Unbound (Part 1): Set Free
Photo Courtesy of Erwann Stephanne
The Cord, the Sword, & the lord
“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”
Not long ago, I was on my way to church. Before I even got there, several things ended up happening which left me feeling unsettled, anxious, and angry. It was a perfect set of circumstances to interrupt an intimate time with God, but by His Grace, I made a conscious decision to simply “let it go”.
As I leaned into worship, I closed my eyes & a specific image came to mind. It was a picture of several strings of thin-white cords which were attached to me. As I looked, they were severed with a sharp-sword that sliced through them with complete ease. The ends of the cords were left hanging from the point in which they were cut, and at that point, one specific word came to mind:
Unbound.
One definition of “unbound” defines the term as “released from bonds or restraints”. In Luke 4:18 (NLT), Jesus provided a powerful picture of the unbinding nature of the Holy Spirit when He said:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.”
All that breaks us, binds us, and blinds us—this is what the Spirit of Jesus Christ came to conquer. As Christ-followers, we should be experiencing victory through the Power of the Holy Spirit. We should be habitually “putting to death the deeds of our sinful nature, for this is what it means to truly live” (Romans 8:13).
For so long, much of the Church has fallen asleep or been pacified into operating from a completely defensive posture—weathering one attack after another on our minds, our families, and on our churches. The time is long overdue for the people of God to rise up & go on the offense.
We have to remember, if there were no need to battle, God would not have given us weapons that are fashioned for war. But as 2 Corinthians 10 reminds us, the mind is a battlefield that is bombarded with lies that oppose the Truth of God. And what is our remedy in this war?
The Word Of God.
When we effectively wield the sword of the Spirit, the Spoken Word of God, we execute righteous judgement. When we operate in God’s power, we cut the cords of anxiety that undermine our peace. We cut the cords of the enemy which keep us from living free. Jesus came to set the captives free, and who the Son sets free, is free indeed. It’s time to cut the cords.
It’s Time to live Set Free.
*Throughout this series, we’ll address specific areas that may be restraining your faith. While there’s work to be done in all of us, we have to remember this is a work that’s done in agreement with the Truth of God’s Word & the Power of Holy Spirit. If you attack your weak points from a self-reliant perspective, you will only frustrate your faith even further. Being “set free” will only come from a place of Godly humility.
This series is for those who have a God-inspired dissatisfaction with their current spiritual state. It’s for those who want to develop a deeper dependence on God every single day. My prayer is today’s post will reinforce a Christ-centered perspective, rejuvenate your desire for the Spirit’s leading, and reposition you to battle in a way that glorifies God.
work willingly
Those who battle effectively in God’s Kingdom are those who yield to the wisdom & authority of the One who leads this charge. They are the ones who respond to Jesus’ call to “not harden their hearts” when He speaks. They understand that hard hearts lead to trouble and—
Tender Hearts lead to transformation.
Tenderness is synonymous with willingness. And why does this matter? Because you can only help someone to the extent in which they willingly allow you to. In Matthew Ch. 18, Jesus used the humility of a child to demonstrate this profound Kingdom truth when He said:
“Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus Himself embodied this perfectly. He never did a single thing apart from what He first saw His Father do. Jesus showed us that, those who are willing to yield, will wield. Those who are willing to wait on the Lord will ultimately wield His Strength. So let us look to the Son of God, who surrendered Himself to the Father’s example. And by the Power of Holy Spirit, may we also—
“…become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us…”
treasure the truth
“Salt is good thing, but if it loses its strength & becomes flat, how will it be restored?”
Luke 14:34
One of the most important characteristics of salt is its ability to preserve. In the Christian life, the strength of our “salt” is ultimately measured by the Truth of Christ we live by. When we fail to treasure His Truth, we fall flat. However—
“Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong— these are the ones who will dwell on high.
The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance.”
Isaiah 33:15-16 (NLT)
When we abandon our integrity, we strip ourselves of His security. Which is the last thing God ever wants to see. We have to remember that in the battle of God’s Righteous Kingdom, it’s adhering to His Truth that leads us to advance. It’s by doing His Will that we come into the Fortress of the Father. When we choose to dwell in the higher place—
We experience the abundance of god’s grace.
Petition His Power
A few nights ago, a storm came through & knocked out the power in our home. I made sure the electric company was aware of the issue & their automated service gave a 3-hour time estimate for our power to be restored. Since it was late & the estimate wasn’t bad, I tried to just get some sleep.
3 hours later, the power still wasn’t back on. And now, the time-estimate had changed to at least a 9-hour job. Given the timetable, I couldn’t afford to run the risk of losing all our refrigerated food. So in the middle of the night, I decided to get out in the storm & grab ice.
Before I stepped out the front door, I told my kids to say a prayer for me and I asked God to restore our power soon. I sat down in the car, stuck the key in the ignition & turned it on. Before I could even change gears, the lights on our driveway came on.
The power was back on.
It’s remarkable how different life is when there’s an absence of God’s power. When you first lose it, things don’t appear to be catastrophic. You may be slightly less comfortable but it seems manageable. But the longer the power’s out, the more the issues compound. At some point—
you can’t live in darkness & devoid of power.
You can flip switch after switch all night long, but that’s not going to bring the power back on. You have to look beyond your limits & call out for help. You have to trust in the One who promised to be faithful to those who cry out to Him. He’s the only One who can dispatch the help that’s so desperately needed.
Don’t frantically hold things together when the Promises of God guarantee so much better. God is a Promise-Keeping God. If you find that you’re losing your way, get back to who you are in Christ. Be a promise seeker &—
Pursue the promise keeper.
let go of your limits
“And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight, so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent [identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences], and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin]; filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].”
Philippians 1:9-11 (AMP)
Nearly every day we get tied up with one thing or another. This sense of “being held back” can become so common, we often let it limit our ability to believe in the higher calling God has placed on our life. This is a new season to retire the tied-up mentality. This is the time to—
let go of your limits.
Press into your relationship with God without hesitation. Invite Him to conform you without reservation. And watch as the Love of God abounds in your life like you’ve never known before.
Keep growing in your faith
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today’s Takeaways
The Word of God is your remedy in this war.
tender hearts lead to transformation.
lean into the unlimited riches of God’s love.