Chapter 12: Faithfulness

Colossians 1:2

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To the saints or “holy ones,” and faithful brethren, those who remain steadfastly loyal to the truth.

Faithfulness is constant, unshakeable loyalty to God’s Word. These are the ones who are counted worthy to carry the gospel and lead the people of God. This faithfulness or loyalty factor is a commandment that will not be ignored in the Day of Judgment.

1. Loyalty is unwavering in bad times or times of suffering. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17). This means those who are loyal to Christ do not allow circumstances, situations or even relationships with others, to change their affections for righteousness.

The birthing of the brethren in Christ includes adversity. We are appointed to suffer with Him as Paul taught in 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10; So that we ourselves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure. As I have attempted to explain many times in my writings to the Church, Paul had a revelation of Christ in us, the hope of glory; which seemed to be much deeper and more detailed than any of the other disciples. In his writings to the Thessalonians he is not timid in declaring the sons of God as suffering servants.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Therefore, we will bear the marks of Christ in our own flesh as a manifest token of our love and loyalty to Christ Jesus.

2. Faithfulness is a disposition of the heart. Thus, those who are loyal to Christ and the truth of the gospel willingly become suffering servants and are never reluctant in their stance for righteousness.

Psalm 78:7-8

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

3. Faithfulness is manifested in the things we do, not necessarily the things we say. This point is illustrated in the relationship Peter had with Jesus before his conversion. (Matthew 26:33-35 and 26:69-75)

THE DISLOYALTY OF JOAB

David gave charge to all his generals that his son Absalom was not to be killed in the battle.

2 Samuel 18:9-15

9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

Joab was David’s right hand man. He commanded the entire Israeli army. However, he had a problem with doing the exact will of the king unless he saw some personal benefit in it for himself. Abner, David’s general sided with Absalom in the beginning but realized the Lord was with David and desired to make peace with him. He came to David’s encampment and conceded to bring the Elders of all the tribes to a peace accord with the King. David knew that Abner’s heart was pure and sent him away in peace. But because Abner killed one of Joab’s brothers in one of the battles with Absalom’s forces, Joab, rebuked David for having sent him away in peace and went after him and slew the young man. (2 Samuel 22-28).

When David made peace with Amasa, who was once Absalom’s general, Joab went behind David’s back and slew the man. (2 Samuel 20:9-10).

All that Joab did seemed to be in the best interest of the nation of Israel and his love for David. However, God has a way of revealing the unfaithfulness and disloyalty of the heart in ways that cannot be denied. Therefore, when Adonijah, Absalom’s brother, rose up against the aged King David and declared himself to be king instead of Solomon whom the Lord had chosen, Joab sided with Adonijah and was slain for his disloyalty; (1 Kings 1:7).

In your study time, read the following reference scriptures that reveal to us the operations of the faithful.

• Faithfulness can be demanding. (Exodus 17:8-13)
• Faithfulness may involve sacrifice. (2 Chronicles 11:13-16)
• Faithfulness to the Lord will be rewarded. (Psalm 84:10-11) When this Psalm says “those whose walk is blameless” it refers to Genesis 17:1 when the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him “walk with me and be blameless” meaning that Abraham would receive the Lord’s promises if he was faithful and obedient.
• Disloyalty will be punished. Because Edom deserted Israel in its time of need, “I will bring you down,” said the Lord. (Obadiah 1:4- 14, especially verses 4 and 11)

The Lord is attempting to bring us to the truth regarding that which is expected of the sons. But these expectations are not foreign to us if we are allowing Christ to live His life through us.

Before we go any further in this discussion of loyalty and faithfulness let us examine its application in the Church among those who are brothers and sisters in the Faith. The big question is, “When is it righteous to withdraw from a brother or sister who may find themselves caught in a web of sin?” When I put this question before the Lord the first thing He said to me was, “deal with the hypocrisy in my people first.” Therefore, I want to tell you a story that I think really illustrates the necessity of remaining faithful to the Word of God.

JENNY IN THE CHURCH

Sister Jenny was once a very skillful prostitute before her salvation. She came into the Church with great expectations of serving the Lord. She served as head of an auxiliary board that had 20+ other members. She was faithful to her responsibilities and much loved by her peers. However, after a while she fell into diverse financial strains. Now having been a prostitute, she was quite aware if a man was attracted to her. Therefore, she was able to have relationships with several of the brothers in the Church, some of whom were married; but were very generous in giving to her financial needs. This continued for several years.

