1 Peter 5:12 KJV
[12] “By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.”
Silvanus was the man who carried this letter to the various churches. Paul calls this man a faithful brother because he was trustworthy to deliver the Word of God to the churches. He was possibly Silas in the Book of Acts. Silas was a man whom the Jerusalem church highly regarded, and he became Paul’s companion on many of his missionary journeys.
Regardless of who we think this man was, we must remember one important fact. It is not his name that matters as much as his character. Paul knew that he would accomplish his mission because he was faithful in God’s work.
We desperately need men like this today. As I look around the church, I see faithful men who are just like Silvanus. Men that the pastor and the church can depend on. They are committed to their prayer life, church attendance, labor, and giving to the church. They are men who lead their homes in worship and live godly lives.
Some men are half in and half out, while others are not engaged at all in the work. They do well to show up for a service now and then. If you profess salvation, then you should be a faithful brother in Christ and support your pastor and church regularly. Faithfulness to the church should stem from your faithfulness to Christ. The reason so many men are unfaithful to their local church is that their walk with God is lacking.
It is easy to be faithful to someone you love and want to please. When we love the Lord with all of our heart, we want to be devoted to both His will and His work. I feel sorry for women who must carry the spiritual load of the home. They have a man who works hard and is faithful to his job, but not to his God. He uses the good job that God gave him as the reason for being unfaithful to the work of the Lord.
Dear reader, if you are a man, I encourage you to lead your home and assist your church faithfully. If you are a lady with an unfaithful husband, pray for his spiritual growth. I would also add that every child of God should determine to have a testimony of faithfulness to the Lord.