Monday, February 28, 2022

            Cling is a good biblical word.  Do you cling to anything?  Do you cling to anyone?  Often, we speak of clinging to God and especially during difficult and demanding times where we are running low on stamina or strength.  Some people cling to a particular Bible verse.  Others cling to a favorite Christian hymn or song.  Some people have a promise from God that they visibly put everywhere they can.  God spoke of a man leaving his father and mother behind and cleaving to his wife (Genesis 2:24).  But there can be some dangers with clinging.  We are not to cling to sin or destructive habits and ways of life.  We are not to cling to bitterness, gossip, resentment or hard feelings.  And, maybe surprisingly, Jesus said we are not to cling to our lives.  Consider His words in Luke 17:33, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it." What could Jesus mean?  A few possibilities deserve our consideration.
            First, Jesus wants us to recognize that this life and this world are not the end.  They are not the goal.  They are not the final destination.  There is much more that awaits us—indescribably and unbelievably more.  I Corinthians 2:9 says we cannot even imagine what God has planned for His people in the world to come.  Jesus does not want us to forget that we are to live with eternity in view at all times.  If we give little thought to what comes next, then we are living dangerously.
            Second, Jesus wants us to realize that we cannot save ourselves.  We are powerless to do that.  There is no need to grow too comfortable and too content with the life we have because we deserve judgment.  We have maligned and ruined our lives with sin.  We need to start over with a new birth and a second chance.  The only way we experience that new birth is if we are willing to die to the old ways and the old self.  We are to be crucified with Christ Paul wrote (Galatians 2:20).  When we are crucified with Christ, we no longer live but Christ lives in us.
            Third, if we give up our lives for the life Christ offers us then we are assured of victory.  To live eternally, we must be willing to die in the present and give up the old ways of life.  The life that Christ offers extends beyond the boundaries and times of earth and this present existence.  I Corinthians 13 teaches us that even the best of days here are but a poor imitation of what is to come (13:12). 
            Fourth, Jesus is issuing a call for us to cast ourselves completely on Him.  Remember, Jesus told His first disciples to leave their nets behind so they could be totally and completely with Him.  We are to cast ourselves on the Lord.  A familiar hymn says to us that our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  To be completely reliant on Christ means we have given up all other ways and things. 
            If you have a hobby, you might know that some collections and hobbies can become quite rewarding and lucrative.  Coins, stamps and art collections can be bought and sold for millions of dollars.  But we cannot put a price on the life that Christ offers us.  That’s why we are not to cling to the old, sin-stained life we have.  We are to trade it for the life that Christ won for us at the cross.  That life is eternal and everlasting.  Could there be something that you cling to in life that did not come from the Lord?  Could there be some clutter and clinging that deserve to be cast aside so you could enjoy what the Lord has chosen for you? 
            We are to leave a light footprint in this world.  Because it is not our eternal home
or destiny.  A far greater life and place await the follower of Jesus Christ.  Live lightly each day.  Do not cling to sin or sinful things.  Be willing to give up and to throw down the things that come between God and you.  Take Jesus at His word and let go of the things that hold you down and back so you can enjoy all that He has for you.  In less than a month, we will welcome another Spring and life returns to many places.  Spring can be a reminder that Christ seeks to bring His life to barren places.  Open your heart to those places.  Have a great Monday!  Remember you can always share our worship at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.