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Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
Author: Jeff Fritsche
The Aim: To consider together the Fruit of the Spirit of Faithfulness
Passage: Matt 16:13-23
Study Questions:
- Hand out the definition sheet on “faithfulness” (see below). Discuss the meaning of this word.
- Where do we see unfaithfulness in our world today? Is this generation driven more by fact or feeling? How does that play out?
- When do you enjoy keeping a commitment? When do you tend to break commitments? When is it not okay to break a commitment? When is it okay?
- Read the following passages out loud and discuss how God was faithful in each one: Deut 7:9, Num 23:19, 2 Tim 2:13, Lam 3:22-23, Ps 36:5, I Cor1:9
- Where do you specifically see God being faithful in your life right now?
- Read John 15:8-17
- What does Jesus mean by “fruit”? What does Jesus desire us to be faithful to according to this passage?
- What makes this difficult for you personally? What makes it easy?
Optional Leaders’ Helps:
Faith πίστις [pistis /pis·tis/] n f. 244 occurrences; Authorized Version translates as “faith” 239 times, “assurance” once, “believe + 1537” once, “belief” once, “them that believe” once, and “fidelity” once. 1 conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it. 1a relating to God. 1a1 the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. 1b relating to Christ. 1b1 a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God. 1c the religious beliefs of Christians. 1d belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same. 2 fidelity, faithfulness. 2a the character of one who can be relied on.[1]
Faith in Galatians 5:22 is from pistis (πιστις) which does not refer here to faith exercised by the saint, but to faithfulness and fidelity as produced in the life of the yielded Christian by the Holy Spirit.[2]
Faithfulness here “describes the man on whose faithful service we can rely, on whose loyalty we may depend, who word we can unreservedly accept. It describes the man in whom there is the unswerving and inflexible fidelity of Jesus Christ, and the utter dependability of God.”[3]
A Quote to consider:
God is true. His Word of Promise is sure. In all His relations with His people God is faithful. He may be safely relied upon. No one ever yet really trusted Him in vain. We find this precious truth expressed almost everywhere in the Scriptures, for His people need to know that faithfulness is an essential part of His divine character. This is the basis of our confidence in Him. But it is one thing to accept the faithfulness of God as a Divine truth, it is quite another to act upon it…. There are seasons in our lives when it is not easy, no not even for Christians, to believe that God is faithful. Our faith is sorely tried, our eyes bedimmed with tears, and we can no longer trace the outworkings of His love. Our ears are distracted with the noises of the world, harassed by the atheistic whisperings of Satan, and we can no longer hear the sweet accents of His still small voice. Cherished plans have been thwarted, friends on whom we relied have failed us, a professed brother or sister in Christ betrayed us. We are staggered. We sought to be faithful to God, and now a dark cloud hides Him from us…When you are tempted to doubt the faithfulness of God, cry out, ‘Get behind me, Satan.’…Wait on God. In His good time He will make His faithfulness plain to you…” (Pink, Arthur, The Attributes of God, pp. 53-54).
A Hymn for Meditation:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Other Passages:
Matthew 25:14-30. What are the qualities of faithfulness described in this parable?I Cor 10:12-13. How was God faithful?
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