If We Are Faithless

...if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:10-13)

It's interesting that as I read this, I thought, "If we are faithless?" I would have said, "When we are faithless...." I started thinking of the old proverbial phrase, "Each man is loyal unto himself."

I started searching for the proverb or old wise saying, and do you know what I learned? That comes from Paul in the next set of passages in 2 Timothy 3. Just be patient because Paul is ahead of you, I said to myself, by 2000 years.

Hear what Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God..." (2 Timothy 3:2-4)

Paul knows himself, and therefore man, too well. We are a faithless lot. I saw it in education upfront and personal. Sadly, we see it in church as well. Faithlessness takes a seat at the table and makes people in the body of Christ alienated from one another and from the pastors. They say, write or think thoughts that tear down the body rather than build it up.

Paul notes a simple yet profound solution in these two chapters: Christ. Christ is faithful, just like the Father is faithful. The Father gave us Christ to overcome this faithlessness and He also gave us the written Word of God. Christ remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself, we read earlier, and the Word of God is "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

God's Word is faithful and His written Word keeps us faithful through faith in Christ.  

We re-read 1 John 1 used in our confession in worship as we see how God's faithfulness plays out in our lives as spoken in 2 Timothy: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9)

God forgives our unfaithfulness, and we in turn forgive others, no matter how alienated we deem the actor to be.

Pray with me: Faithful and Just Father, forgive me when I am unfaithful, and help me to forgive those who are unfaithful to me. Help me to be faithful to You, my family, my friends, and brothers in the faith at church and in the body at large, as well as the community. Help us all to be truly faithful to one another by focusing on Your Word. In Christ's Name, Amen.