What does the Bible mean when it speaks of being faithful and steadfast? How should we best guard our hearts and be on the alert against temptation? What are the daily routines we should establish to follow Christ well and finish strong?
Bible Gateway interviewed Cynthia Heald about her book, The Faithful Way: Remaining Steadfast in an Uncertain World (NavPress, 2019).
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Why do you consider the terms faithful and steadfast to be important?
Cynthia Heald: Because faithful and steadfast occur frequently in Scripture, I think these qualities must be important to God, and therefore they should be significant to us! To be faithful is to be loyal and trustworthy. Faithfulness is an integral part of the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit in our lives. Consequently, God desires that his children be faithful. I believe he looks forward to saying these welcoming words when we meet him face to face: “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, NLT; emphasis added). Psalm 119:30 expresses this thought: “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws” (NIV). Here we see the psalmist’s intent to be faithful and his desire to be steadfast. To be steadfast in this context implies a determination and single-mindedness to be faithful. One of the first verses I memorized as a young believer was 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (ESV).
By Walter Wangerin Jr.
In the Bible, thanksgiving to God—both for 
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