However, the word of the Lord finally convicted sister Jenny and she desired to repent of her sins, but never felt God had forgiven her, even though she had ceased from doing such things. She felt condemned every time she came to Church and had to look in the faces of those she had been with or to sit among the wives whom she had deceived. She wanted to leave the Church but didn’t know where to go to find such a word as she was receiving.

Finally, she gained enough courage to go to the shepherd, Pastor Bob, for counsel. In that session she confessed her sins and pleaded with the Elder to help her to find peace in God again. Pastor Bob was moved with compassion and assured her God had heard her cry and seen the disposition of her heart. He insisted she go forth in the knowledge God had forgiven her. He said peace would come into her heart when she allowed herself to believe God could forgive her without exiling her from the flock. In fact, he went on to say that she was that sheep which had gone astray whom the Lord went to find. But when he found the lamb he brought it back and placed it among the rest of the sheep. Pastor Bob individually rebuked the brothers who had been involved with Jenny and dealt with each of them according to their spiritual response. Other than that he never spoke to anyone else about the incident. He continued to pray for Jenny Pastor Bob’s words were comforting and reassuring. Jenny was able to find the peace of God again. Over the next few months she began to fellowship with the Lord like never before. She became more fervent in her work on the Missionary Board which she headed up. She instituted discipleship in the lives of the other workers and it was evident they were moving spiritually in Christ.

Nevertheless, someone brought it to the attention of the Board that Jenny had been involved with several men in the Church. The board was outraged; especially since a couple of the women on the board had husbands who were involved in the sin. The news traveled throughout the Church and into the community. When confronted, Jenny confessed her sin to the Board and the Church, begged their forgiveness, but refused to name those with whom she was involved. She was determined not to expose these men whom she knew Pastor Bob had already dealt with. Therefore, neither the Church nor the community ever knew the names of all the men with whom she had slept.

But tempers ran high and demands were made to the Pastor of that Church. Some wanted her Missionary license revoked, while others wanted her to be ex-communicated. Everyday was filled with unsavory remarks about the Church and its practices. Some people resigned their membership after hearing about the incident. When it seemed that public opinion had become overwhelmingly negative, Pastor Bob conceded and revoked Jenny’s missionary license and expelled her from the board. She was silenced and forbidden to do any form of ministry in that Church. Jenny tried to submit to the judgment of the leader though she could not understand why Pastor Bob had turned on her after having been so encouraging. Jenny left the Church and went into another ministry that supported her gift; and she went on to become God’s champion for winning the souls of women of the streets.

Beloved, the question here is, “When one who sins against God and His people repents in his or her heart and ceases from sin, where is their place in the body?” It seems to be the general consensus that wherever they were before, they are no longer to occupy that position regardless of their repentant heart.

The Lord said to me, “Teach my people that they must be loyal to the truth. My word is truth.” Therefore, it behooves us to look into the word of God to see what His instructions are in such cases.

Galatians 6:1

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

1Timothy 5:19-22

19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

Matthew 18:15-17

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

The view of the Lord is very clear in this matter. He instructs the faithful (ye which are spiritual) among us to go to the overtaken brother and restore him. He, however, does not want us to do this being presumptuous, but he instructs us to do so in a spirit of meekness considering the fact that we might one day fall. If the brother takes heed to counsel then indeed we have gained our brother. The Father does not have an issue embracing the prodigal son, but what is most important to Him is he is back in the house. God is a discerner of the heart, and his judgments are based on that which he discerns. True repentance is to turn from one’s sins; this, however, exceeds lipservice, it extends to the actions of the individual. Once the heart is broken and contrite before the Lord in repentance, He will forgive and treat them as if they have never sinned. However, this is in some cases a hard thing for the Church to embrace, but why is this so? Sister Jenny no doubt had sinned, however she had repented before the Lord and before man, fulfilling all righteousness. She was free in the knowledge God had forgiven her and was moving on in ministry. Those of whom she shepherded had witnessed the ministry of Christ through her, by their own spiritual growth. If there was any doubt in her mind concerning her forgiveness, God Himself justified her by allowing her ministry to flourish and have an effectual work in the lives of His people. However, when knowledge of her sin came to surface, Sister Jenny was no longer seen as the minister of Christ but as a traitor of the Faith. There are several things to be observed here.

