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Faithfulness in the Home Said, in Order Is to Please God

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Faithfulness in the Home Said, in Order Is to Please God The HOME where the Faithfulness Spirit dwells “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, In the Home joy, peace, pa­­tience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle- ness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23) (Galatians 5:22, 23a). In this era of easy divorces and broken which pleases God. A family might maintain homes, we search desperately for an answer to a fairly pleasant home without acknowledging questions like “How can my marriage last?”; the existence of God or without the presence of “How can my home be happy?”; “How can fam- Christ. However, without faithfulness, it is im- ily relationships be fulfilling?” The answer to all possible for a family to have a home which these questions lies in the people who inhabit pleases God and is favored by Him (see Hebrews the home. If the members of a family are truly 11:6). Christian, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, the home What is this characteristic rendered “faith” will be lasting, happy, and fulfilling. What is the in the KJV and “faithfulness” in the NASB and “fruit of the Spirit”? Paul wrote, “But the fruit of other versions? The Greek word pi÷stiß (pistis), the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, the usual word for “faith,” suggests the ideas of goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; “absolute trust, absolute self-surrender, absolute against such things there is no law” (Galatians confidence, absolute obedience in regard to Jesus 5:22, 23). Christ.”1 Our previous lessons have shown that the In addition, this word and the related home can be happy if we are truly Christian by adjective pisto/ß (pistos) have to do with our applying the various aspects of the fruit of the relationships with others. In that connection, Spirit to the home. We have come to the seventh when the word pistis applies to the relation- attribute of the fruit of the Spirit: faith or faithful- ship between person and person, the word is ness. Faithfulness provides the foundation for God’s equivalent to “faithfulness.” William Barclay favor. We need faith and faithfulness in the home said, in order is to please God. We are familiar with the idea that faith is the . it is the quality of reliability, trustworthi- ness, which makes a man a person on whom foundation of the Christian life. Jesus said to we can utterly rely and whose word we can Peter, after Peter confessed faith in Him, “Upon utterly accept. it will often appear that the 2 this rock I will build My church” (Matthew best translation of all is simply loyalty. 16:18). Faith in Christ, therefore, is a part of the church’s foundation. Faith (belief) is the first “Loyalty” or “faithfulness,” then, is perhaps the best way to define the word used in this pas- requirement to become a Christian (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:37; 16:31). Then, to the foundation of sage. faith, all other Christian virtues are added The quality of faithfulness must be taught (2 Peter 1:5–7). In a similar way, we might say and practiced in three areas if the home is to that faithfulness forms the foundation of the please God. home. 1 However, we can say more than that. We William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit: An Examination of Galatians 5:19–23 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, can go on to affirm that faithfulness is the foun- 1962), 107–8. dation of the truly Christian home, the home 2Ibid., 108. 1 FAITHFULNESS IN fulfillinG Why Are People Unfaithful ResPOnsiBilities To Their Mates? First, the home must emphasize faithfulness Societal acceptance. We live among people in fulfilling responsibilities. The adjective pistos who indulge in adultery and fornication, who is sometimes used of faithfulness in meeting have affairs, and who cheat on their wives or responsibilities—for instance, at work. The Scrip- husbands. In spite of our desire to do right, we tures show that stewards must be “trustworthy” may be tempted by peer pressure to be like (1 Co rinthians 4:2; “faithful”; KJV). A steward every one else. To say the least, we may, almost put in charge of his master’s household was subconsciously, be persuaded by those around spoken of as “faithful” (Matthew 24:45; Luke us to think that adultery is not really all that 12:42), and the servant who does well will be bad. pronounced “good and faithful” (Matthew 25:21, Easy divorce. In many societies today, divorce 23; see Luke 19:17). In addition, those who ful- is no longer considered a disgrace. Adultery is fill the ministry of the gospel are spoken of as not thought of as terribly evil if it results “only” “faith ful.”3 in divorce. Too many workers today are not “faithful” Media influence. The entertainment industry or loyal in this sense. Many employers