter for the first time! Faithfulness.

Faithfulness is a rare virtue today in the workplace, in the home, in marriages, and even in the Lord’s church. But the Bible indicates that faithfulness is the key to God’s blessings to the church, your home, your marriage, your finances and even in the workplace.

We can use many words to define faithfulness: reliable, fidelity, firmness, stability. Faithfulness is staying true to someone or something, being trustworthy, being someone who can be counted on.

Do you know anyone who does and says exactly what they say they will do every time? Not most of the time, not even 90% of the time, but every time? How many times have we sung that grand old hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” in church, only to break a promise or fail to fulfill a commitment days or weeks later? John Piper said that faithfulness is better than life.

It’s amazing the benefits of following the path of faithfulness. Faithfulness leads to a life of eternal rewards. It leads to blessings in our life. We promote the Kingdom of God when we are faithful. And we exemplify the character of God through our faithfulness. I Corinthians 1:9 reminds us that “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We face the challenge to remain faithful each day. So my challenge is this: when you are discouraged, remember God’s faithfulness. Remember the great promises of the scripture. Remember how God has answered your prayers. Consider who it is who fights for you.

When you are tempted to sin, remember God’s faithfulness. Remember 2 Thessalonians 3:3: “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” And I Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”

God’s faithfulness is tied directly into the temptations of life that trouble you. Not only is it God’s purpose to deliver you from temptation, but it is His purpose to give you strength to stand up against Satan’s attack.

When you doubt your salvation, remember God’s faithfulness. Sometimes Christians doubt their salvation because they don’t feel good enough. In I John 5:13 we are told, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know you have eternal life.”

When tempted to doubt, remember God always keeps His promises. Meditate on the Cross. Think about the dying form of the Son of God at Calvary and all that He did for you. Let the facts of the gospel be your strength.

We can be faithful because we serve a faithful God. God has always done what He has said He will do. If God says something you can count on it happening. And as the fruit of faithfulness grows in us we will be more and more of a blessing to God and the Kingdom. He is not only 100% faithful, He is faithful 100% of the time.

Emmett Murphy is a retired Christian Church minister. He can be reached at epreach@aol.com.