THE FALL OUT OF THE CHURCH

The Lord said to me; “Do you think fall out is random?” Many have come across situations where the sin of a leader affects the Church and causes some to fall out, but consider the mind of God in this:

Colossians 1:18

And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Ephesians 4:15-16

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The scriptures declare that Christ is the head of the Church and it is by Him the whole body is joined together. Meaning that the members of the body are His responsibility. For example, one may be hired by the CEO of a company and supervised by another. However, if the supervisor mistreats that person, the complaint is not to the supervisor but to the CEO who is the head of the company.

Likewise, Christ is the head of the Church. He has a personal obligation to every member of the body; it is by and through Him that all the gifts work. The working of the gift is the work of Christ in the lives of the saints. Therefore, if a pastor decides to deny the gifting by being unfaithful in his walk, has his unfaithfulness denied Christ of His responsibility to the sheep? The answer is no. God has a responsibility to ensure the safety of the souls of His flock and has already designed a path to that safety. We must embrace the fact that nothing happens by chance in the lives of the saints, but all things are ordered by the Father. The exodus that follows the sin of a leader is not a coincidence, it is the doing of God. By this I do not mean God took them out of the Faith, but rather He tried the hearts of each individual and they responded accordingly. It was not by chance that Jenny’s sin came to light months after her deliverance, however, it caused the true spiritual location of the individuals affected to be exposed. In truth, the sin of a leader, or any person should have no effect on your personal relationship with God. Any true leader of Christ points the people to God and not to themselves; so if they sin, the seeds of the Faith they have planted and watered in the people should be sufficient for them to pour out grace in return. If the sin of a sinner has no effect on our spiritual walk why should the sin of a saint cause us to leave the Faith?

Shouldn’t the knowledge of the sin create a great compassion in our hearts seeing the leader has decided to deny God and sin willfully? It is manifest that our Christian walk did not have a foundation of Christ, but rather one of comfort and morality. Our walk would have been dependent on suitable conditions and not truly a selfless walk. Our resolve was not according to the will of God, but we rather reserved a disclaimer preventing those we uphold as “spiritual” to ever offend us. The fall of the leader equates to the fall of our fellowship with the Father, and we allow offense to thrive in our hearts. The obligation God has to his Sons becomes futile in our eyes, because in truth the fallen leader was our god.

However, God’s response to this situation is not a surprise. The Father is aware of sin before anyone else knows. The Father knows those who are His, and they will love the brethren as themselves. Our spiritual walk is never dependent on anything but our own choices. No one can make us sin, or fall away; not even the devil has that power. It is a conscious decision for the saints to sin, therefore, if their response to sin is contrary to that of the Father’s, it was a personal choice. It is without doubt, that God will chastise His leaders for their faults, He will not however blame them for your sin. When saints fall out of the Faith because of another’s sin, they do so by their own pride and selfishness, because they override the Holy Spirit who seeks to recover and restore the fallen.

In Jenny’s case when the people had gained knowledge of her sin they responded negatively with harsh comments. Their hearts were discouraged and they desired that she should be exiled from the Church. However, if God’s emotions towards the situation were to forgive and restore her, why did the Church desire to cast her out? Also considering the fact that months had passed and they could not deny Christ was working with and through her. He had manifested His forgiveness by His working in her life. Why then does the revelation of her past have such a crippling effect? The offense that the knowledge of her sin had caused, was simply a manifestation of a lack of love. God had defined His righteousness in the situation and it was forgiveness. However, in this case, the “righteousness” of the Church was judgmentalism. We have to be faithful to truth, and His word is truth. Paul makes known in the book of Hebrews that God had anointed Jesus because He loved righteousness and hated iniquity (Heb 1:9). This must be the sentiments of the Church. Our faithfulness to the truth cannot simply be in deed but it must also be the expression of our hearts. We must love righteousness and hate iniquity. The word must be made flesh in us, and our actions follow as an expression of that love. However, in this case, the Church had formed their own righteousness and deemed their judgment just. They had not fulfilled the righteousness of God. What makes this hypocritical is the judgment is made in the name of Christ, when in reality it is the retaliation of an offended heart. The scripture establishes how sin is to be dealt with in the Church. Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. The Lord has reserved a space for repentance. He establishes the fact that if the brother takes heed to the counsel of the brethren, they have gained him. The word gained refers to the fact that this brother is no longer seen as a bastard in the eyes of the Lord and his presence is of benefit to the Kingdom once more. He is free from the condemnation that the sin caused, and is once again accepted in the beloved. But if our response is to condemn without a chance, God has allowed this situation to reveal our spiritual location. It has revealed that we have placed that particular brother in an unlawful position in our hearts (idolatry), setting them as a standard of Christ rather than Christ Himself. It also reveals that our fellowship with God is dependent on favorable conditions. Our righteousness was dependent on the fact that our brother walked righteously, it was not based on our love for God. If it was based on our love for God, we would have experienced God’s emotions concerning the situation which is to restore in love and to intercede on their behalf, but the offense manifests that we are not walking in His spirit.

