Transferred Loyalty

November 12

(Acts 22:26-27 NIV) ““When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." {27} The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered.””

(Philippians 3:18-20 NIV) “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. {19} Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. {20} But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

A naturalized citizen has transferred their loyalty from one nation to another. In the past, the USA was a “melting pot”. People came from all over and melted together as citizens of one nation. Today, citizenship has been cheapened, and the nation is more like a “salad bowl” than a melting pot. Individualism reigns supreme. Assimilation is no longer necessary. Allegiance is no longer required, and loyalty has diminished. The same thing has happened in much of the church. We invite people to come join us, but “come as you are” has morphed into “remain as you are”. No change is required. No melting is necessary -- that would require heat, and we want to be seen as “cool”. Our Jesus offers a lot and demands very little. But this is not the Jesus or the church of Scripture. Citizenship in God’s Kingdom has requirements, discipleship is costly, and Christ commands a non-negotiable transfer of loyalty. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day