Commentary on "The Fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 5: Wednesday, February 17, 2010

 

Overview

In the very words of Jesus Christ:

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10 ESV)

 

Observations

Notice that the issue isn’t about how much faith a person has. At the moment of salvation, a person receives God’s faith, all of it. Jesus promised that those who only display a little faithfulness will also display much faithfulness. Quantity and quality are not an issue. A person either has God’s faith or he does not. Jesus uses the word “will”, not “can”, on the subject of a Christian’s faithfulness.

Contrasted to that is the is the simple fact that the one who is dishonest in little things will also be dishonest in the really big issues of life. The biblical summary of this can be found when we read on down to verse thirteen.

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:13 ESV)

In the lesson the focus is turned to our performance with the assertion that faithfulness can be described in terms of dependability, honesty, integrity and loyalty. Keep in mind that these words describe a “works based” gospel that demands perfection, something we all fall short of.

If we base our faith on performance as expressed in the following words of Ellen White’s, we are all doomed to failure and a future in eternal hell. We all fall short of perfection because we all sin.

“The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold…..”—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 57.

 

Summary

1. Faith is not something that is measured out and imputed into our lives by God in varying portions. Having received God’s faith, we are promised that we will be faithful in both small and great things.
2. Why is this true? Luke 16:13 states that we cannot serve two different masters. Before we received the benefits of the salvation of Jesus Christ into our lives, we were of the world and served its master. When Jesus Christ became our Lord and Savior, he became our master. It is one or the other, not a mix of both.
3. Mixing a works based theology with the gospel of Jesus Christ is a fatal attempt to please two different masters.

 

GO TO DAY 6

 

Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised January 11, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 8

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 8

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Week 8

Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings