Brothers and sisters, it is so good to be with you again. I want to continue on the theme we began last week. For those who were here, you might remember we spoke about the importance of our own faithfulness—being faithful in the little things, in unrighteous mammon, and in what belongs to another. We saw that when we are faithful, the Lord expands what is in our lives.
But this morning, I want to pivot to the "why". Why does the Lord require this of us? The answer is simple yet profound: Because He is faithful.
In Matthew 5:48, Jesus gave us what is perhaps the most difficult requirement ever spoken to mankind:
"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
This isn't meant to scare us; it is a call to reflect His nature. Just as He is loving, merciful, and compassionate, He is faithful—and He wants us to be the same. In English, "faithful" has the word "faith" in it, just as in Malayalam, vishwasthada contains vishwasam. Essentially, faithfulness is trustability. We serve a God who is completely trustworthy.
As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:12:
"...for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."
Four Ways God’s Faithfulness Strengthens Us
As I studied the New Testament, I found four specific areas where God’s faithfulness provides the strength we need.
1. Strength While Facing Evil
We live in a world where not everyone has faith, and we will encounter perverse and evil men. But we do not have to live in fear.
"But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
The Lord is actively guarding you. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds those who fear Him. The evil one has no power over you that you do not give him, because you are protected by the power of God.
2. Strength to Overcome Temptation
Some people think they can overcome temptation through sheer willpower, but self-belief often leads to a fall. Our strength comes from confessing that God is faithful.
"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, so that you will be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Often, that "way of escape" is simply moving yourself out of the situation. Don't tease yourself with the addictive power of media or compromising environments and expect to stand. When the Lord provides the exit, take it.
3. Strength in Fellowship
Because God is faithful, we can have genuine fellowship with Him and with one another. Hebrews 10:23-24 tells us:
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds..."
In any congregation, we will have different opinions and imperfections. We love one another not because we are perfect, but because Christ loved and forgave us in our unloveliness. We need the "superpower" of forgetfulness—forgetting grievances and hurts so we aren't nailing our feet to the ground while trying to follow the Lord.
4. Strength to Sanctify and Keep Us Blameless
Your salvation involves a single moment of redemption, but it is followed by a lifelong process of sanctification. While we may still stumble, a true walk with Christ means sinning less and less as the days go by.
"God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)
He is the one who will confirm you to the end, blameless. He is renewing your mind and spirit, even as we put the corrupt nature of our flesh to death daily. Every difficult relationship or ego-crushing moment is an opportunity to experience the death of Christ so that His life can be revealed through you.
Final Assurance
I want to leave you with this: this walk is not an impossible task. Why? Because:
"Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
When you face challenges this week, don't say "I can do it." Say, "The Lord is faithful, and He will do it". It is Christ who lives in us, and we live this life by faith in the Son of God.