Fealty (fē′əl·tē) n. pl. ·ties 1. The obligation of fidelity owed to a feudal lord by his vassal or tenant. 2. Faithfulness; loyalty.

Fidelity (fī·del′ə·tē, fə-) n. pl. ·ties 1. Faithfulness to duties, obligations, vows, truth, etc.

There are some in the United Church who have a real problem with the word “Lord”. They want to expunge from the liturgical language any reference to Christ as their King. Yet, scripture refers constantly to God’s Kingship and Lordship over His creation. The Apostles often refer to Jesus as Rabbi (Teacher) and Master.

Christ himself said to Pilate, “You are right in saying I am a king.” (John 18:37) In Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2 and Luke 23:3 Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” and Jesus replies, “Yes, it is as you say.” 

Those who have trouble with these regal images of God and Jesus view the idea of divine kingship as if God were some kind of divine despot, bending us to His will and crushing us under the weight of His rule. I think those who rail against the idea of Christ as King are looking at the wrong part of the image.

The difference lies in the concept of fealty. Charles Price, the Senior Pastor of the People’s Church, talks about the fact that the United States has “citizens”, but Great Britain has “subjects”. The difference lies in the fact that the United States is a republic; Great Britain is a kingdom – a constitutional monarchy. A citizen owes his allegiance to a country. A subject owes his allegiance to a person.

Fealty, in its first instance, is not a quality but a vow. It is an obligation that a person undertakes to voluntarily submit oneself to the authority and direction of another. It’s an all-or-nothing act of submission. An oath of fealty is permanent. Once given, it cannot be withdrawn. The only one who can release you from an oath of fealty is the person to whom it has been sworn.

When the Apostles refer to Jesus as “Master”, they are doing so in the manner of an apprentice. When craftsmen were organized into guilds, an apprentice was bound in service to a master of his craft. It was a vow of fealty that the apprentice took to serve the master of the craft in exchange for his education. During the term of his apprenticeship, the apprentice was a bond-servant of the master. Leaving your master during this period was a serious offence. The apprentice earned his freedom when he achieved journeyman status. Only then could he sell his skills on the open market.

An act of acceptance and submission 

When you say the sinner’s prayer, it is both an act of acceptance of God’s redemption through grace, and a vow of fealty.

A former minister of our pastoral charge once said to me, “It has been my experience that while the person who prays the sinner’s prayer may not take it seriously, God always does.”

When you say the sinner’s prayer, you bind yourself as a disciple of Christ. It is, in part, an oath of fealty. And while you are bound in His service, you are also, strangely, set free. Set free from the chains of sin. Set free from the burdens of this world; set free from the day-to-day cares and worries of this life.

This is not to say that life suddenly gets better – that everything is suddenly coming up roses and there isn’t a cloud on the horizon. In my experience, quite the opposite is going to happen. Things are quite likely to begin “going to hell in a handcart”.

It is sometimes said that the closer you get to God, the closer you will also get to the devil. A friend of mine told me that when you genuinely turn to Christ, the first thing most likely to happen is that you are going to come under Satan’s attack. And the way that he will most likely attack you is through your family, because that is where you are the most vulnerable. This has been her experience. It has also been mine.

Christ has not promised us immunity from the troubles of this world. Quite the opposite:

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” (Matthew 24:9)

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:12-13)

Will your anchor hold? 

There is an old gospel hymn, which you can find in Voices United (#675). The opening line asks the question, “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?” It might be taken that this is a question about the strength of the believer, at least until you reach the chorus:

    “We have an anchor that keeps the soul
    Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
    Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
    Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!”

The oath of fealty does not so much obligate as free. In turning our lives over to Christ, as both Lord and Saviour, we need to remember not who we are, but whose we are. And standing sure in that understanding, we set our anchor firmly against the storms of our lives. We know with certainty that, despite all odds, God's purpose will prevail, and we are a part of His purpose. We rely on His strength, not ours.

Sola gracia.

— Banquo