Faithful, But Why?
QUESTION
There are something like 73 verses in the bible encouraging Christians to stay faithful. If there is no eternal damnation or if there are no way a person can fall from grace, why were they printed? Why was Jesus warning the 7 churches in Revelations to straighten up?
ANSWER
Let me address that by breaking it down.
There are something like 73 verses in the bible encouraging Christians to stay faithful.
I don’t doubt it. There are 78 verses in the bible that use the word “faithful.” While many of them have reference to God, many speak of man as well. There are 11 verses that use the similar term “steadfast” as well as many other verses that speak to the principle of faithfulness related to man without invoking the specific terminology. Suffice it to say, we agree “faithfulness” is a major exhortation directed toward man in the bible.
If there is no eternal damnation or if there are no way a person can fall from grace why were they printed?
Embedded in this question is the presupposition: “If faithfulness does not serve the purpose of eternal salvation, then it serves no purpose at all.” This line of reasoning “begs the question” by including an unwarranted assumption into the way the question is constructed. Simply put, the presupposition that “If faithfulness does not serve the purpose of eternal salvation, then it serves no purpose at all,” is demonstrably false. There are many biblical reasons to be faithful and none of them have anything to do with how one obtains or maintains the eternally saving grace of God. Consider the following examples:
“And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be FAITHFUL to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.” (Acts 16:15)
Here we see that faithfulness in religious duty is used for the purpose of establishing credibility in other matters, namely, to persuade Paul and those accompanying him to abide with Lydia for a time while in Macedonia. Whatever else might be said of the purpose of “faithfulness,” this example demonstrates that it has a purpose outside the domain of eternal salvation. This example alone is sufficient to demonstrate that the presupposition embedded in the original question is false. To make that point more evident let’s look at some additional examples.
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found FAITHFUL. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.” (I Corinthians 4:1-3)
Here FAITHFULNESS is used as a qualification for stewardship.
“Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, FAITHFUL in all things.” (I Timothy 3:11)
Here FAITHFULNESS is cited as a needful attribute of a deacon’s wife.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist STEDFAST in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (I Peter 5:8-9)
Here STEDFASTNESS serves the purpose of protection against the ever-present threat of the devil himself. So these examples demonstrate that FAITHFULNESS serves many purposes that have nothing to do with how one obtains or maintains an eternally saving state of grace.
Stated another way, FAITHFULNESS requires action from the participant and any truly FAITHFUL act is a work of righteousness. Paul taught that we are saved, “not by works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5). It follows that FAITHFULNESS plays no participatory role in how man either obtains or maintains the eternally saving favor of God. Eternal salvation is conferred upon him purely by the grace of God, not because of some requisite FAITHFULNESS, but in spite of man’s lack of FAITHFULNESS. That’s grace.
Why was Jesus warning the 7 churches in Revelations to straighten up?
Because “straightening up” has many potential benefits that have nothing to do with determining man’s eternal destiny. Avoiding the chastening rod of God toward one of his beloved sons is one reason. Consider:
“He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge HIS PEOPLE. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:28-31)
Many take this verse to be speaking of eternal damnation toward those who are FAITHLESS with respect to the moral law. But the text is speaking of HIS PEOPLE. It is speaking of the potentially devastating consequences of rebelling against God in this lifetime. There are many examples of God’s people who were severely punished for their lack of FAITHFULNESS:
David had his whole family set against him. (II Samuel 12:10)
Lot lost everything and ended up in a cave. (Genesis 19:29-30)
Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. (Deuteronomy 32:51-52)
Corinthians were sick and some died. (I Corinthians 11:27-30)
The list could be greatly multiplied, but these are sufficient to demonstrate the great need for God’s people to remain faithful so that they may avoid the temporal ruin that may accompany the chastisement of God.
- Elder Daniel Samons