How to be Loyal

Here we have the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter sat down among his enemies. He denied the Lord, the faith, and the brotherhood! Yet, Peter and John were to become heroic examples of loyalty to Jesus Christ. When the mighty God of Heaven took the imprisonment of Peter and John into His own hands, sending an angel of the Lord to open the prison doors, He said to the disciples, “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” This command was contrary to the orders given by the Jewish rulers; but, did the apostles say, “we cannot do this until we consulted the magistrates, Sanhedrin, or the authorities and received permission from them?” No! God had said, “Go”, and they obeyed. Moreover, they did not go into hiding somewhere securely. They entered into the Temple early in the morning and taught. The believers were amazed and full of joy when they heard their story.

The high priest, council, and rulers, however, conspired to charge them with insurrection when they heard the astonishing report of their escape from prison, and that, “Behold, the men that you put in prison are standing in the Temple, and teaching the people.” The Captain with his officers came and took them again, without violence for fear of being stoned.

Jesus Christ warned the disciples beforehand, “take heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to the councils.” (Mk. 12:9). They were delivered from prison as a token of God’s love, but now they were to suffer for the sake of the One whose gospels they were preaching. When the High Priest said, “didn’t we tell you not to preach in His name,” they answered, “we obey God rather than man.” They obeyed at whatever cost to themselves.

In the history of the prophets and apostles are many noble examples of loyalty to God. (AA 81) But, in our opening verse, the Apostle Peter denied the Lord. From a faithful believer, loyal to God, he suddenly became an outcast, an unbeliever, a stranger,… disloyal! Circumstances, somehow, changed… suddenly for Peter! Something mysterious happened in his life. His devoted loyalty left him. Why?

But, first what do we mean by loyalty? Well, it means faithfulness, to someone supreme in power, rank, or authority; a government, ruler, leader, or cause. It also means devotion, allegiance, fidelity. All mean a sense of duty or devoted attachment to something or someone. It’s really a sentiment and the feeling of devotion that one holds for one’s country, creed, family, friends, principles, doctrines. Going on further, in our interests, it means faithful to one’s oath, commitments, or obligations, something deserving fidelity, devotion to our vows, or covenant.

Adam’s loyalty was tested. (CS 65). Abel had the spirit of loyalty. (PP71). The unfallen angels kept and maintained their loyalty. (PP 38-9). There are many steps by which men can prove their loyalty. “If you love me keep my commandments.” (Col 28:3); (John 14:15)

“The Sabbath has been the test of loyalty in all ages”. (GW 148) “It’s an evidence of your loyalty.” (GC 435). “Your tithes and offerings, too, are a token test of your loyalty” (9T 245). “There will be a sharp conflict between those loyal to God, and those who mock the Law.” The test of loyalty comes to everyone. The test of love for Jesus is a practical one, all the rest is sentimental confusion.” There are only two sides. On which side are you?” (8T 120). “You’ll be called on to prove your loyalty.” ( MYP 29).

Let’s return to the Apostle Peter’s disarming denial, and see how this may apply to our own lives. Perhaps, we are concealing our loyalty to the Lord with denial, without understanding why, but may be manifeste in our conduct, failures, or uneasiness and anxiety in life.

We must first believe that it is the loyal soul who believes that God manages or engineers or changes circumstances in our lives. It’s common, and natural, for many, however, to take our circumstances too freely or lightly, that they… just happened. We don’t all believe that God engineers or manages them… arranges or designs circumstances, but we treat or look at things as if they were engineered or designed by mortal man and leave it at that. We want to be loyal and faithful but often struggle with this question… how?! To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty… and that is to our Lord. Remember this.

But, what happens in our lives? Suddenly God comes into our lives and changes things. He breaks up a particular set of circumstances or conditions. Things change! Often very suddenly. We didn’t “plan on it”. We use the word circumstances, as it means conditions surrounding and affecting a person, and is usually, but not always, health, position, locality, financial conditions. That’s just a fact of life, isn’t it?

