Fidelity and Faithfulness

Fidelity is faithfulness; careful and exact observance of duty, or performance of obligations. We expect fidelity in a public minister, in an agent or trustee, in a domestic servant, in a friend. Firm adherence to a person or party with which one is united, or to which one is bound; loyalty. Honesty; veracity; adherence to truth.—Webster’s American Dictionary
  Faithful is adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, a cause, or an idea; loyal; having or full of faith; worthy of trust or belief; reliable; consistent with truth or actuality.—Webster’s American Dictionary
  Fidelity is faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances; exact correspondence with fact or with a given quality, condition, or event; accuracy.—Oxford English Dictionary
  Synonyms for fidelity include loyalty, allegiance, commitment, dedication, devotion, faithfulness, fealty, steadfastness, constancy, adhesion, devotedness.

Faithfulness makes everything possible to you.—Edna Lister

Fidelity is a highly refined degree under the principle of faith. Fidelity or faithfulness is an abstract principle, a law of being, a law of doing, a Via Christa Degree, and a virtue. Fidelity, with Obedience and Devotion, forms the fourth lesser trinity of Via Christa Degrees, whose keynote is Gratitude.

Edna Lister on Fidelity and Faithfulness

Fidelity means faithfulness and loyalty, being in strict conformity to the truth or fact of an original pattern. Our understanding of truth is always changing as civilization advances. Yet, we must seek our relationship to the original pattern of the Via Christa and leave ignorance and selfishness behind. Selfishness is the result of the sin of separateness (separation) from your Source. Science and religion both teach selfishness in the law that self-preservation is the first rule of life. The creed of materialism results from this me first attitude. When you walk the Via Christa, love cures you of self. You must return to the light of your original star, your Oversoul star, to all fidelity to God.—Edna Lister, The 33 Degrees of Soul Conquering, October 27, 1959.

Be faithful to your own high vision, each lifting the other at all times.—Edna Lister, July 15, 1938.

Your degree of advance is judged by your own faithfulness and loyalty to those who also serve God.—Edna Lister, July 25, 1938.

Be faithful in all ways and you shall see the salvation of the Lord and partake of His full grace.—Edna Lister, October 1, 1938.

Be faithful and every door shall open to you — before you and beside you they shall open.—Edna Lister, October 12, 1938.

Faithfulness makes everything possible to you.—Edna Lister, October 27, 1938.

Unless you express childlike faith in your Master and the powers God invested in him, you can in no way reap the full reward for full faithfulness.—Edna Lister, November 6, 1938.

Be faithful to God and law itself shall be faithful to you in all ways.—Edna Lister, November 6, 1938.

Be faithful to the full law of Light and see if God does not show you great and mighty things.—Edna Lister, December 14, 1938.

Be faithful in all things and God will most surely be faithful in all your true needs.—Edna Lister, December 26, 1938.

Stand in absolute confidence in God’s faithfulness of Power and Love to fulfill all His promises.—Edna Lister, August 2, 1940.

Faithfulness has rewards greater than all laws, joys too great to be borne, peace beyond man’s comprehension. Faith opens all doors, is an anchor above, and will reward you greatly.—Edna Lister, August 4, 1940.

Be faithful, for God’s Power is faithful.—Edna Lister, January 28, 1941.

Be faithful unto the death of self, and unto the glory of your own soul.—Edna Lister, March 10, 1941.

Be faithful and law shall fulfill all promises speedily.—Edna Lister, August 15, 1947.

Faithfulness in love is the backbone of truth.—Edna Lister, June 5, 1949.

Faithfulness is not a part-time job, but works a twenty-four-hour shift. The faithful soul transcends all outer conditions, limitations and events in life, and nothing can touch or harm him.—Edna Lister, Before Abraham Was, I Am, March 18, 1956.

A miracle is a compilation of steadfastness and faithfulness in love of God without ceasing, moment by moment, day by day, not letting go until you get it.—Edna Lister, January 7, 1958.

When you are obedient, you receive credits for faithfulness.—Edna Lister, May 7, 1959.

Stand steadfast while being faithful.—Edna Lister, Whither Thou Goest, October 22, 1961.

There is no such thing as faithfulness without works; without "works," you are dead in seeing, hearing, and expression.—Edna Lister, March 27, 1962.

Eternal life now is the reward of faithfulness.—Edna Lister, July 19, 1964.

Prayer establishes an altar, according to degree and kind of consciousness and faithfulness, wherever you offer prayer.—Edna Lister, May 5, 1968.

Stories That Illustrate Fidelity and Faithfulness

The Roman Centurion: And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel....And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.—Matthew 8:5-10,13.

The Woman With an Issue of Blood: And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.—Matthew 9:20-22.

Two Blind Men: And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened.—Matthew 9:27-30.

The Canaanite Woman: Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.—Matthew 15:21-28.

The Unjust Steward: And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.—Luke 16:1-15.

New Testament on Fidelity and Faithfulness

The good and faithful servant: Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.—Matthew 25:21.

Old Testament on Fidelity and Faithfulness

The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness.—1 Samuel 26:23.

The Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.—Psalm 31:23.

Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.—Proverbs 25:19.

A faithful man shall abound with blessings.—Proverbs 28:20.

Fidelity and Faithfulness in Other Sacred Writings

Lend to your neighbor in time of his need, and pay your neighbor again in due season. Keep your word, and deal faithfully with him, and you shall always find what you need.—Wisdom of Ben Sirach 29:2-3.

A man of understanding trusts in the law; and the law is faithful unto him, as an oracle.—Wisdom of Ben Sirach 33:3.

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