Bible Questions Answered: Christian Loyalty

Bible Questions Answered:
Why are we to hate father, mother, wife and all others to follow Christ?
Roshan/ New Delhi, India

Bible Answers:

Christ's message was one of love.

John 15:9 KJV
As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.

I Corinthians 13:13 KJV
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I John 4:16 KJV
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.


Text:
Luke 14:25-27 KJV
25 And there went great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them,
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.

What else, Jesus had to say in Luke 14:15-24.

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

(Misplaced priorities by those invited to the feast!)

25 And there went great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them,
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.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and
counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

(Not counting the cost.)

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

(Conquest, without planning is foolish.)

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

(To be of value, must be strong until the end.)

* Hate-(verse 26)Greek-Miseo (Mis-eh-o): To love less.

Jesus never taught anyone to hate, his mother, father or wife and friends.

These words of Jesus, have to with what is the “priority,” in the life of a follower of Jesus.
Is Christ his first and foremost priority?
He must always remain the number one priority in the Christians life.

The gospel of Matthew show this so much clearer.

Matthew 10:34-39 KJV
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.

Moses well taught Israel...
Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deuteronomy 10:12 KJV
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Luke 14:27 KJV
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.

Matthew 10:38,39 KJV
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.

Jesus had told them, a cross was waiting for Him, no doubt He was preparing them, for what lay ahead, for them.

A Christian is to so love his Lord, as to be willing to lay down his life in obedience to Him.
Perhaps why most Christians today are “not,” under some form of enemy persecution, is because they are closet Christians.

No open testimony, no public witness of their faith, no loyalty to the Saviour.
Some time back this old pastor asked the following question...
“Would you consider taking your Bible with you down town, when you go to work, meet your friends, etc. etc..”

The reply was deafening, no responses whatsoever.
And so what do we see today, by so-called Christians? Dinning out they will not so much as bow their head for a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord that bought them.
Christians thinking it nothing wrong to find themselves in all kinds of "worldly amusements."
Friends, these things ought not so to be.

Christian, your greatest priority, should always be...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

When we live, that way, our actions will match, what we believe and say!

Matthew 7:13-21 KJV
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 KJV
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This is not a call for showy aggrandizement, or some kind of spiritual exhibitionism, far from it. It is the call of the humble, to remain faithful, and not shirk their private or public loyalty to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's.

One day, our life will only too well reveal just where our loyalties have been.