Imagine being given the choice between staying chained to the railing of a sinking ship or having a seven-pound anchor shackled to your leg before you abandoned ship.
What a terrible choice! Of course, one choice offers no hope of survival. The other provides little confidence of being rescued, though.
It’s hard enough to stay afloat or swim with no additional weight pulling us down and having to compensate for more weight pulling us down would exhaust us in no time and we’d continually be gripped with fear of death.
Listen, God doesn’t want us to face such anxiety. That’s why He calls us into relationship with Him.
Without Him, we’re going down sooner or later because nobody can be perfect and thus earn eternal life.
But when our hearts are placed into His hands, we no longer have to worry about if our spiritual ship is sinking.
You see, nothing of this world is taking the Kingdom of God down or Satan would have already succeeded in doing so.
Remember that Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against God’s Kingdom.
And when our hearts are placed into God’s hands, we no longer have to swim with the anchor of guilt because God offers the promise that we are “new creations” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), the old has gone away.
Living and serving God without fear of His wrath and in ways that please Him and instruct others — this is our mission as believers as taught in Luke 1.
Embedded in that chapter’s words involving the birth of John the Baptist are these compelling, inspiring words that describe the life that God intended to bring to Israel through the advent of this future prophet.
“We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.” (vv. 74-75)
Please join me in committing this passage to memory. For it captures the core of what God wants from us — confident minds, holy hearts and godly choices.
Boldness. Holiness. Righteousness. For as long as we live.
Let’s do this.
As always, I love you
Martin
