Divided Loyalty - Hosea 10:1-2

Introduction
One would have thought that at a period like this when churches are increasing everywhere then Christianity must be flourishing and the fear and love of God would permeate our society. However, what is flourishing today is not the Christianity as it was handed over to us, where people love God, fear God and are loyal to Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour; where God is seen as the ALMIGHTY but today what we have is idolatry. Many, today are serving God with divided loyalty.

Exodus 20:3
Isaiah 42:8
Deuteronomy 4:21-24
1 King 18:21
Matthew 6:24 (19-21)
Luke 14:25-33
Romans 6:16
James 1:8 (4:8)

What is Loyalty?

Let me define loyalty to better help us grasp what we are talking about. Loyalty can be defined as faithfulness to commitments.

A Christian viewpoint would define it this way, a noble, unswerving allegiance, rooted in faith and love, that binds hearts together in common purpose.

Loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

What is divided loyalty?

It suggests a person staggering, unable to catch his balance, and failing to accomplish anything of any consequence because his mind is divided. The person in such a circumstance cannot get a grip on life.

Why must you be loyal to God?
* He loves us unconditionally,
*He is always there when I need him most,
*He gifts us what I want or need before I even realize I want or need it.
*He shows up when we call Him.
*He is always on time in our situations. God is never early and is never late.
*When we felt lost and alone in the dark, he’s been our warmth and light to help us find our way.
*When we don't know what to do, he always has the answers.
*He's always testing us, making us. stronger than the day before.
*He looks out for us, loves us, protects us, he has never left us for the devil to succeed over us.
*He wants what the best for not only me, us, but anyone and everyone that'll accept his help and love.
*When we were in a dark place, in a pit of despair, he reached into the darkness and brought us out.
*He showed us what we could be if we follow the path he’s set for us.
*He knows what the desires of our hearts are.
*He knows me and you better than we do ourselves. For who knows the creation better than its creator. He knew us before we were even a thought in my parents minds.

Where have we divided our loyalty to Him?
1. Time
2. Work/Job
3. Money
4. Network/Other relationships
5. Worldly pleasures

Benefits of Compete Loyalty to God
1. Loyalty commands God’s protection and provision: Job experienced God’s protection and provision, he was committed and devoted to God alone and even offered sacrifices for himself and all his children (Job 1:5-10).
2. Loyalty compels God’s blessing: When Job remained faithful to God, God blessed him in abundance. (Job 42:12).
3. Loyalty brings inner peace and contentment: Even in the midst of his trials, Job experienced inner peace and contentment. His own loyalty gave him the assurance of God’s goodness and knew that God was in control (Job 23:10).
4. Loyalty compels answers to prayers: Because of Job’s faithfulness/loyalty job commanded his to offer sacrifices for his friends and as well pray for his friends and God heard his prayer (Job 43:8-9).
5. Loyalty brings honour, respect and compels men to favour you: Job’s faithfulness earned him honour and respect from others. He was renowned for his loyalty to God, which gave him a good reputation (Job 42:11)
6. Loyalty brings wisdom and understanding: Job’s loyalty allowed him to gain wisdom and understanding. He had a deep understanding of God and his ways, which was a result of his faithfulness (Job 23:12, Job 32:8).
7. Loyalty brings hope in difficult times: Despite facing difficult times, Job’s loyalty allowed him to remain hopeful. He trusted in God and knew that God would be with him in the midst of his trials (Job 13:15).
8. Loyalty brings strength and stability: Job’s loyalty enabled him to remain strong and stable in the face of adversity. His allegiance to God gave him strength and stability to endure each trial (Job 17:9).
9. Loyalty leads to restoration: At the end of Job’s story, God restores to him all that he had lost and blesses him beyond measure. This shows that loyalty and faithfulness, even in the face of adversity, can lead to restoration and blessings in the end. Job’s loyalty to God paved the way for his restoration and serves as a reminder that God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him.
10. Faithfulness brings eternal rewards: Job’s faithfulness was rewarded with eternal rewards. He was promised a place in heaven and an eternity with God (Job 19:25-27)

Conclusion
I know that God wants the very best for you, complete loyalty. Undivided attention but, yes, there is a price to pay. Total commitment means Jesus comes first in every area of our life. He is no respecter of persons, and He will amaze all who fully loyal to Him. God Himself is the greatest example of loyalty in His relationship with us. In 2 Timothy 2:13, Paul explains that being faithful is intrinsic to God's character: "If we are faithless, He remains faithful-- for He cannot deny himself." God wants us to be loyal to Him--to hate what is evil and love what is good. And it is only once we live in true and total loyalty to Him that we can have rightly ordered loyalty in our relationships with one another.