FAITHFULNESS
Reward for the righteous comes at the end of a life of faithfulness. We will study a little later on the subject of apostasy, or falling from grace. In this lesson we want to stress the importance of faithfulness unto God throughout our whole lifetime.

The prize in the race is after the race is finished and we have run it to the end. The writer of Hebrews wrote: “Wherefore seeing that we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Let us run our race with patience that we might lay hold of life eternal.

The Bible Teaches That…
1. WE MUST BE DILIGENT IN OUR SERVICE UNTO GOD. In 2 Peter 1:10 we read: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall; For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

In Hebrews 11:6, we are told that: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Notice especially the last part of the statement – “He is a rewarder of them that diligently see Him.” We then should be diligent in seeking and finding God.

The Bible Teaches That…
2. THE EARLY CHRISTIANS CONTINUED STEADFASTLY. After the people were baptized on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), we find that they “Continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread and prayers” (Acts 2:42).

The person who hopes for a home in heaven will do the same. He will assemble with the saints at every opportunity, worship in spirit and in truth, study his Bible diligently, and do good unto all men. He will do this continually and faithfully so long as he is at all able. This would be faithfulness unto God.

The Bible Teaches That…
3. THE APOSTLE PAUL KNEW THAT HE MUST BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. In his letter to the Philippians (Philippians 3:13), he wrote: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” In this passage of Scripture, Paul states that he had not yet gained victory; but that he was forgetting the past and continuing on that he might gain the prize at the end of the way.

The Bible Teaches That…
4. PAUL ADMONISHED TIMOTHY TO CONTINUE IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT BE SAVED. In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul wrote: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” Notice that Paul instructed Timothy to continue in them, in order that he might be saved.

The Bible Teaches That…
5. PAUL ADMONISHED THE CORINTHIANS TO BE FAITHFUL AND TO BE STEADFAST. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

In this passage of Scripture we notice that they were admonished to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Paul’s desire was for them to continue to be faithful and always abound in the work of the Lord.

The Bible Teaches That…
6. JESUS HIMSELF WAS BUSY ABOUT HIS FATHER’S BUSINESS. In Luke 2:49, we read the account of what Jesus said when they found Him after they had started on their journey and left Him in the temple. He said: “…How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?”

In the gospel according to John, we find Jesus saying: “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Jesus realized that He had a job to do, and He would not be satisfied until He had completed the very thing that His Father wanted Him to do. Certainly, if Jesus was concerned with doing all that the Father wanted Him to do, we also should be concerned. We should go about striving with the utmost of our being, to do the things that please God.

Faithfulness carries with it obedience. We could not be faithful unto God unless we were obedient. We should study the word of God, and then after learning what to do to be a Christian, obey and have remission of sins. Then continue in the grace of God and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:21 -23, the story is told of how two of the men used the talents given of the master in a good way, and when the master returned he said to this one: “Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will now make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

It will be most wonderful indeed if, when we come to the end of life’s pathway, we can lay down on our death bed without fear of resurrection, knowing that when we stand before the Judge, we will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Remember, He can’t call us faithful if we are not faithful, so let us truly be faithful unto death, that we might receive a crown of life

Section 1 - Fill in the blanks.

Question 1
“Be thou _____ unto death and I will give thee a _____.”

Question 2
“Let us lay aside every weight and run with _____ the race that is set before us, looking unto _____ the author and _____ of our faith.”

Question 3
“But without _____ it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must _____ that he is and that he is a _____ of them that _____seek Him.”

Question 4
“And they continued _____ in the apostles’ doctrine and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Question 5
“I count not myself to have _____ but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before, I press toward the _____ for the _____ of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Question 6
“Take heed unto thyself and unto the _____ in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

Question 7
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye _____, unmovable, _____ abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Question 8
“How is it that ye sought me, wist ye not that I must be about my ______.”

Question 9
“I must _____ the _____ of Him that sent Me, the night cometh when no man can _____.”

Question 10
“Well done thou good and _____ servant.”

Section 2 - True or False

Question 1
Reward comes at the end of life, if we are faithful to God.
TrueFalse

Question 2
We must faithful unto death.
TrueFalse

Question 3
We cannot fall from grace.
TrueFalse

Question 4
The early Christians continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers.
TrueFalse

Question 5
We must be steadfast, unmovable, if we want to reap eternal reward of the faithful.
TrueFalse

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