Loyalty Is a Biblical Virtue
In the Eastern culture, loyalty is the key requirement in a relationship.
As a way to illustrate, should a friend who was gracious to me or helped me in the past have a conflict with me on social media, I would be obligated to remember his past kindness and refrain from showing anger or resentment, let alone unfriending him. This obligation is not optional. My friend’s past benevolence towards me demands that I must remain loyal to him as a way to maintain the relationship — because in the Eastern culture, a relationship is always reciprocal. To show loyalty, I could return his favor, stand up to defend his name, or overlook contentions between us, etc. Loyalty is considered one of the highest honors in life. Conversely, disloyalty towards a friend who has done you good incurs shame and terminates the relationship.
In all fairness, loyalty in a reciprocal relationship has its weakness. When not checked by other virtues, it could lead to corruption, including bribery or concealing a friend’s misdeeds, etc. But it still merits consideration in today’s America, because it was habitually practiced in the Bible.
In Both Testaments
In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham’s loyalty. When Abraham did not hold back his son, Isaac, God promised, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore… because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:17-18). This promise was not made randomly, but was a way to reciprocate Abraham’s loyalty.
Joseph, when tempted by Potiphar’s wife, ran from temptation, not because of an abstract sexual code of ethics, but because Potiphar trusted him. He said:
“Behold because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:8-9).
The Apostle Paul advocates for the church to take care of widows. However, “if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God” (1 Timothy 5:4). But in our society, demanding that children repay their parents would be inconceivable, though such practice is normal in today’s nonwestern culture.
God’s demands for Israel’s obedience were often set in the context of what He had done for Israel: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” This is the context in which the Ten Commandments were given. When Israel disobeyed, Moses asked, “Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people?” (Deuteronomy 32:6).
The reverse was also true. When Israel was loyal to God, He would continue to deliver them from their enemies. “If you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries” (Exodus 23:22).
Clearly, loyalty is a biblical virtue, and God’s relationship with His people is set in the context of a reciprocal relationship. Though God is infinitely more powerful and faithful/loyal than we are, He has chosen to reveal Himself to and fellowship with us through the context of a reciprocal relationship sustained by loyalty. Otherwise, why did He use marriage to represent His relationship with Israel and the Church? Among human relationships, which requires a higher degree of reciprocity and loyalty than marriage? None. A marriage cannot sustain itself if one side refuses to reciprocate, and disloyalty dismisses the bond.
Loyalty Is the Foundation of Sanctification
Consequently, it’s entirely scriptural to assume that many concepts in the Bible, such as God’s infinite faithfulness/loyalty towards us and the necessity of sanctification on our part, should not be viewed in isolation, but should be interpreted within the context of a reciprocal relationship.
Otherwise, it makes little sense to discuss Jesus’s sacrificial death. Why did Jesus have to die? Why does His blood have the power to save us? However, from the perspective of loyalty within a reciprocal relationship, the picture becomes clear: As fully divine, His death was done on God’s behalf. “While we are still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God took the initiative to save the relationship with humankind, which demonstrated His utmost faithfulness/loyalty to us. In contrast, as fully human, Christ’s death showed His obedience to God the Father, and it fulfilled the requirement of loyalty on our part. As we profess our faith in Jesus, we claim His act as our own.
In addition, within this reciprocal relationship, Jesus’s death demands our continued obedience. “If you love me, keep my commandments,” He said (John 14:15). This is why sanctification is not an option, but a necessity to sustain our relationship with God, even though in reality God is eternally gracious and forgiving.
A culture that focuses on an individual’s interest does not seem to foster the lifestyle of reciprocity and its demand for loyalty.
A Lesson in Friendship
Many years ago, while living in a Midwestern state, I helped out in the kitchen of my children’s Christian school alongside another parent who was Korean. One day she brought a big tray of bulgogi to us. We thanked her and enjoyed the food. But the next time she walked into the kitchen, she looked around and her face grew long. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I’m lonely, I need friendship.” I don’t think the other ladies in the kitchen knew what her problem was, and by then I had been Americanized. But her sadness reawakened me to my previous way of life and I instantly realized that our lack of reciprocity was the source of her disappointment.
The Korean lady brought bulgogi to initiate a friendship. It was her way to tell us that she liked us and wanted to start a friendship with us. Those who accepted her invitation should have brought something to reciprocate as a way to show acceptance. From there, through give-and-take, the relationship would grow and flourish. But unfortunately, she wasn’t reciprocated.
I later gave my Korean friend a lesson on American Culture 101: namely, it emphasizes individual freewill. If I’m nice to you, it is because I choose to be nice to you and I usually do not expect anything in return from you. This is fundamentally different from the Eastern culture, and by extension, biblical culture.
Though American culture lacks the practice of reciprocity, let alone loyalty, many American Christians have experienced a certain degree of reciprocity in their walk with God. We often say that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship; it is indeed a give-and-take relationship, though God is infinitely more faithful, and forever gracious and forgiving. We know that if we’re faithful/loyal to God, we can expect Him to repay us a hundredfold. Take tithing, for instance; I have never heard one person who is rich towards God complain that God is cheap towards him.
Trump As an Example
However, I still believe that awareness of reciprocity in our relationship with God can help increase our sensitivity about what we must do in light of what God has done for us. Without this framework, we can easily stop at “justification by faith,” ignoring many clear biblical teachings on God’s demand for us to live a sanctified life.
Very few elected presidents have proven loyal to the supporters who voted for them. Christians have rallied behind many presidential candidates who professed to believe in Jesus and made many promises — but few have fulfilled their pledges. One by one, they adopted the political lifestyle of Washington D.C. and shifted their loyalty to government institutions, i.e., The Swamp. President Donald Trump is one of the very few who have not done this.
Though he is a man of many flaws, he has the biblical virtue of loyalty. Once a taxi driver helped him fix his car when it stalled on the road. Trump reciprocated this kindness by paying off the taxi driver’s mortgage. I think this virtue might have been the reason that God chose him as His instrument in the crucial elections of 2016 and 2024. God knew that if Christians supported Trump, he would not let us down. Proverbs 20:6 says, “Many proclaim themselves loyal, but who can find one worthy of trust?” Trump has proven that he, indeed, is worthy of trust.
For today’s American Christians, the issue of loyalty has crucial implication. The line of reasoning of 1 John 4:20 suggests that if we are not loyal to our friends whom we have seen, we probably will not remain loyal to God, whom we have not seen.
It takes a sense of honor and courage to remain loyal to a friend, and in some instances, sacrifice. Perhaps we can learn a lot from President Trump. If we do, we will become more trustworthy, both to men and to God. After all, loyalty is a biblical virtue.
Chenyuan Snider was raised in Communist China and majored in Chinese language and literature in college. After immigrating to the U.S. and studying at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School, she became a professor at Christian colleges and seminary. She and her husband live in northern California and have two grown children.