"The fruit of the Spirit is…faith…" (Galatians 5:22)

This fruit of the Spirit is generally understood as being faithfulness. It is not the faith that saves, or the trust we exercise in God day by day (although it may include that). Rather it is our fidelity and dependability in our dealings with the Lord and with one another. Someone has defined it as being "true to oneself, to one's nature, to any promise given, to any trust committed."

When we say that a man's word is his bond, we mean that in dealing with him, no written contract is necessary. If he has agreed to do something, he can be depended on to do it.

The faithful man keeps appointments on time, pays his bills on schedule, attends the meetings of the local fellowship regularly, performs tasks assigned to him without having to be constantly reminded. He is unswervingly true to his marriage vows and unfailing in the discharge of his family responsibilities. He is conscientious in setting money aside for the work of the Lord and careful also in his stewardship of time and talents.

Faithfulness means being true to one's word, even at great personal cost. The faithful man "swears to his own hurt, and does not change" (Psalms 15:4 c NASB). In other words, he does not cancel one supper engagement when he receives another that promises a better menu or more congenial company. He does not renege on a work assignment to go on a recreational trip (unless he first arranges for a satisfactory substitute). He sells his house at the agreed price even if someone later offers him $10,000 more.

The ultimate in faithfulness is being willing to die rather than renounce one's loyalty to Christ. When the king demanded that a faithful Christian retract his confession of Christ, the man replied, "The heart thought it; the mouth spoke it; the hand subscribed it; and if need be, by God's grace the blood shall seal it." When Polycarp was offered life in exchange for a denial of the Lord, he chose rather to be burned at the stake, saying, "These eighty-six years have I served my Lord. He never did me any harm, and I cannot deny my Lord and Master now."

The martyrs were faithful unto death, and will receive a crown of life (Revelation 2:10).