In “Horton Hatches the Egg,” Dr. Seuss famously wrote, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent!”1 The elephant kept his word and was dependable.
Old Faithful is the most famous geyser at Yellowstone National Park. Predicting geyser eruptions is difficult. Old Faithful is an exception. It has only lengthened the time between eruptions by about 30 minutes in the last 30 years.2 It is called Old Faithful because of its dependability.
Dependability is a key characteristic, but only the tip of the iceberg of the Bible’s description of faithfulness. Far more is under the surface and not immediately apparent.
The Apostle Paul called the Christians in Ephesus faithful followers of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1).
What is associated with God’s or human faithfulness? In the Bible, unfailing love is repeatedly paired with God’s faithfulness (Genesis 24:27) and is its underlying supporting structure and motivation. True human faithfulness is God-empowered.
Human love fails. It is not dependable. Human faithfulness must be linked to the well of God’s resources. Only the Holy Spirit’s control in the Christian’s life produces unfailing love (Galatians 5:22–23). The Holy Spirit controls faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
So, what are the characteristics of faithful followers associated with descriptions of God’s or human faithfulness in the Scriptures?
· God calls and chooses them, they experience His grace and undeserved kindness, and His power works in them – Revelation 17:14, Romans 11:5, 2 Corinthians 6:7
· They listen carefully to the voice of the Lord and obey Him – Exodus 15:26
· They obey Jesus’ teachings – John 8:31
· They fear the Lord and give Him His due – 1 Samuel 12:24, 2 Chronicles 31:12
· They continue to trust in Him and don’t turn away or go astray – Hebrews 3:14, Hebrews 10:39, Ezekiel 48:11
· They worship God alone, serving Him single-mindedly, whole-heartedly with all their heart and soul and an undivided heart – 1 Kings 11:4, 2 Kings 20:3, Jeremiah 32:41, 1 Kings 2:4, 2 Chronicles 19:9
· They are compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, and peace-loving – Exodus 34:6, 2 Samuel 20:19
· They are just and fair, do no wrong, good, and guard their behavior– Deuteronomy 32:4, 2 Chronicles 5:13, 1 Kings 8:25
· They are honest and true with integrity – 1 Kings 3:6, Luke 16:10, 2 Samuel 22:26
· They are sensible and dependable, fully carrying out their responsibilities, and keeping promises even when it hurts – Matthew 24:45, Psalm 65:5, Deuteronomy 7:9, 1 Kings 4:27, Psalm 15:4
· They live above reproach, godly, and righteously, knowing and living according to the truth – Psalm 101:6, Psalm 132:16, Psalm 143:1, 1 Timothy 4:3, 3 John 1:3
· They are kind, know God, and praise Him – Psalm 145:10, Hosea 4:1
· They are responsible and completely trustworthy – Daniel 6:4, Luke 16:12
· They demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23
· They exhibit loving deeds and enduring hope – 1 Thessalonians 1:3
· They endure difficult circumstances, terrible suffering, and persecution – 2 Thessalonians 1:4, Hebrews 10:32, Revelation 13:10
· They receive the crown of life – Revelation 2:10
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