True and Faithful
When considering what I should name my blog, I kept being drawn back to this passage in Revelation 21:5.
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5
Although he was simply the penman of the divinely inspired words that Christ gave him, the apostle John was still a writer. He was responsible to faithfully transcribe the true and faithful words of Almighty God that he had been given. What a privilege. What a responsibility!
These words were not only true and faithful, but they were given from the One Who rightfully bore the title of Faithful and True.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True...” Revelation 19:11a
Truth and faithfulness—these are two words that get thrown around a lot today, yet we seem to live in a day where actual truth and faithfulness are rarely lived out.
Truth
The word true is defined as “Conformable to fact; being in accordance with the actual state of things. Genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit, adulterated, or false. Free from falsehood. Honest, not fraudulent.”
Imagine for a moment living in a world where everyone and everything was true. What would that be like? How would that change our society?
When politicians spoke, you could trust that every campaign promise and political stance on an issue was free from falsehood.
When stores advertised their products, you could confidently make your decision since the advertisement was conformable to fact.
When reading the news online, you could consume it without a second thought since it was honest, not fraudulent.
Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. Ever since Satan, the father of lies, entered this world, truth has been under his relentless assault. It started in the Garden of Eden when he attempted to sow doubt about the authenticity of God’s words, and it will continue until the day that he is cast into hell for all eternity.
Jesus Christ, however, is the very embodiment of truth. He doesn’t just speak truth, He is the truth. Truth is in His very nature. So much so that the Bible reveals that God is incapable of lying.
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” Titus 1:2
In a world seemingly void of truth, we have a God Who is the source of all truth.
Faithfulness
Faithfulness is the attribute that, if embraced, will bind us firmly to truth. It will act as a glue, if you would, that keeps us from becoming disconnected from the truth.
Webster’s Dictionary defines faithfulness as, “Firm in adherence to the truth. Firmly adhering to duty; of true fidelity; loyal; true to allegiance. Conformable to truth.”
Who better is a perfect example of faithfulness than Jesus Christ? In Titus 1:2, we see that God is incapable of being anything less than true. But in 2 Timothy 2:13, we find that He is incapable of being anything less than faithful.
“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
We not only have a God Who is true to the core, but we have a God Who will always remain faithful to that truth. He’s not going to gradually drift from the truth; He’s not going to change from what He once was; He will always and forever be firmly adhered to the truth.
In a world seemingly void of faithfulness, we have a God Who abideth faithful.
A Return to Truth and Faithfulness
We need a revival of truth and faithfulness in our world today. It doesn’t take a theologian to observe that we are living in a world where truth and faithfulness are being utterly forsaken. Truth is often treated as something that is flexible that can be conformed to fit our opinions or lifestyle. Faithfulness has likewise become a rarity in our society today as commitments and loyalty are so carelessly forgotten. I say again, we need a revival of truth and faithfulness—in our marriages, in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and in our country.
But it begins with you. It begins with me. It begins with us returning to the very source of truth and faithfulness, Jesus Christ.
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5
True and Faithful is a weekly blog by Andrew Beadles. Subscribe to receive new posts.
I could not agree more! We also need to call out the lies and deception at every opportunity to not only hold ourselves accountable but, also to remind us all that truth and faithfulness are not an option but rather they are the expectation. Thank you for your post, Andrew.