Faithfulness
Fido the dog has no idea why he is named that. The Marines, however, know very well why Semper Fidelis is so important to them. Each of these terms is related to another term that you know quite well. Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park is so named because it faithfully gushes forth on time and has done so for a long time. Fido the dog is so named because he is faithful to his master. The Marines are “Always Faithful”. And, it is from Old Faithful that we learn the definition of faithfulness.
Faithfulness has always been the standard in God’s sight. Habakkuk 2:3-4 teaches us that “the just shall live by faith”. This verse is quoted again in Hebrews 10:38 immediately before the faith chapter of the Bible—Hebrews 11. It is no wonder, then, that Paul told the Corinthians, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” (II Corinthians 5:7).
The word “faithfulness” has three parts that need to be understood separately. The first part “faith” is the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1). In faith, there is an understanding of a reality that produces confidence because the person accepts it as a reality.
“Faith” is the evidence of things not seen. Faith accepts the available evidence to the point even of offering reproof based on it. The word used here for “evidence” is the same word used in II Timothy 3:16 where Paul said that the word of God is valuable for “reproof”. Because the evidence is so strong, it can be used to offer reproof to one who is in error.
The second part of our word is “ful.” When added as a suffix, it can mean, “full of” as in joyful, “having the qualities of” as in masterful, “the ability or tendency to” as in helpful, or “the quantity that fills to” as in teaspoonful. The third part, “ness”, turns a word into a noun so that it becomes a condition, quality, or state of being. It is that thing.
Now we can put these parts together and understand a definition for faithfulness. It is the condition or quality of having confidence because we have proof that will stand being tested and living in accordance with that evidence. Those who have the confidence of this evidence are willing to live in accordance with that evidence. That is faithfulness.
We know further that God said “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). This makes sense because “God is faithful” (I Corinthians 10:12). Thus, it is for their faithfulness that so many men and women are enshrined in God’s Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11. Some of them are named and others are referred to in ways that tell us about whom God is speaking.
From this list of people at the end of Hebrews 11, we learn the value of faithfulness in our lives. Faithfulness helps us fight difficulties (v. 32-34, 36, 38). Faithfulness helps us foresee rewards (v. 35). Faithfulness helps us face death (v. 37).
Furthermore, Christians must “fight the good fight of faith” (I Timothy 6:12), draw near to God in “full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22), and ask for wisdom from God “in faith” (James 1:6). Truly, faithfulness is the life of a Christian.
— Mike Johnson
