January 10, 2026
By Caleb Nowell, pastor of worship and youth at Paramount BIC, Allegheny Conference
Scripture meditation: Galatians 5:24 –“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Discipleship element: Wholehearted commitment and loyalty to Jesus Christ above all other allegiances.
As we read scripture, we often see Jesus starting somewhere unexpected in his teaching, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount. His teaching on murder in Matthew 5:21-22 takes an unexpected turn:
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment…”
Jesus doesn’t start with murder; he starts with anger. In a similar way, when talking about allegiance to Christ above all, I think we ought not to start with the big or obvious things that are easy to identify; things like sports teams, hobbies, convenience, routines, or our country.
Rather than starting with the obvious, we need to begin with the desires of our flesh. The heart issue of pride. The desire to be heard and seen. The desire for comfort and convenience. The desire to be culturally right. The desire for power.
In Galatians 5:24, Paul writes, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” The flesh asks us to pledge allegiance to our fleshly desires, including but not limited to the things listed above.
Giving our allegiance to anything other than Christ is idolatry. Idolatry can be tied to material things, but it ultimately comes from our sinful desire to please the flesh. Allegiance to Christ asks us to die to our flesh. Allegiance to Christ might ask us to break our habits and molds. As Christians, we are allegiant to Christ only, not Christ and.
So, friends, what are your idols, what do you worship, and where is your allegiance? Are there areas in your life that have taken priority over the most important thing, Jesus?
Prayer
Father, thank you for your patience, grace, and love for us. I desire to worship you and give you my allegiance. Holy Spirit lead me. Amen.