The more I read the Bible, especially during Advent, the more I continue to sense one consistent, persistent, and insistent message from it: faithfulness.

God is faithful to pursue the delight of His own glory. The proof of His faithfulness is the sending of His Son. The evidence of our faithfulness is a stubborn, steadfast trust in His future grace.

• Faithfulness to God is to be wholly His.
• Faithfulness to God is strengthened by not thinking lightly of sin.
• Faithfulness to God teaches me to forgive as I am/have been forgiven.
• Faithfulness to God is Word-driven trust in future grace.
• Faithfulness to God is Spirit-fueled courage to press on when I would prefer to stay put.

But God would not have me neither stuck nor paralyzed. He would have me move. Forward! If not with my feet, then certainly with my heart and mind. In truth, I can move forward in my heart and mind, then will my feet follow. Surely this is the aim of Paul’s exhortation at the beginning of Colossians 3. A key ingredient in the life of faithfulness is to keep my heart and mind focused on Christ who reigns above.

The caveat says beware being too heavenly minded so as to be no earthly good. The caveat is – with all due respect – wrong! If I am to be any earthly good, then I must be heavenly minded. I must set my affections on the things that are above.

The things here below are too fickle, too ephemeral, too untrustworthy. There is only One in Whom I can trust. As the poet said, they who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true. No, I will direct my heart and my mind heavenward.

Our fault is not thinking too much of heaven but too little! It is from thence comes my help, does it not? From whence comes my help if not from heaven? I cannot forgive unless I lift my eyes to the heavens – the throne of God – there to see Christ Jesus, the great High Priest, my High Priest interceding for me in light of His death for my sin.

This is wondrous grace; amazing grace! This is Good News: God with us. His faithfulness is the source of my faithfulness. His faithfulness makes it possible to be wholly His and thus, not to think lightly of sin – my sin, our sin.

Jesus is Immanuel. For He will save His people from their sins.

You think about that.