The Fruit of Faithfulness

At the girls group home that I do bible study at, we each have a bracelet with a fruit of the spirit on it. Each week, we trade and focus on a new fruit. Although I know that it is the Spirit who produces the fruit, we have seen the Lord's hand in orchestrating who gets which bracelet. For some of the girls, this has been a more "fruitful" activity than for others. I have already been very blessed by it. I think I drew "patience" EVERY WEEK (seriously, this is no exaggeration) since we started before Christmas until this past week. Does the Lord have a purpose? Definitely. Does he have a sense of humor? Without a doubt. Pretty soon I found out that I had to have patience with my patience bracelet because I was so tired of it rearing it's ugly patient head. Whenever I would feel overwhelmed, the Lord in his faithfulness would bring a scripture to mind about patience, and inevitably it was a verse speaking of HIS patience with me. Because of his great patience, I am not consumed. Glory to His Name!! The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, but he is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to have eternal life. Amazing. Slowly he reminds me and conforms me to the likeness of his Son.

This past Saturday, I graduated to a new bracelet. "Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles!" (I think in real life we really can break into song regularly, I'm having a flashback of our Fiddler on the Roof 8 track) I have moved on to faithfulness. I have to admit, I was at a bit of a loss as to what this means. I can recall many verses about HIS faithfulness, (If we are faithless, He is faithful, etc.) but I couldn't recall any about believers faithfulness.

True to my nature, I looked it up. God bless Internet bible search tools. Because I have been experiencing certain circumstances which require me to stand in the face of persecution for the TRUTH of God's Word, I was not surprised to see what showed itself though my search. Because God is faithful, this is what he told me this week, "It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth."(3 John 1:3).

The faithfulness he is showing me is faithfulness to the truth; commitment to walking in the truth in the face of slander and backstabbing and false gospels.

As the end approaches, we are told to expect a falling away. We are told that many will be deceived and will turn to what their itching ears want to hear. May those who have ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says about these times. Remain faithful to the one gospel taught in the bible.

It is a gospel of truth spoken in love. Not love at the expense of truth. Love that is Godly. The bible says that God disciplines and rebukes those he loves. That if we are not disciplined, we are illegitimate children. People are not truly saved without the conviction of sin and the truth of the depravity of our own humanity. When we properly see ourselves in light of a holy God, the only choice we have is to confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Messiah, and we will be saved. Not by works, not by praying a prayer, but by BELIEVING in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for our SINS.

Sins. The new 4 letter word in Christianity.

"Come on now Kacey," you complain, "You Christians say that you "hate" things. How can you say you "hate" anything if you follow God? Isn't God LOVE?"

How can I say this? Because God does. Because he is love, he hates what is evil. We are to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Hate sin. Flee immorality. Avoid every hint of it. ANY HINT. Why? Because we are the representation of GOD on this earth. We are his BODY.

So what is love?

The Messiah I know is a savior who ate with sinners. He showered love and respect and attention on the least of society: the tax collector, the adulterous woman, the prostitute. He came to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted. To proclaim freedom for the captive. Why did he keep such company? Because the sinners knew how deep their sin lived, they experienced the breadth of their redemption because they realized the depth of their depravity. Jesus told the woman who wept on his feet, washing them with expensive perfume and her hair, that her faith had saved her. She could love much, because she had been forgiven much.

The TRUE GOSPEL is not one without love. It is not the self righteous Pharisaical bull horn turn or burn gospel. It is also not one that says you can live like the world and be saved. It is through a narrow gate and on a narrow path that we are saved. Broad is the way that leads to destruction. Jesus saves. Jesus loves. Jesus came as a lamb lead to the slaughter. Jesus is coming as a lion to judge the nations. This is the truth. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (I like this verse lately.)

And so, may the Lord grow in me the fruit of faithfulness. Faithfulness to his truth, the uncompromising gospel of love that is just and requires that we turn from our sinful nature and become children of the day who walk in the light.

Come quickly Lord.