Bottom line up front: It is hard to argue with faithfulness.

Clarification: What do I mean by faithfulness? A general pattern of consistent fidelity to Scripture and God’s revelation via one’s Christian witness. It is likely that many of us know folks who have made professions of faith in Christ, have perhaps been members (at least on paper) of a Christian church of some stripe, may’ve been baptized, may’ve even done work related to Christian missions, etc. but have since departed from the faith they once professed. One would find it hard to find current evidence of having ever been regenerated and saved by God. Their labors seem altogether consumed with things other than the gospel of Christ. That’s the reality of many.

Alternative: But I would like to look at the other side, too, the side of faithfulness, the side wherein you see perseverance in the faith once for all delivered to the saints, the side where you see a pattern of fidelity to God and his revelation. Psalm 71 is such an example. In this psalm, we see the picture of one who continues to trust the Lord, even and especially when Satan and forces of the wicked speak against him. Here are verses 7-21 of the 71st psalm:

I have been as a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who watch for my life consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

Encouragement/takeaway: In a world where words sometimes do not mean very much because you know the source to be untrustworthy, in a world where there’s no-fault divorce, in a world where today’s headlines are tomorrow’s shred for the landfill or recycle bin, it is good to see that God does not change. He remains consistent yesterday, today, and forever. That is why all those who are in Christ are commanded to persevere in the truth. In short, we are to be faithful. Why? Because our faithfulness should redound and point to the faithfulness of the One who ransomed us. We remember the powerful words and example of Paul in 1 Thessalonians, don’t we: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess 5:23-24, ESV). Faithfulness.