affirm constantly portrays people indulging in affairs that employees cannot be depended on to come without suffering any evil consequences. Such to work or to arrive at work on time or to keep affairs are frequently presented—whether or not working at their jobs when they are not being they cause divorce or lead to new marriages— watched. as beautiful, loving relationships that are more Where are children to learn the kind of loy- fulfilling and enjoyable than the marriage rela- alty and faithfulness required to be good em- tionship. ployees? At home! They learn by example, by Tempting dress and behavior. All around us, precept, and by experience. They need to be people dress and act in ways that tempt others given responsibilities from an early age, and to infidelity. Modern fashions are not intended they should be required to complete those re- to encourage chastity. Many fashions are sexu- sponsibilities faithfully. ally appealing. People often purposely dress and behave in ways that are designed to tempt the FAITHFULNESS TO ONE’S MATE opposite sex. The person who lives in this world Second, the home must emphasize faithful- faces daily temptations to sin. ness to one’s mate. Marriage is built on mutual faithfulness. When a man or a woman promises Why Are People to Be Faithful to keep himself or herself solely for the other, To Their Mates? that promise of faithfulness is intended to last When the world is tempting us to be unfaith- unto death. The promise is to refrain from hav- ful, why should we be faithful to our mates? ing sexual relations with anyone other than the Because God requires it. Christians should be spouse. When the husband or the wife breaks faithful in marriage because God requires it. He- that vow, we speak of it as “infidelity”—the op- brews 13:4 says, “Marriage is to be held in honor posite of faithfulness. among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; The vow of faithfulness exchanged by the for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” bride and the groom during a wedding ceremony (Emphasis mine.) That reason should be enough is often broken today. In our twenty-first-century for those who desire to please God. world, it may even be surprising to some that Because of the sacredness of the marital relation- anyone remains faithful to a marriage partner. ship. As Christian husbands and wives, we need Indeed, the world tempts people in many ways to be faithful to each other because the sexual to be immoral. relationship in marriage is sacred; it is in this act that the married couple become “one” (Matthew 19:5) in the truest sense. It is both a symbol and 3See 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 1:7; 4:9; 1 Peter 5:12; 3 John 5. a cause of oneness. The sacredness of the sexual (Barclay, 109–10.) relationship in marriage is certainly why Jesus 2 allowed adultery to be the only legitimate cause What about the “guilty party”? Jesus was clear for divorce (Matthew 19:9). on this question, but His teaching is difficult. Because we gave our word. We need to be faith- (See Matthew 19:9). Further, the mate who leaves ful to our mates because we said we would. If we may be required to pay child support or alimony. are honest and trustworthy, we will not break These additional payments may be a tremendous our word. financial burden for many years—maybe for the Because of the consequences. Aside from the rest of his (or her) life. In addition, a parent may spiritual implications, we need to be faithful to be deprived of seeing beloved children except our mates because of the consequences of infidel- on rare occasions. ity in this life. What are those consequences? What if an unfaithful spouse remarries? A (1) The Consequences of Infidelity. If one man may choose to marry the woman with whom person in a marriage relationship commits adul- he had an affair, but is it likely that such a mar- tery, what follows? There are two possibilities. riage will succeed—a marriage based on lust? One possibility is that no one will find out. Of Since she consented to having an affair with a course, adultery is usually found out; but even married man, how can he now trust her? How if it is not discovered, there is the problem of can he be sure that she will not have an affair conscience. The adulterer is likely to feel pangs with someone else? In the same way, how can of guilt for the rest of his or her life. There is also she trust him? He was unfaithful to his first wife; the problem of having used another human be- why should he be faithful to his second wife? ing! The innocent mate Whether or not he mar- is not the only person ries her, or marries an- who is sinned against Christian parents instill other, he needs to un- when adultery occurs; derstand that second illicit sex is also a sin faithfulness not only by marriages (after divorce) against the other person teaching, but especially are, statistically, less like- involved in the affair.
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