Faithfulness

I remember preachers pounding the pulpit urging Christians to “be faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10). What does that mean?

Perhaps it is an oversimplification, but you could say that it means that a Christians should not be unfaithful to Christ. (Hmm. Not helpful.)

We understand faithfulness in marriage; it has a twofold meaning. First, the husband and wife both bring to the marriage all that makes marriage a marriage. Second, neither one adds to the marriage something that would pollute the marriage. 

Faithfulness also carries the idea of duration. So, in a marriage, husband and wife commit to each other for the duration of life.

Behind the actions of faithfulness is an attitude of faithfulness. A person intends to be faithful and does not deviate from that intention.

As an illustration, consider…

Many years ago my older sister and I left home at the end of our Christmas break to return to college. There was a blanket of snow on the ground as we began our trip south. Along the way the snow-covered highway became an ice-covered highway. Though driving slowly and carefully, I lost control. We spun around and slid into a ditch, the car pointing north. A kind man in a truck stopped and pulled us out of the ditch. There was no damage to the car and we resumed our journey south to college.

Question: At what point were we headed back home?

• The car slid off the road…heading home?
• The car was pointed north…heading home?
• We were pulled northward out of the ditch…heading home?
• We were a bit shaken up…heading home?

Though we had left the path there was never a point in which we intended to go back home. The mishap and the physical orientation of the car did not indicate a change of heart. Our intentions were always college bound (southbound). In fact, we later pulled off the road intentionally and looked for a place to eat, yet we were still on our way to college.

The illustration simply emphasizes that a person can be faithful to a choice, yet also experience setbacks along the way. Even then, faithfulness has the quality of perseverance and singlemindedness.

In short, faithfulness to Christ means no turning back from one’s choice to follow Christ. Once a devoted disciple to Christ, a Christian never quits, never returns to his former way of thinking and living.

Faithfulness also means, Christ only. There is no room for another Lord. You cannot mix Christianity with another religion or mix in another philosophy or mix in ungodly attitudes and sinful behaviors. The Bible never teaches “Christ…and,” rather, Christ alone.

In the Old Testament God is sometimes described as a jealous God. The Apostle Paul explained:

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

—Ephesians 4:5-6

Faithfulness is ALL Christ,

     ONLY Christ,

          ALWAYS Christ,

               NO MATTER THE COST...Christ.

Mark Stinnett

March 9, 2025