Loose and Firm

Loose and Firm

God is the fixed point. We are firmly attached to Him by faith. With the flesh and the old man firmly held by nails to the cross of Calvary, our spirit has its steadfast place in in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Resolute, rooted, grounded, firm as a rock, we abide in Him by firmly keeping His word in a noble and good heart. By loving Him from our heart, we remain faithful [firm in faith] to Him.

When we compare ourselves to a little piece of steel, then God is that great, powerful steel magnet that draws us to Him and holds us firmly to Him.

Seeing that this is so, everything else—everything in this world (its superficial glories and all its troubles)—loses its interest, its significance, and its power of attraction for us. Its power of attraction is just as much as that of a wooden peg on an object made of steel. For us, all the things in this world are only some loose matter; they are just some variances in reality—unreliable people and idle talk.

If a person is not drawn to God, the situation is reversed. Then it becomes as if God were a wooden peg, and the things that the world has to offer become magnets that attract you. People dance around these different poles, now around the one and then around the next, all according to how they are drawn by their sinful lusts. Soon they are dancing around the golden calf and then around vanity according to the directions coming from Paris. Before long they run after the opposite sex, and then after honor, power, and the pride of life. This is so wonderful, and that is so wonderful! This is so magnificent and that is so nice! This looks so good, and that suits you nicely! And this one fits so nicely together with the other one! This pays, and that pays! This person is so nice, that person is so beautiful, and that person is so sweet! Things are happening here, and things are happening there! And they certainly are happening! All kinds of things are happening, but they are not good things! This is where the words from Jeremiah 2:23 fit in: “You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways . . . .”

When you are firmly anchored in God, everything in this world files past you as if you were blind and deaf. It doesn’t bother you in the least. Your firm standpoint is this: This is not worth bothering about, and that is not worth bothering about.

When it concerns the troubles and tribulations of this world, the situation is the same. The thoughts and words of people who are not firmly anchored in God whirl around in regard to slander, injustice, abuse, sickness, poverty, etc., that they have had to suffer: this is so terrible, and that is so terrible!

But the person who is firmly nailed to the cross, who is rock solid and faithful in Christ, thinks and says: “That is not worth bothering about!”

“And may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful [firm in faith] to God. . . . For their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant.” Ps. 78:8, 37.

“Be steadfast, immovable . . . .” 1 Cor. 15:58. “Stand fast in the faith . . . .” Ch. 16:13.

“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.” Phil. 4:1.