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When folks are baptized into
Christ (Gal. 3:27) they have not finished the race, but they have just
begun. God has ordered His children to remain
“…faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of
life” (Rev. 2:10). Christians must “run with
endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).
Faithfulness is a requirement of successful laboring, true worship and
salvation. Paul instructed the Corinthian brethren, “be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing
that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
Titus was taught to “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the
present age” (Titus 2:12).
Suppose in a calendar year I only made eight out of twelve mortgage
payments, do you think the bank would consider me
“faithful” to my loan agreement? Suppose I only made
nine out of twelve car payments, do you think the lender would
approve? Suppose I began to miss paying my utility bills, would
the utility companies just let it go? We know that we must be
“faithful” in paying our monthly bills or else.
However, when it comes to being faithful to God, many folks think that
God will accept “nine out of twelve” or 75% service.
We must strive to be faithful always! We too must strive to
“live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age”
(Titus 2:12). We must strive to be “not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25). The new
converts in Acts 2 “continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
prayers” (Acts 2:42). Be
faithful!
~Keith Welch
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