So, what happens next when this happens? After some heart-searching and panic prayers, we finally realize that we have not been loyal to Him. How have we been disloyal to Him? By not recognizing that it was His hand, and His will, and His design to order things and change things. We never really understood or saw what He was after or why, because we lost communion with Him. We lost that personal communication with Him. We drifted away. We could not hear His voice. We could not see His hand working. We became impatient!

If we could just learn to worship God in difficult or trying circumstances with deep, earnest, soul-searching prayer, He will change them in two seconds… when He chooses.

It seems that loyalty to Jesus Christ, today is the thing which many are confused or hesitate about. We will be loyal to our work, to serve, to our family, our children, teachers,… to anything and anyone, but, do not ask us to be loyal to Jesus Christ. Many Christians even become impatient of talking about loyalty to Jesus!

Our Lord is dethroned and recrucified perhaps more by Christians than by the world of unbelievers. For many God is made merely a “blessing-machine” for blessing mortal men… He’s considered an ordinary worker among workers. (Heb 6:1-6) The word, however, ringing over and over again in our mental life is… obey, obey. Remember, we go through nothing that God does not know about.

We all have to find our “niche”, or suitable place in this life, and spiritually we find it when we are called by the Lord. In order to do this we must have walked with Jesus. We must know Him more than a personal Saviour. “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Mat 5:10). There’s no choice but absolute loyalty to the Lord. No compromises! You will know it when you are in the closest contact with Him. It’s not just a calling, but it’s an opportunity! You’ll know it again when you’re in real touch with Him. You’ll feel it. You’ll see it. The world will see it in you. God will see it in you from above.

The Apostle Peter had no choice of service, only absolute loyalty to our Lord’s commission.

Our Lord has told us over and over how love to Him is to manifest itself. He asked Peter and is asking us. “Do you love Me”?… “Feed my sheep”. Show God’s interests in other people, not your interests in other people; lead them. (1 Cor. 13:4-8). The scriptures of 1 Cor. 13 gives us the character of this love beautifully. Read it daily.

This is the love of God expressing itself. This is a practical test for our love for Jesus.

Loyalty is a supernatural work of redemption, by the Holy Spirit. When the love of God is in our heart this love works through us in our contacts with everyone we meet. We remain loyal to Him in spite of all the worldly opposition.

The key to loyalty is being attached to “nothing and no one”, except our Lord Himself. To do this we need to keep our souls open and concentrated to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have we been feeding Jesus Christ’s sheep? Think a moment. Have we been nourishing the lives of people in the understanding of Jesus? Or, are we just sitting on our obese doctrines only? According to Jesus, living loyalty means that we feed His sheep in the knowledge of Him, and not feed them with our doctrines only. Driving loyalty is not that I am true to doctrine but true to Jesus.

Peter had boasted earlier of his love for Jesus. “Though all men shall be offended of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Math 26:33). In essence he said, “I will never stumble.” But, what did he say later? “Lord, You know all things. You know I love you.”

“Feed my sheep”!
Get rid of the idea that you must only do good things, and remember what Jesus said, “He who believes in me out of his heart will flow living waters.” In the Christian life it is never “do, do”, but “be, be”, and I, Jesus will do through you. But, we are to “do” the will of God. The type of man produced by the Spirit of Jesus is the one who has a family likeness to Jesus. Strive for this.

Finally, salvation is easy (Hab. 2:4; Mk. 11:22) because it cost God so much, but the manifestation of it in our lives is difficult. God does expect “man to be a man”. What does He mean by this?

Well, it’s simply this. God saves a man and embues or leads him with the person of the Holy Spirit, and says it in a way we can understand, “Now it is up to you to prove it, now you work it out; be loyal to Me while the nature and circumstances of things all around you would make you disloyal. (Lk. 12:4). (John 15:14); (3 John 14).

“I have called you friends,” He says, “now stand loyal to your Friend, Jesus.”
AMEN.

John Theodorou, USA