Sunday February 4
“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2, NKJV). To fight and win “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12, NKJV) is crucial for a faithful steward. “Faithful” is what God is and what we are to become through Him working in us. Being faithful means staying true to what we know is right, especially in the heat of spiritual battles.
Spiritual conflicts between right and wrong, good and evil, will surely come. They are part of the fight of faith. The decision that marks stewards in every situation is the choice to be faithful. If you love wealth, be sure to remain faithful to God and what He says about the dangers of the love of money. If you crave fame, remain faithful to what the Word of God says about humility. If you struggle with lustful thoughts, remain faithful to the promises of holiness. If you want power, remain faithful to what God says about being a servant of all. The choice to be faithful or unfaithful is often made in a split second, even if the consequences can be eternal.
Read Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19, and Romans 4:13, 18-21. What do these verses teach us about being faithful?
In Hebrew “faithful” means to trust. The same Hebrew root gives us the word “amen,” and it really means to be “solid” or “firm.” Faithfulness means we have been tested and tried, and have remained firmly committed to God’s plan.
Preparing to speak before the emperor, the Reformer Martin Luther “read the word of God, looked over his writings, and sought to draw up his reply in a suitable form. . . . He drew near the holy Scriptures . . . and with emotion placed his left hand on the sacred volume, and raising his right toward heaven, swore to remain faithful to the gospel, and freely to confess his faith, even should he seal his testimony with his blood.” - J. H. Merle d’Aubigné, History of the Reformation (New York: The American Tract Society, 1846), vol. 2, book 7, p. 260.
Read Revelation 2:10. What should the words about being “faithful unto death” mean to us in our everyday walk with the Lord?
