Are You Faithful?
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 1:1)
When we read “faithful in Christ Jesus”, it's easy to look inward and ask, am I faithful? Our natural tendency is to measure faithfulness by our performance, consistency in prayer, Bible reading or church attendance, or other actions. That can be discouraging.
But Paul's greeting in Ephesians points us to a different understanding of faithfulness altogether. The phrase faithful in Christ Jesus does not describe what we do for God, it describes what God has done for us.
Paul is writing to believers, those who are already saints, and he calls them faithful. This faithfulness isn't something they earned through spiritual discipline; it's something they have because of their location in Christ Jesus.
Paul hasn't observed these believers' daily habits, he hasn't checked their prayer journals, yet he confidently calls them faithful because their faithfulness is tied to the faithfulness of Jesus, not their own efforts.
The Greek word for faithful carries the idea of being trustworthy and reliable. And if I'm honest, my reliability is far from perfect. The good news is that when God looks at believers, He sees Jesus' unwavering devotion covering our inconsistencies. Our faithfulness is found in Him, not in us.
This changes everything about how we approach life. Instead of striving to become faithful, we learn to rest in the faithfulness we have in Christ. When we fail in prayer, Christ intercedes perfectly for us. When our love grows cold, Jesus remains faithful. Does this mean our actions don't matter? Of course not.
But they don't ultimately come from my faithfulness, but the work of Jesus in me. We're not working toward acceptance, but from being accepted.
Consider Abraham, who Scripture calls Faithful Abraham. Yet he lied about his wife, laughed at God's promise, and tried to fulfill God's plan through his own schemes. Was Abraham faithful because of his performance? No, he was faithful because God counted his faith as righteousness. Abraham's faithfulness was found in God's promise, not in his own consistency.
This is the same faithfulness Paul sees in the Ephesian believers. They're not faithful because they've mastered the spiritual disciplines. They're faithful because they're united to the One who never fails. Their identity is secure in Christ's perfect record, not their own imperfect efforts.
When discouragement whispers that you're not faithful enough, remember where your faithfulness is found. When your guilt points to spiritual failures, look to the perfect success of Jesus.
When you feel like giving up, remember that your faithfulness doesn't depend on your grip on God, but on His grip on you.
The next time you read “faithful in Christ Jesus”, don't let it drive you to self-examination first. Let it drive you to Jesus first.
Your faithfulness is as secure as His character. Your perseverance is as certain as His promises. Your spiritual identity isn't based on your track record, but on His.
Remember, you are faithful not because of what you do, but because of where you are. In Christ Jesus, your faithfulness flows from His faithfulness, your reliability from His reliability, your perseverance from His unchanging character.
Father, you are always faithful and true. Forgive me for trusting my own strengths instead of your Son. Thank you for giving us a place in Christ, even though we are weak. Cause me to rest in the faithfulness of Jesus and live each day in His grace. In Jesus' name we pray.
Song: Holy Forever