Cutting Ties: Embracing True Freedom in Christ
In life's tumultuous journey, we often find ourselves clinging to false securities - our own version of lifeboats. These lifeboats, while seemingly offering safety, can actually hinder our spiritual growth and prevent us from fully embracing the freedom Christ offers. Today, we'll explore the concept of cutting ties with these lifeboats and learning to trust wholly in Jesus.
Imagine being aboard a ship caught in a fierce storm. The winds are howling at 74 to 114 miles per hour, waves crashing relentlessly against the vessel. For 14 long days, you battle this tempest, exhausting every known method to stay afloat. In desperation, you consider lowering the lifeboat - your last hope for survival. This scenario, reminiscent of Paul's journey to Rome in Acts 27, serves as a powerful metaphor for our spiritual lives.
Just as the sailors on that ship had to cut away their lifeboat to fully trust in God's plan, we too must identify and release the false securities we cling to. These lifeboats can take many forms, but here are seven common ones we need to address:
Self-reliance: How often do we charge ahead in life, making decisions about careers, relationships, and finances without seeking God's wisdom? Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Our own understanding is limited, but God's wisdom is infinite.
Sin comforts: Old habits, lifestyles, or relationships that seem fulfilling but actually separate us from Christ. Hebrews 12:1 urges us to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." These sin comforts are like cages, stopping our growth and resisting positive change.
Approval seeking: Living for others' approval leads to stress, worry, and unfulfillment. Galatians 1:10 asks, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." We cannot serve both God and the opinions of others.
Financial security: While being wise with money is good, trusting in wealth more than in God is dangerous. 1 Timothy 6:17 teaches us "not to be arrogant nor to put our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put our hope in God."
Partial obedience: Following God in most areas while keeping others under our control is still disobedience. Jesus asks in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" There's no middle ground - we're either all in or all out.
Clinging to our past self: It's time to embrace who we are in Christ rather than who we once were. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Our past is gone; it's time to walk in the newness of life.
Fear and control: The desire to control our lives out of fear of the unknown hinders our faith. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." God gives us courage to face the unknown.
Cutting ties with these lifeboats is an act of surrender and trust. It's about recognizing that Jesus is our true and only lifeboat. This truth is beautifully illustrated in the story of John Harper, a passenger on the ill-fated Titanic. As the ship sank into icy waters, Harper didn't scramble for physical lifeboats. Instead, he ran from person to person, asking, "Are you saved?" and urging them to "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." Even as he floated in the freezing water, his last words to a fellow passenger were an invitation to salvation. Harper understood that a soul saved for eternity far outweighed temporary physical safety.
This story challenges us: What will it take for us to cling to Jesus instead of our false lifeboats? When will we cut the ties to the very things holding us back from a full, surrendered life in Christ?
Colossians 3:11 reminds us that "Christ is all, and is in all." In the end, our ethnicity, social status, or past doesn't matter. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in us. When we stand before God, the only question of importance will be: Do you know Jesus? Does Christ live in you?
It's time to cut the ropes and go all in for Jesus. This decision starts with a simple yet profound step: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). It involves confessing our sins, laying them at the cross, and inviting the Lord to be our personal Savior.
As we reflect on these truths, let's challenge ourselves to identify the lifeboats we're clinging to. What's holding us back from full surrender to God? Remember, we stand here today made new in Christ, transformed by His grace. He has paid it all for us on the cross.
In the hymn "Jesus Paid It All," we're reminded of our weakness and Christ's strength:
"I hear the Savior say, Thy strength indeed is small. Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in me thine all in all."
Our own efforts are insufficient, but in Christ, we find our all in all. He has washed our sins white as snow, and through Him, we can stand complete before God's throne.
As you go about your week, pray for discernment to recognize what you're clinging to unnecessarily. Ask God to show you what needs to be untied and let go. Embrace the freedom that comes with full surrender to Christ. Remember, Jesus has paid it all - our debt is cleared, and we are raised to new life in Him.
May we all find the courage to cut ties with our false securities and experience the true freedom and peace that come from trusting fully in Jesus Christ.
