Faithfulness
In his letter to the Lady Kenmure, the saintly Samuel Rutherford, who spent many years enduring the horrors of Scotland’s infamous Aberdeen prison, wrote, “And when authority, king, court, and churchmen oppose the truth, what other armour have we but prayer and faith?”
Rutherford’s words to Lady Kenmure could well be written to many followers of Christ today. The reality of opposition to the Christian faith seems to be growing in western cultures, much in the same way persecutions of all manner have been experienced by fellow followers of Christ Jesus around the world for decades, centuries, and even millennium.
In another of Rutherford’s letter to Marion M’Naught, he writes, “Happy are they who are not blown away with the chaff, for we will but suffer temptation for ten days; but those who are faithful to the death shall receive the crown of life.”
These quotes from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford cause us to reflect on the reality stated in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” But Rutherford also reminds us of the need for faithfulness as we live in the hope of the crown of life.
In 1 Kings 13:11-25 we read the story of an unnamed prophet sent by God to confront Jeroboam about his disobedience to God. Jeroboam was given the ten northern tribes of Israel. God instructed Jeroboam to be careful to always worship only YAWEH, the God of Israel. He however became fearful that the people of the ten northern tribes would be drawn back to Judah through worship of YAWEH in Jerusalem; therefore, Jeroboam built two additional worship centers in Israel and furnished them with statues of bulls. He decreed that these idolatrous worship centers were the only ones to be attended for worship. God sent his prophet to confront Jeroboam’s unfaithfulness in his opposition to the truth of God. The unfaithfulness of Jeroboam is extremely apparent, but there is yet an additional example of tragic unfaithfulness here in these verses. The un-named prophet sent by God was instructed not to eat or drink anything while he was in the region delivering the message of God to Jeroboam. He initially was faithful to the words of God, but when he was followed by an older man, who identified himself as a prophet of God, the un-named prophet fell prey to the older man’s deceptive seductions. The consequence was that God gave his prophet up to be killed by a lion. Jeroboam as King of Israel was unfaithful to God and led the people of Israel into idolatry. The prophet sent by God to confront Jeroboam fell prey to the deceptive representations of one claiming to be a man of God, and he perished.
When we think of the growing opposition to the Christian faith by the culture in which we live, the government appointed over us, the twisting of the teachings of the word of God by those claiming to be men or women of God for the purpose of building personal kingdoms, we must be reminded of the need for faithfulness.
The Lord Jesus Himself assures that those who faithfully follow Christ Jesus will be persecuted (John 16:33). The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-9, writing in his last letter to his understudy Timothy, reminds us that believers will experience difficulties. The cause is the growing ungodliness in the culture and even in the church. We could find this very discouraging, were it not for the encouraging words of the Apostle beginning in 2 Timothy 3:13 through the conclusion of his letter. We note some important words of instruction, beginning with the exhortation to continue in sound teachings (doctrine) and to be faithful in preaching or teaching the entire counsel of God, which will reprove, rebuke, and exhort. The Holy Spirit reminds us through the inspired words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:1-13 that faithfulness requires the follower of Christ to be strengthened continually by the grace in Christ Jesus, to entrust faithful doctrine (teachings) to faithful men who will teach others, and to share in suffering as a good soldier in Christ Jesus. In addition, faithfulness in times of difficulty and opposition requires one to always remember who Christ is, and that the truly regenerate follower of Christ is in Him and must focus on Him for one’s life now and one’s hope of glory—to reign with Him. We must know that if we consciously reject and/or deny Him, He will deny us. The true follower of Christ Jesus must always trust with confidence the very nature, faithfulness, presence, and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, for these are His very nature, and He cannot deny Himself. Such is the encouragement to joyful faithfulness and to living in obedient joy to our Heavenly Father by the grace found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
These words are offered for your reflection as we remember the encouragement of Samuel Rutherford to Marion M’Naught—”Happy are they who are not blown away with the chaff, for we will but suffer temptation for ten days; but those who are faithful to the death shall receive the crown of life.”