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Observing God's Character in the Lives of Faithful Believers

The character of faithful believers, often referred to as saints in biblical texts, reflects attributes of God and is demonstrated through various actions and dispositions [1, 4]. This faithfulness is not merely a passive state but an active, working reality that manifests in their lives [12].

One primary characteristic of saints is faithfulness itself, which is exhibited in their service to God, their declaration of God's word, and their care for dedicated things [1]. This faithfulness extends to helping other believers, bearing witness, reproving others, and handling situations of trust [1]. It encompasses diligence in all aspects of life, from the smallest matters to conveying important messages, and is expected to endure even unto death [1]. John Gill, in his commentary on Psalms, notes that Christ's "eyes are upon faithful persons," including faithful ministers who preach the Gospel and administer ordinances truly, to preserve, honor, and reward them [13].

Diligence is another key aspect of a faithful believer's character. This quality is exemplified by Christ himself, as seen in his early morning prayers (Mark 1:35) and his commitment to his Father's work (Luke 2:49) [3]. Believers are called to diligence in seeking God, obeying Him, hearkening to His voice, and striving for perfection [3]. This includes cultivating Christian graces, guarding their souls and hearts, engaging in labors of love, and pursuing every good work [3]. Diligence also involves guarding against defilement, seeking to be found spotless, and making their calling and election sure through self-examination [3]. Ecclesiastes 3:10 notes the "busyness God gives to humans to preoccupy them," suggesting a divine intention for human activity and effort [10].

Holiness is commanded for believers, with God's character serving as the ultimate standard (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15-16) [8]. Christ desires holiness for his people and effects it in them, providing an example through his own blameless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:21-22) [8]. The gospel is presented as the "way of holiness" (Isaiah 35:8), and holiness is deemed necessary for God's worship, with the assertion that "none shall see God without" it (Hebrews 12:14) [8]. Saints are elected to holiness, called to it, and are new-created in it [8].

Faith is foundational to the character of believers. It is through faith that believers understand the creation of the universe by God's word (Hebrews 11:3) [7]. The righteousness of God is revealed "from faith to faith," and "the righteous shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17) [9]. This faith is not a mere intellectual assent but a "working reality" that produces fruit [12]. Believers are encouraged to look to Jesus, "the author and perfecter of faith," who endured the cross for the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2) [2]. John Calvin, in his commentary on Genesis, frequently refers to the concept of faith and its implications for believers [11].

Boldness, specifically "holy boldness," is also a characteristic of saints [5]. Christ set an example of boldness (John 7:26), and believers can have boldness through faith in Christ (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:19) [5]. This boldness is produced by trust in God and the fear of God, and it is a result of faithfulness to God [5]. Believers are exhorted to express their trust in God with boldness (Hebrews 13:6) and to have boldness in prayer (Hebrews 4:16) [5]. Ministers, in particular, are called to exhibit boldness in their faithfulness to their people and in their preaching [5].

