True Security Founded in Faith

The Tangent College

I have identified 4 major types of temporary security, or safety, that people cling to:

1) family
2) religion
3) culture/ ethnicity/ kindred
4) land/ country/ hometown

These four things are usually touted as good, wholesome, all American, apple pie, and “Christian”, and yet the biblical true life of faith asks us NOT to cling to any of these. But each one of these four things can become a stumbling stone and a snare to following Chirst.  

Consider how God asks us to leave each one of these things behind in order to follow Him. This is the reason that the life of faith is so challenging for so many people, precisely because they cannot step out from these things that they cling to – that give them temporary security.  Faith is terrifying because the safety nets are taken away. When you take away these temporary, man-made, safety nets, and venture out of the boat, you will realize that FAITH IS THE REAL SECURITY that you seek.

All these four things can hold the follower of Christ back. The biblical way of true faith is NOT to celebrate family, religion, ethnicity, land but it is to rise above these things and realize that now you have a new family, reality (rather than religion), children of God (rather than of blood), citizens of heaven rather than tied to land, the earth or simply your hometown.

Consider the wisdom found in the old gospel tunes which say; “this world is not my home, I’m just passing through. All my hopes and dreams, lie just beyond the blue”; and also the one I did on my album Canaan Land “Wayfaring Stranger” which says; “I’m just a poor wayfaring stranger, traveling through this world of woe. But I know there is no pain, toil or danger in that bright land to which I go”.  

There is no longer a holy land here on earth. There is nothing sacred in the land of Canaan or Palestine or Zion. Our Mount Zion is in heaven and not on this earth. To focus on land is so Old Covenant. Both the Jews and the Muslims are obsessed with this concept of a “holy land” which they war over.  Both of these religions are antichrist (more pointedly, the Jews).  Religion is so often tied to land and culture and ethnicity. But God is one and there is only one true God; and he is the only God over all creation, and he has one begotten Son, Jesus Christ. All other gods of all of these religions are idols – including rabbinical Judaism.  Religion itself becomes an idol and a snare and needs to be abandoned. 

“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  – John 18:36-37

Abraham, the father of faith, the first thing that God says to him :
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you”.  Genesis 12:1

In this one verse, the life of faith begins with Abraham leaving his family, and thus his religion of his fathers, his culture he grew up in, and most pointedly, the land with which he was familiar.  Abraham is our example of faith.

And yet every place I go I see the snares and the inability to escape the safety nets of family, religion, ethnicity, and the hometown with which they grew up in. Many people, even after they discover the truth and begin to follow Christ, tremble at the thought of leaving their religion, “The Church” (Mormon or Catholic or hundreds of other powerful religious institutions that put dread in the hearts and hold captive claiming that salvation is only through their church and under their “protective” authoritative umbrella).  The true Church of God is not an institution but is rather a spiritual thing of all believers with Christ as the head.  There is no Pope or priest between you and God other than Jesus Christ Himself.

Some people struggle with following Christ because they cannot leave their family. I see this all the time and it is directly found in Scripture:

And as they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke  9:57-62

Notice how Jesus himself has no place to call home. He too is an alien.  There is nothing wrong with saying goodbye to your family, nor with honoring your father and mother as is commanded, but Jesus could tell that it was a snare for these people who asked Him. Honoring your father is very different than clinging to your family and not following after Jesus.

Please be aware and consider that all of these four things are rarely spoken of in a positive light in the Bible.  That includes “family”. Most of the families represented in the Bible are rather dysfunctional and the people of faith must separate themselves in order to follow the Truth.  Abraham had to separate himself from Lot.   Even Jesus from His family and hometown. 

…. Just sayin’…..It’s just reality….