Hebrews 11:29-38

True faith is faithful. Faithfulness is steadfast and firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty. Faithfulness remains true in affection and allegiance. The list of people having commendable faith in Hebrews chapter 11 gives examples of true faith resulting in faithfulness. In faith, the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea. Faith believes, but faithfulness steps out based on the belief. True faithfulness does not stop until the journey is complete. The walls of Jericho did not fall on day one; they did not even fall on day six. The army’s faith would have been in vain if they had not faithfully continued to march until the task was complete. Sometimes true faith requires us to be faithful in our actions. At other times, true faith requires us to be faithful in our allegiance. Not all of the faithful in chapter 11 are on the list because of what they did; some are included because they remained faithful in their allegiance to God in spite of torture, imprisonment and even in death.

The Book of Romans teaches that we are reconciled to God by faith in his son Jesus. That reconciliation with God becomes empty if we do not maintain the relationship by faithfulness. The fulfilling of the promise in Christ does not change the necessity of true faith resulting in faithfulness. The prostitute Rahab had godly faith and in faithfulness, she welcomed the spies. Because of what she did, the Israelites did not kill her along with those who were disobedient. Today some want to separate saving faith from the necessity for Christian faithfulness. They are wrong; we cannot separate faith from faithfulness. James 2:14-26 makes this case clearly. In vs 26, he writes, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

We cannot earn our salvation, we cannot buy it and we cannot inherit it. Faith alone saves us. However if our faith is true it will always result in our living faithfully. True faith is always steadfast and firm.