“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: …faithfulness…”

                                                                                                                           Galatians 5:22a

 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3

It's time for faithfulness!

It’s amazing how easy it is to be “unfaithful.” The world swings from one way of thinking to another with no commitment to what was once believed. We call it being “open-minded,” but it’s really a lack of faith that what we believe is “the truth, and nothing but the truth.”

Our initial “saving faith” is a gift. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (emphasis mine). Following our salvation, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives continues to produce in us the ability to remain faithful. We have faith that Jesus saved us, and we now are faithful to that relationship.

Above, the verse from Jude reminds us that there will always be people and things that call to us to be unfaithful. The concept of infidelity, or unfaithfulness, comes from not being sold out. It’s allowing a lee-way for thoughts that would cause us to question our commitment. In our old way of doing and thinking about things, it was “normal” to entertain those thoughts, to be on the lookout for the next best thing! That is why our “new creature” way of thinking includes Holy Spirit produced faithfulness! It is the ability to remain faithful to what we believe in, without wavering.

As with everything, there is a maturation process that takes place in a Christian’s life. That process is also evidenced in the “sections of fruit” we display. As we mature, this Holy Spirit produced fruit also matures. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:14 that there comes a time when “We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” That’s the result of fully matured faithfulness. The pull of other things becomes less and less.

As we’ve looked at all the “fruit sections” being used for witnessing to those around us, to reproduce and “make disciples,” there is a chorus that says it well about faithfulness.

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful;

May the fire of our devotion light their way.

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey.

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.

My prayer is that we reach the level of maturity that Paul talks about, so that we're not getting “spiritual whiplash” from checking out the newest teachings or considering compromise. We need to stand firm and earnestly contend for what we know to be true: There is only One Way to heaven, and it’s by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of our sins. We need to produce a persuading faith!

Reminder: We are known by our fruits… (Matthew 7:16a)