Matthew 18:16-17

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Here is the stopping point for the Father. If he neglect to hear the Church, cut him off from the Church. The mind of the Father in this is that the brother has by himself severed himself from the body by neglecting to hear it. It was not that Christ was not merciful and loving, but he has cut himself off by choice and hence has denied Jesus Christ. Such a one has taken on the spirit of anti-Christ and to that one let him be unto us as a heathen man. He is no longer revered as a part of the body of Christ because he has denied it. This may not always equate to reprobation however, in one instance Paul described this as a turning over to Satan, so that peradventure the soul might be saved.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. God has revealed His mind to us concerning sin in the Church. It is however no deep revelation, God is love and we are as He is. God has allowed us to be High Priests, mediators and intercessors. He has allowed us to be touched with the feeling of the infirmities of others, because we are also touched ourselves. We have been clothed in a body and have been left open to the temptations of this world. We know God’s way may not always be satisfying to the flesh, therefore we being touched ourselves with infirmity have compassion on others. We take this compassion into intercession and place ourselves as a shield between that soul and the enemy and as a bridge between them and God. It is an awesome privilege the Lord has given us, but it can only be exercised in love.

THE WANTONNESS OF PASTOR BOB

I can hear the voice of Paul saying to Pastor Bob, ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? Once again the Lord is establishing His word: fellowship requires faithfulness. Faithfulness will sometimes require you to suffer, lose reputation and respect amongst the brethren and even amongst the heathen. It may strip you of everything you once built as a name for yourself and leave you bear and without a following. But the heart of the faithful cries out to the Lord, “thy will be done”.

Pastor Bob had experienced the emotions of God, he noted that God had compassion. He followed spiritual protocol, rebuking each party involved and restoring them to a place of fellowship with the Father. His compassion led him not to disclose the information to anyone else, but His heart was to protect her ministry. He was led to intercede on her behalf, praying for her strength while also ensuring to encourage her. He had noted God had forgiven and forgotten her sin. However, when it was revealed to the public, his faithfulness to righteousness was tested. He had now been made subject to public lashing. Sister Jenny, the Church and he himself were under attack and much persecution. Pastor Bob allowed the controversy to cause him to forget the emotions of the Spirit he had experienced before. The wantonness in his heart caused him to respect his image higher than God.

The truth is Pastor Bob had an agenda that he placed before the Word of God. His agenda was to be seen as good, and this desire superseded righteousness. His lust for approval and ministry caused him to cast aside that which was precious to the Father. He forgot all the work God had done through Sister Jenny; but even if he never forgot, his assessment of the situation was that the burden of righteousness was too great. He looked at the requirement of faithfulness and judged it impractical. He allowed himself to be affected by the scrutiny of others even though the Father had already proven her vindicated. Persecution became his offense and it caused his eyes to be darkened; causing him to forget the fact that God had allowed the situation in the first place and is well able to glorify Himself in the midst. Pastor Bob allowed the pressures of persecution to bewitch him, that he should not obey the truth. He became a pleaser of men rather than a pleaser of God.

Faithfulness requires trust. If we are shaky in the fact that God is a rewarder of righteousness we will never be faithful. The Lord has assured us He will never give us more than we can bear. We can bear it because we have put on Christ. He is the suffering servant in us, but we are also in Him and in Him is righteousness, peace and joy. He has given us a Comforter that allows us to face trying circumstances, but in the midst of them we have unfathomable peace. His Comforter is an assurance to us that we can obey Him. His word assures that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. If we endure persecution, blessing our offenders, God will in turn bless us openly. He wants us to be sure of His promises. His desire is that we never forsake righteousness for the comfort of the flesh. You must be sure you are not trying to protect the image of your Church and your personage at the expense of cutting your sister or brother out of the body.

When the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery was brought to Jesus, he did not stagger or stumble in his judgment because the whole town knew of her sin. Instead he remained loyal to the purpose of God in His life. He looked upon this broken, helpless creature, whom everyone wanted to kill, and He forgave her. His forgiveness was manifested in the words, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus did not allow “PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE” to become a god that He must bow down to. He trusted the grace found in love and compassion to be enough to influence the repentant heart of the offender.