Faithful Obedience Translate to Faithful Confidence

 1 Timothy 3:13 (ESV Strong's)

13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Faithful Obedience Translate to Faithful Confidence

In chapter three of 1 Timothy, Paul is outlining the qualifications to serve as an elder and as a deacon in the church.   Each qualification tells us something different about the person who would serve in these positions.   God has qualifications for severing.    Once should not be chosen or seek to serve in these positions until they meet these qualifications.   In the above verse we come to the end of the section for the position of deacon and Paul outlines two promises that are given to the deacon who serves faithfully in that position.  

1.  He will have a “good standing” in the community of faith.   The word for “standing” in the text literally means that he will have a “step up.”   It means the deacon who serves well will have a godly, positive reputation among the believers and be seen with some level of prestige and/or influence.  This should not be taken as a “better-than” others thought, since the deacon literally is called to “serve” others.  This is not a position of power, but service.   That is what gives the deacon a “step-up” in the community - their reputation for serving others. 

2.  They will have increased confidence in their faith.   This is an amazing thought for someone serving the Lord.  The more we faithfully obey the Lord, the more the Lord works in our life to gives us stronger faith.  That stronger faith gives us the ability to more and more faithful to His Word.    When we obey the Word in faith, we can grow stronger in faith and have more confidence in our faith to serve Him more and more.  That gives us confidence.  The confidence is not like the confidence the world gets when the “perform” and “produce.”  That “productivity” confidence is always at jeopardy because others are determining if you are productive or not.  This confidence is based upon the obedience of faith to His Word.   God promises the gift of confidence when we obey His Word in faith and that gives us more confidence in our faith to obey Him.   

Serving God is the avenue of confidence.  Serving Him faithfully in obedience to His Word breeds more and more confidence in our faith.