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Faithfulness

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 18, 1873

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 41, No. 10.

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Faithfulness.

By A. S. HUTCHINS

Of the Christian, faithfulness is required in all the duties incumbent upon him. It is not enough that there be faithfulness in duties which may be regarded the more pleasant. Every where, in all the walks of life, opportunities meet us to labor for the Master. We must turn from the pleasures of the vain world, deny self, and bear the cross, to advance the cause of Him who sacrificed, suffered, and died, that we might live and reign with him.
Oh! surpassing pity. Oh! amazing love. Oh! that such divine and wondrous love might constrain us to lives of faithfulness and usefulness.
Says the apostle, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Cor. 5:14, 15. “For none of us liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself.”
That love which led God to give his Son for the world, and led the Son to pour out his life for it, shed abroad in the soul, will cause us to live intensely the cause of God, and to labor perseveringly for the salvation of souls. The soul thus inspired with love will ever bear in mind that no longer can he live unto himself. That he is bought with a price, and that he must henceforth live unto Him who has graciously pardoned his sins, purified his heart, and brought him into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.
The danger into which Christians are liable to run, is a neglect of the comparatively smaller duties. They do not intend to neglect those which to them seem important. But as the warp and woof of the Christian life is made up of small threads, these must be well attended to, or the web will show a corresponding defect.
Little thoughts, words, and acts, must be guarded. Much of our happiness and usefulness depend upon a constant and conscientious watch here. God, holy angels, and the world, watch the development of character in this direction.
Moments, and hours, too, must be improved to the glory of Him whose servants we are. Men are not inclined to set a right estimate upon precious time. When we see those professing godliness, habitually frequenting places where men congregate to pass away golden moments to no account, or murder the fast-flying hours of probation, we mourn their lack of faithfulness and fidelity to their high, holy, and most sacred profession. Can it be they have the assurance that the Holy Spirit accompanies them there, abides with, and attends them to their homes, when the evening gossip is closed?
From trifling inconveniences, or the hurry of the world, the reading of the Scriptures and family prayer are neglected, and the Giver of all we enjoy is not thanked for the well-spread table of earthly bounties.
To the faithful and wise servant, the most rich and priceless blessings will be given at the coming of our Lord. Who then is he? “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.”
Says a wise and godly man, “He who has the genuine principles of fidelity in him, will make a point of conscience of carefully attending to even the smallest things; and it is by habituating himself to act uprightly in little things, that he acquires the gracious habit of acting with propriety, fidelity, honor, and conscience, in matters of the greatest concern. On the contrary, he who does not act uprightly in small matters, will seldom feel himself bound to pay much attention to the dictates of honor and conscience, in cases of high importance. Can we reasonably expect, that a man who is continually falling by little things, has power to resist temptations to great evils?”
Says another: “It is of more importance, than we are aware or are willing to allow, that we take care diligently to practise the smaller virtues, avoid scrupulously the lesser sins, and bear patiently inferior trials; for the sin of habitually yielding, or the grace of habitually resisting, in comparatively small points, tends in no inconsiderable degree to produce that vigor or that debility of mind on which hangs victory or defeat.”
A. S. HUTCHINS.