I Am only loyal to the Word..not to any man

I Am only loyal to the Word..not to any man

A wise believer doesn’t do cliches .
Don’t get excited at such statements without thoughtful considerations.
The question is why make such statements as a preacher ..

Jesus taught loyalty to himself ..

Luke 14:26-27 KJV
[26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

He didn’t mention God,they hardly knew who he was fully .

Peter faltered even though he tried to be loyal

Luke 22:33 KJV
[33] And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

This is a fact in discipleship.You can’t claim to follow without loyalty .

Those who are loyal to others don’t devalue loyalty. Jesus was loyal
Even to his own disciples.
John 20:17 KJV
[17] Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Loyalty is both for leadership and followers-hip

Paul taught this too ..

1 Corinthians 4:14-17 KJV
[14] I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you .
[15] For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
[16] Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17] For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

You are my sons – identification
You can’t have many fathers – signification and distinction
Be the followers of me – discipleship, loyalty ,ME.
I sent Timothy – only a loyal man can transmit loyalty
To bring You remembrance of my ways -It’s not just my personality ,it’s my example .
In Christ – such the could be seen in Jesus himself
As I teach everywhere- you don’t follow just the exegesis etc ,follow instructions and pattern .

These facts are unassailable.

The term disciple is a student who learns what you teach and practices what you do according to the Word.

This is loyalty to men ,in Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1 KJV
[1] Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Don’t lose a vital fact here.Why didn’t he say “ follow Christ “
He said me as I also of Christ ,leadership is Christ’s leading to us .

1 Timothy 4:12 KJV
[12] Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

To that extent ,we follow them in Him .

Our loyalty to Christ can’t be divorced from our loyalty to His men .

Same way you can’t claim to love God in a vacuum

1 John 4:20 KJV
[20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

You can’t be loyal to Christ and be disloyal to his men .

2 Timothy 3:10 KJV
[10] But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Like Timothy ..

Philippians 2:20-22 KJV
[20] For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
[21] For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
[22] But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

This is of high reckoning .

A Timothy will prove trust too .

Paul obviously was loyal to him .
It’s commitment to others ,a cause and course

Loyalty means to avoid men who oppose those or what whom we have thus discussed ,which you are loyal to or should be

Jesus so warned

Matthew 16:6 KJV
[6] Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

They can’t love you if they disdain me .

3 John 1:9-11 KJV
[9] I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
[10] Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. [11] Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

John wrote same to gauis .

Beware of this fellow who opposed us .
Don’t follow him .

Loyalty to the message can’t be separate from the men who teach it .

Paul told Timothy the same ..

2 Timothy 4:14-15 KJV
[14] Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
15] Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

Notice the pronoun,” me “ not Christ .
Same as john to gauis

This is loyalty .

It also means take and receive recommendations from men you are loyal to

Philemon 1:17-19 KJV
[17] If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
18] If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19] I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it : albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

That’s loyalty

You can’t ignore this ethos and claim to be “ loyal to Christ “
Which Christ ?
Did Christ teach you ? Pastor you ? Care for you ? Pray for you ?
Outside these men and women ?
So who suddenly forgets His men at whimsical convenience.

We must learn loyalty to Christ in our loyalty to his men .

Some quickly raise the flag of manipulation…
Don’t allow fear .

We are loyal in families,to business associates etc for selfish reasons and don’t fear manipulation, so why fear same in Gods family .

We can’t sustain any cause or course without a sense of commitment to each other .

I won’t listen further or dare to follow anyone who says “ am not loyal to anybody “

Even God speaks of loyalty to His cause ,for his course .
I usually prove men who I can vouch for by their consistency in relationships.
If they can’t be to relationships,why would I say They would be to the message or anyone ,talk less myself

By so admitting or acclaiming “ I am not loyal to anyone but the word “,it means I can’t trust you to be wholeheartedly committed to me..

We all need commitment,whole hearted devotion in good times ,not too good times ..

The disciples ditching Jesus wasn’t a good example .

It’s wrong to ditch others ,it’s not of God

2 Timothy 4:16 KJV
[16] At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

Strong words !

Faithfulness is our nature ..

Galatians 5:22 KJV
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

It means to believe in others ,Be believed in and relied upon by others .

Jesus was loyal to men who still betrayed him and he never faltered on his loyalty to them

It’s a virtue not a situational attitude

So as you are loyal to the word ,be loyal to his men too,.

You are blessed