Allegiance

Allegiance

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

MY HUSBAND AND I have been studying the New Testament lately in light of the culture of that day. We’ve learned so much about unspoken rules and cultural norms that don’t translate as well two thousand years later when reading the same text. We’ve read books by authors much smarter than we are who have studied for years and graciously pass their knowledge on to us about the differences in culture that are important to keep in mind.

One topic that I have been ruminating on is the idea of allegiance and what it truly means from a biblical standpoint. I’ve been learning that for followers of Jesus in the New Testament, to say or proclaim that Jesus was Lord, was to deny your allegiance to Rome and Caesar. A dangerous undertaking, since saying anyone was Lord other than Caesar was grounds for treason, imprisonment, and even death. And yet, people would proclaim Jesus is Lord, knowing full well the implications of this statement. It completely changed their lives, and not always for the better.

People were willing to give up everything to offer their allegiance to Jesus. They would risk their social standing, family, and even freedom. And this challenges me today. I wonder, Would I do the same? Because although I appreciate growing up in a place where I can claim allegiance to Jesus without worry of imprisonment or death, I fear that we have lost some of the heaviness this statement implies.

And so, these are the questions I’ve been pondering: Is Jesus really Lord of my life? Does allegiance to him supersede everything else?

I’d like the answer to be a resounding yes, but if I’m honest, some days I don’t know that I always put Jesus first, although I am trying. Because I’m learning that allegiance is not just words we speak, but a way of life that allows everyone around us to see that Jesus is Lord.

Lord, may my allegiance to you be above everything else in my life. And may the words and the actions of my life say, Jesus is Lord. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Write down the five most important things in your life that you love and then ask yourself, Does my allegiance to Jesus exceed even these things?