“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

I Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

I Corinthians 13:6 [Charity] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

I Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

II Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

MEMORY VERSE: Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? —Proverbs 20:6

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The word faith is scripturally given in two senses: an assent of the will to, belief in, and reliance upon the faithfulness and truth of God (active sense); and fidelity, trustworthiness, and trust (passive sense). As a fruit of the Spirit, the active reliance upon a faithful God produces the God-like characteristic of faithfulness and trustworthiness in the believer.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Proverbs 28:20 and 20:6: “Faithful”: from a root word meaning to confirm or support; firm; stable. The root word aman is the Hebrew word for faith, faithful, believe, assurance, establish, sure, steadfast, and nurse (as to support and foster, as a parent or nurse). The familiar Hebrew word “Amen” is also from this root and means verily; so be it; it is established; firm; faithful. In Isaiah 65:16 the title “God of truth” (in the King James version) is in Hebrew “The God of AMEN.” When Jesus said, “Verily, verily” in His sermons, He used this word! In Revelation 3:14, this title is given to Jesus Christ—”the Amen, the faithful and true witness.”

Luke 16:10 and I Corinthians 4:2 “Faithful”: trustworthy; sure; true. From a primitive root meaning to convince; to assent to evidence or authority; to rely by inward certainty. “Unjust”: wicked; treacherous; unrighteous.

I Corinthians 13:7 “Believes”: to have faith; entrust; credit. “Takes the best and kindest views of all men and all circumstances, as long as it is possible to do so. It is the opposite to the common spirit, which … paints it in the darkest colours, and makes the worst of it. Love is entirely alien from the spirit of the cynic, the pessimist, the ecclesiastical rival, the anonymous slanderer, the secret detractor” (Pulpit Commentary).

LESSON BACKGROUND AND LIFE APPLICATION

The basis of our faith is a faithful, trustworthy, sure, and certain God who cannot lie; whose name is “AMEN,” whose word is forever settled in heaven and shall never pass away! Our faith then is the firm assent of our will—“I believe.” It involves a “deep sense of sin, a distinct view of Christ, a consenting will, and a loving heart, together with a reliance on, a trusting in, or resting in Christ” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). It is being persuaded by the evidence of His truth, love, wisdom, holiness and power, with that persuasion ministered to us by the Holy Spirit, and a loving response to that persuasion, which is what “Amen” means. “Yes, Lord, yes!” “It is true!” (An exciting thing about the word “Amen” is that it is pronounced very nearly the same in every language.)

Faith follows the same pattern as the other fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness—all are first God’s characteristics and can only be produced in our lives through our union with Christ. Our ability to have fidelity and faithfulness can only come by abiding in Jesus and having His own life lived out in and through us by the infilling of His Spirit.

The two verses from Proverbs in our lesson mention a faithful man. Other passages in Scripture speak of a faithful God, a faithful priest, a faithful servant, a faithful witness, a faithful spirit, a faithful ambassador, a faithful messenger, a faithful city, and a faithful steward. In the Old Testament, Joseph was an example of faithfulness, whether he was a steward in Potiphar’s house, keeper of the prison or governor of Egypt. Another example was when Jehoash (Joash) was king (II Kings 12:15). The people had given willingly of their money to repair the temple, and the money bags were committed into the care of the workmen to use to buy stones and timbers. Because they were men who “dealt faithfully” no one had to police their activities or “reckon” with them to make sure they were using the money honestly and fairly.

Our lesson teaches us that faithfulness, the fruit of abiding in Christ and trusting in a trustworthy God, is required in a steward. Are we not stewards over the homes and families God has given us? We are stewards over the marriage bond; the covenant into which we entered before God and witnesses. We are stewards of the financial resources which are involved in having a family. We are stewards of little hearts which are entrusted into our care. A man, in reality, is a steward of his wife’s heart, which she entrusted into his care and keeping; a woman is a steward of her husband’s heart. She wields a power over his desires, affections and emotions.

The word “unfaithful” in the Bible and the word “treacherous” are the same Hebrew word. Malachi 2:14-16 speaks to the man who dealt treacherously with his wife. This is where God stated that He hated putting away (divorce). “Take heed to your spirit,” He said, “that ye deal not treacherously.

God is looking for a people of faith; when Jesus comes again, his question was, will He find faith on the earth? Will He find faithful messengers, faithful ambassadors, faithful witnesses? Will he find Zion a faithful city? Will He find His people being fervent in spirit, diligent in business matters, and showing fidelity and integrity to employers, clients and customers? Will He find fathers, mothers, wives and husbands being true and faithful to their marriages and families?

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. What (or Who) is the basis for our faith?
2. How is faith ministered to us by the Holy Spirit?
3. Our belief and trust in a trustworthy God produces ____________________ in our lives.
4. Paul spoke to the Corinthians about faithfulness in a steward. Give an example of a faithful Old Testament steward.
5. Jesus spoke about being faithful in that which is “least,” which in the context is evidently speaking about money matters. What did Jesus then mean by “that which is much”?
6. Unfaithfulness and _____________________ mean the same in the Bible. How does this apply to marriage?

REFLECTIONS

In the United States, in 2019 there were almost 62 million married couples. Currently the divorce rate is just under 50%. Researchers estimate that 41% of all first marriages will end in divorce. Faithfulness in marriage is a virtue lacking in many homes today; not just those broken with divorce or separation, but also in those that are still intact but missing the love, respect, honor, and loyalty so necessary in family relationships.

God ordained marriage and declared it to be “honorable.” Love is of God, and was to be the foundation of marriage and the home. The perfect plan for the family unit centered around the husband and wife each filling their places by serving one another, as well as their family, in love and with love. True love begets the virtues and the fruits of the Spirit. A home and marriage founded on respect, honor, and loyalty will be a happy home.

So, the question is, who can find a faithful man? There have been examples that shine forth with faithfulness, and oh how beautiful! We have witnessed honorable faithfulness in a marriage when the vows were put to the test—in sickness or in health. For this couple, life brought some hard challenges with the wife becoming an invalid fairly young. This “faithful man” did not take the easy way. Some could have taken selfish actions and “put her away” and fulfilled the desires for a family and an enjoyable life. But, this man has served his wife, loving and honoring her. We have called this man “a jewel.”

God is calling for us to be faithful to our companions and in our families. God is calling for us to “swear to our own hurt and change not.” God is calling for us to be “lights” in this world, and examples of faithfulness in our marriages.

—Bro. Loren & Sis. Maxine Busbee, Edmond, Oklahoma

—Married June 1, 1963

Loren Vance Busbee, A Faithful Man

June 4, 1943 – June 6, 2020

Loren Vance had laughing blue eyes that matched his infectious grin. He was a hard working, God fearing man. He was devoted to his wife, his family, and to the Lord’s ministry. He was often comical, but also full of wisdom. Firm in his convictions, but kind and compassionate with all. If you had ever met him, it’s likely you never forgot him. This world has lost one of the best men, and heaven just became a little sweeter.