Galatians 5 22 23 But the fruit of

Galatians 5: 22 -23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. 22

“Faithfulness” in Greek is pistis Ø Used for “faith” or “faithfulness” Ø Holding on to a firm belief or trust Ø Having veracity (fullness of truth) Ø “Reality”… Believe & am Believable

Psalm 145: 13 Hebrews 10: 23 “The LORD is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. ” “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. ”

Lamentations 3: 22 -23 22 “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ”

Proverbs 3: 3 -4 3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. ”

It becomes very clear, as we look upon our world, the deep damage that faithlessness has done to the wide variety of our social institutions: Ø Politics / Work Ø Neighbor / Community Ø Friends & Family Ø Romance & Marriage

3 Qualities help form the Biblical ideal of Faithfulness 1. ) Absolute Honesty 2. ) Utter Dependability 3. ) Unswerving Loyalty

Faithful people are called to walk in absolute honesty; in speech and in actions, within every area of their lives.

We can easily give ourselves permission to tell “white lies” or “half-truths” when its convenient. But… throughout Scripture God is referred to repeatedly as being both faithful and true. Shouldn’t the same be true of any of us who follow Him?

John 8: 46 Jesus asked, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? ” ---------------------------- Luke 16: 10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. ”

Faithful people are called to be utterly dependable; not corrupt or negligent in their responsibilities at work or in their close relationships.

Daniel 6: 4 “The administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ”

Faithful people are called to be unswervingly loyal in their meaningful relationships. The other “fruit of the Spirit” help us greatly here.

Proverbs 17: 17 Proverbs 27: 6 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. ” “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but an enemy multiplies kisses. ”

Luke 18: 8 “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith (or faithfulness) on the Earth? ” ----------------Jesus repeatedly stated his plans to reward our faithfulness when he returns to Earth.

Matthew 25: 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

In what areas is the Holy Spirit challenging you to become more faithful & faith-filled? Are you honest? Are you dependable? Are you loyal? Do you trust God and so become trustworthy?

“The degree of our faithfulness is the direct result of our regard for God’s faithfulness. - Beth Moore