Good governance flows from good hearts. That simple statement is a paraphrase of a rather long quote by William Penn, founder of the state of Pennsylvania.
We at Capitol Ministries believe Penn’s observation to be true. This concept dovetails well with our determination to obey God’s command to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) by making disciples of Jesus Christ in the political arena of the world.
Capitol Ministries’ long-term objective is to plant 50 ministries in 50 state capitols in addition to fostering ministries in city and county governments throughout our nation. Good governance is one of our nation’s greatest needs.
To be clear, our objective is not to change our form of government. Our republic must remain institutionally separated from the church. Our goal is to build up in Christ the men and women who administrate our government.
We purpose to help men and women in public office mature in Christ — governing authorities who have not only the courage to fight the right battles but also the strength, faithfulness and perseverance to go the distance. This goal can only be achieved by maturing in Christ.
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In John 17:17, Jesus said, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” We need strong Bible teachers, evangelists and disciple-makers at every level in the career path of public servants.
Faithfulness is fundamental in a good leader. This study, “The Bible and Leadership: Faithfulness,” examines through Scripture the qualifications and characteristics of a faithful leader, how to foster faithfulness in others and how to develop it in yourself.
The Apostle Paul had good, faithful friends. One was Tychicus — a man so faithful that Paul trusted him with the most important of tasks. Paul asked Tychicus to travel hundreds of miles on perilous journeys to personally deliver some of Paul’s letters. Why? He was reliable and trustworthy in his partnership.
Paul’s situation necessitated faithful, trustworthy ministers teaming up to fulfill the Great Commission. Reliability in our vertical relationship with God, as well as in our horizontal relationship with ministry partners, is a requisite, indispensable quality that assures both great communion with God and dependable reliability in others, resulting in the consummate active and efficient fulfillment of God’s Great Commission mandate.
Biblically speaking, faithfulness is a key character quality that God is looking for in those whom he will use most significantly. It follows that faithfulness is something public servants should ascertain not only in themselves, but also in those they consider hiring or promoting.
When we hear the word “faithful” today, our attention is often drawn to the context of marital fidelity. For sure, that is an accurate understanding of the biblical word’s usage. But as used here and illustrated in the life of Tychicus, the character quality of faithfulness has a broader application.
Stemming from the Greek word pistos, it means “trusted” or “reliable.” In contrast, apistos means “untrustworthy” or “not worthy of confidence.”
Theologically, faithfulness is bequeathed by the Holy Spirit to every believer at the point of salvation (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore, faithfulness is possessed by every true believer, a characteristic fruit of genuine followers of Christ, but one that nonetheless needs to be continually honed, matured and developed in the sense of our progressive sanctification.
This Bible study drills down deeply into this character quality, looking at the methodologies Paul employed to foster faithfulness in others, how important friendship is in the formation of faithfulness, and the importance of consistency in developing relationships and the fruits of faithfulness.
The study offers numerous Scriptures that serve to affirm God’s sense of importance regarding your and my faithfulness. These passages serve to indicate that God rewards this quality if he finds it in you and me! I have noticed over several decades of ministry to public servants that those who are faithful to represent him boldly and lovingly while in office, generally speaking, are rewarded by God!
To grow in Christ-likeness means we must grow in God’s attribute of faithfulness. Let’s become increasingly and amazingly more like him in this area of our lives!
Click here to read the full study.
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