Faithful to the End

Being faithful today is synonymous with being loyal. We are loyal to friends. We are loyal to family. We are loyal to our employers. If any of these groups betray us, our loyalty fades or even disappears. As Christians our loyalty is to Christ, who never betrays us.

In those days, Peter said to the people, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Acts 2.38-43

For early Christians, loyalty was expressed through the Church and the Holy Apostles. Christ established His Church and ordained His Apostles as the leaders of the Church. He promised the Apostles would be guided into all the truth. In return our ancestors were loyal.

The loyalty of the ancient Church was witnessed in countless martyrs and confessors, who were willing to endure torture and even death for their faith in Christ and His Church. For the ancient Christians, Church and Christ were synonymous. Times have changed.

Today we spend most of our time fighting the Church. We accuse the Church of being ‘behind the times’ morally and question Church policy. We are no longer loyal to the Church. We no longer think of Christ and the Church as One. We are wrong.

There may be instances, here and there, where people have a lapse of judgment. The Church has endured countless examples of those who would lead the Church astray. It was loyalty to the Church of the Apostles that has always returned the Church to her core beliefs, and Christ.

As we close the ‘season’ of Theophany today the Church is reminding us that we were called to a life of repentance and loyalty. We must change the way we ‘view’ the Church. We must return to the ancient understanding that Christ and the Church are One.

When the ancient Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and fellowship” they were devoting themselves to Christ and the Church. The only way that worked then, and the only way it will work now, is to live in common beliefs and practices. We must be one.

Our unity isn’t just about Church policy. Our unity is a spiritual truth. Christ prayed for our unity with Him and each other. “That they may be one as We are One.” (John 17.11) Our loyalty to the Church is our loyalty to each other, really to our own salvation.

Open the Church calendar any day and read the lives of countless examples of faithful loyal saints. Their lives should inspire us to remain faithful to the end, as they were faithful. Here’s another New Year Resolution. Be faithful to the Church TO THE END, like the Saints.

loy