Other characteristics of saints include being attentive to Christ's voice, blameless and harmless, contrite, devout, fearing God, following Christ, godly, guileless, humble, hungering after righteousness, just, led by the Spirit, liberal, loving, and meek [4]. These virtues reflect God's own character, such as His great, excellent, good, marvelous, multitudinous, and everlasting loving-kindness [6]. The consideration of God's dealings provides knowledge of His loving-kindness, through which saints are drawn, preserved, quickened, and comforted [6].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Faithfulness — A characteristic of saints -- Eph 1:1; Col 1:2; 1Ti 6:2; Re 17:14. Exhibited in The service of God. -- Mt 24:45. Declaring the word of God. -- Jer 23:28; 2Co 2:17; 4:2. The care of dedicated things. -- 2Ch 31:12. Helping the brethren. -- 3Jo 1:5. Bearing witness. -- Pr 14:5. Reproving others. -- Pr 27:6; Ps 141:5. Situations of trust. -- 2Ki 12:15; Ne 13:13; Ac 6:1-3. Doing work. -- 2Ch 34:12. Keeping secrets. -- Pr 11:13. Conveying messages. -- Pr 13:17; 25:13. All things. -- 1Ti 3:11. The smallest matters. -- Lu 16:10-12. Should be to death -- Re 2:1”
  2. Hebrews “looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:2”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Diligence — Christ, an example -- Mr 1:35; Lu 2:49. Required by God in Seeking him. -- 1Ch 22:19; Heb 11:6. Obeying him. -- De 6:17; 11:13. Hearkening to him. -- Isa 55:2. Striving after perfection. -- Php 3:13,14. Cultivating Christian graces. -- 2Pe 1:5. Keeping the souls. -- De 4:9. Keeping the heart. -- Pr 4:23. Labours of love. -- Heb 6:10-12. Following every good work. -- 1Ti 5:10. Guarding against defilement. -- Heb 12:15. Seeking to be found spotless. -- 2Pe 3:14. Making our call, &c, sure. -- 2Pe 1:10. Self-examination. -- Ps 77:6. Lawful business. -- Pr 27:”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Character of Saints — Attentive to Christ's voice -- Joh 10:3,4. Blameless and harmless -- Php 2:15. Bold -- Pr 28:1; Ro 13:3. Contrite -- Isa 57:15; 66:2. Devout -- Ac 8:2; 22:12. Faithful -- Re 17:14. Fearing God -- Mt 3:16; Ac 10:2. Following Christ -- Joh 10:4,27. Godly -- Ps 4:3; 2Pe 2:9. Guileless -- Joh 1:47. Holy -- De 7:6; 14:2; Col 3:12. Humble -- Ps 34:2; 1Pe 5:5. Hungering after righteousness -- Mt 5:6. Just -- Ge 6:9; Hab 2:4; Lu 2:25. Led by the Spirit -- Ro 8:14. Liberal -- Isa 32:8; 2Co 9:13. Loving -- Col 1:4; 1Th 4:9. Lowly -- Pr 16:19. Meek -- Isa ”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Boldness, Holy — Christ set an example of -- Joh 7:26. Is through faith in Christ -- Eph 3:12; Heb 10:19. A characteristic of saints -- Pr 28:1. Produced by Trust in God. -- Isa 50:7. The fear of God. -- Ac 4:19; 5:29. Faithfulness to God. -- 1Ti 3:13. Express your trust in God with -- Heb 13:6. Have, in prayer -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16. Saints shall have, in judgment -- 1Jo 4:17. Exhortations to -- Jos 1:7; 2Ch 19:11; Jer 1:8; Eze 3:9. Pray for -- Ac 4:29; Eph 6:19,20. Ministers should exhibit, in Faithfulness to their people. -- 2Co 7:4; 10:1. Preaching. -- Ac 4:31; Ph”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Loving-Kindness of God, The — Is through Christ -- Eph 2:7; Tit 3:4-6. Described as Great. -- Ne 9:17. Excellent. -- Ps 36:7. Good. -- Ps 69:16. Marvellous. -- Ps 17:7; 31:21. Multitudinous. -- Isa 63:7. Everlasting. -- Isa 54:8. Merciful. -- Ps 117:2. Better than life. -- Ps 63:3. Consideration of the dealings of God gives a knowledge of -- Ps 107:43. Saints Betrothed in. -- Ho 2:19. Drawn by. -- Jer 31:3. Preserved by. -- Ps 40:11. Quickened after. -- Ps 119:88. Comforted by. -- Ps 119:76. Look for mercy through. -- Ps 51:1. Receive mercy through. -- Isa 54:8. Are ”
  7. Hebrews “By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. -- Hebrews 11:3”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Holiness — Commanded -- Le 11:45; 20:7; Eph 5:8; Col 3:12; Ro 12:1. Christ Desires for his people. -- Joh 17:17. Effects, in his people. -- Eph 5:25-27. An example of. -- Heb 7:26; 1Pe 2:21,22. The character of God, the standard of -- Le 19:2; 1Pe 1:15,16; Eph 5:1. The character of Christ, the standard of -- Ro 8:29; 1Jo 2:6; Php 2:5. The gospel the way of -- Isa 35:8. Necessary to God's worship -- Ps 24:3,4. None shall see God without -- Eph 5:5; Heb 12:14. Saints Elected to. -- Ro 8:29; Eph 1:4. Called to. -- 1Th 4:7; 2Ti 1:9. New created in. -- Eph 4:24. Possess. ”
  9. Romans “For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” -- Romans 1:17”
  10. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 3:10 (LEB) — I have seen the busyness God gives to ⌞humans⌟ to preoccupy them.”
  11. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 28.1: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:1-6 1:1-31 1:2 1:28 1:29-30 2:1 2:1-25 2:15 2:19 3:1 3:1-24 3:7 3:16 4:1 4:1-26 4:7 5:1 5:1-32 6:1 6:1-22 6:11-16 7:1-24 7:11 8:1-22 9:1 9:1 9:1-29 9:2 9:24 10 10:1 10:1 10:1-32 10:21 11:1 11:1 11:1-32 11:28 12:1 12:1 12:1 12:1-20 12:4 12:4 12:6 13:1 13:1-20 14:1-24 15:1-21 15:7 16:1-16 16:2 16:8 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1-27 18:1 18:1 18:1-33 18:19 19:1-38 20:1 20:1 20:1-18 21:1-34 21:15 22:1-24 22:18 23:1-20 24:31 25:1 25:13-16 35:7 48:1 Exodus 6:3 12:40 Leviticus 7:18 17:4 18:25 Numbers 6:2”
  12. 1 Thessalonians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Thessalonians 1:3: work of faith--the working reality of your faith; its alacrity in receiving the truth, and in evincing itself by its fruits. Not an otiose assent; but a realizing, working faith; not "in word only," but in one continuous chain of "work" (singular, not plural, works), Th1 1:5-10; Jam 2:22. So "the work of faith" in Th2 1:11 implies its perfect development (compare Jam 1:4). The other governing substantives similarly mark respectively the characteristic manifestation of the grace which follows each in the genitive. Faith, love, and hope, are the ”
  13. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 101:6: Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land,.... To look them out, bring them to court, and promote them to places of honour and trust; such an one was David himself, and such there were in the land of Israel, though but few, and of which he complains, Psa 12:1. Christ's eyes are upon faithful persons, on faithful ministers of the word, who preach the Gospel faithfully, administer the ordinances truly, are faithful to the souls of men in watching over them, reproving and exhorting them; his eyes are upon them to keep and preserve them, and to honour and reward t”
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