Fruits Of The Holy Spirit - Faithfulness - Pursuing Intimacy With God

Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – Faithfulness

In our previous studies of the Fruits Of The Holy Spirit, we learned about God’s supernatural Agape Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness. Now we will study the next of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – Faithfulness.

When it comes to faithfulness, there is no comparison between God’s faithfulness and man’s faithfulness. We like to think of ourselves as being faithful to God, but our faithfulness pales in comparison to God’s perfect faithfulness. Without the Holy Spirit and God’s grace, our faithfulness will eventually falter. Only God is perfectly faithful.

The Fruits Of The Holy Spirit

Man’s Faithfulness

The Bible is full of stories and historical accounts of God’s people faltering and being unfaithful. Over and over again in the Old Testament Israel would be blessed by God, and eventually would fall away from Him. One of the dangers of being blessed materially is that it could cause a person to depend less on God. And it often times leads to a person seeking God less. And eventually this leads to falling away from God.

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. – Deuteronomy 8:10-14

God gave this warning because He fully understands people’s hearts. God knows that success, material blessings, and the things of the world can lead people to turn away from Him. God knows that man’s natural faithfulness will falter.

“Because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are numerous. Why should I pardon you ? Your sons have forsaken Me and sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the harlot’s house.” – Jeremiah 5:6-7

God Desires For The Unfaithful To Turn Back To Him

God’s desire is for us to have intimacy and close fellowship with Him. In order to have this we must be faithful and fully devoted to God. Sadly history shows us that this is not naturally in man’s hearts. We are not naturally as loyal and faithful to God as He is to us.

“Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.” – Jeremiah 7:24

Even king Solomon’s faithfulness to God faltered later in his life. No one is exempt from the possibility of becoming unfaithful and falling away from God. We need to recognize our human tendency to become unfaithful, and rely on God’s grace to remain faithful and loyal to Him.

“For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites.” – 1 Kings 11:4-5

“For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant. There they have dealt treacherously against Me.” – Hosea 6:6-7

In God’s word He pleads with His people to return to Him. God desires loyalty and faithfulness to Him, in order that we can have true intimacy with God. Thankfully God is patient and merciful, and will take us back if we will humble ourselves and turn our hearts back to Him.

“‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord; I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord. Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 3:12-13

God’s Faithfulness Is Perfect

God is not only faithful, He is perfectly faithful. God’s love for us will never fail or diminish. Nor will His faithfulness for those who love Him. Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful to His children.

If we sin against God, or turn away from Him, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us if we confess and turn back to Him. If we turn away, God will act in our hearts and lives to try to get us to turn back to Him. Even if it means using discipline and trials to do so.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:9

“if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” – 2 Timothy 2:13

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” – Deuteronomy 7:9

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

“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” – Exodus 34:6

We Need God To Fill Us With Faithfulness

God’s Word and history has shown us that by nature man is naturally unfaithful to God. Our capacity to be faithful pales in comparison to God’s capacity to be faithful.

We need to recognize this and humbly rely on God’s grace in order to give God the love, loyalty, and faithfulness that He deserves. If we humbly ask, God will give us His Holy Spirit and grace so we can truly be faithful to Him.

“Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the Lord our God.” – Jeremiah 3:22

“I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” – Jeremiah 24:7

“and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.” – Jeremiah 32:39

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26

God desires for us to be faithful and loyal to Him. And He will even give us the grace and the Holy Spirit to help us to have soft, humble, and loyal & faithful hearts for Him.

May we be the fully devoted and faithful followers of Jesus that God desires us to be.

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