While we are commanded by God to love one another, we are also warned to cut off things that cause us to stumble and sin. Some of these things that we need to cut off if needed are wrong relationships.
Cutting Ties With People
There's nothing wrong with cutting off ties with the wrong people in our lives. Parting ways with them will actually free us to give more space for that which really matters: relationships with the people that help us in our walk with God.
The Lord Jesus spoke strongly about parting ways with what causes you to sin. In Matthew alone, He spoke about it twice. For the sake of brevity, let's just consider one:
"Therefore if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life lame or maimed than having two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into the fire of hell." (Matthew 18:8-9 MEV)
Prior to this passage, Jesus was talking about anything that causes one to sin. By this we know that He is serious in telling us to let go of and part ways with things that cause us to do things that offend God, things that drive a wedge between our relationship with our Father, and hinder our walk with Christ.
Ties To Cut
Knowing this, we should proactively cut off the wrong relationships in our lives. These are the ties that most of us are still trying to save. But if we find ourselves on the losing and sinning end, we should cut them and leave them to God instead.
1. A Person Who Leads You Into Sin
I'll be very explicit in saying that anybody who invites you to do something that God does not want shouldn't be in your list of people to mingle and associate with. The Bible has a lot of warnings about this. Read Psalm 1 and 2 Timothy 3 for detailed instruction.
2. A Person Who Damages Your Relationship With God
There are people who don't ask to you to commit something sinful, but would eat up the time you should be giving to God in prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship. You should consider leaving their company and instead focus on the Lord.
Note: Your spouse might take away some of your time, but don't desire to get a divorce for that reason. At the same time, don't allow your spouse to steal your time for God. Instead, pray for your spouse so that that person would meet God, too. See 1 Corinthians 7:1-14 and 1 Peter 3:1-7 for instruction.
3. A Person Who Damages Your Relationship With Your Spouse (If Married) Or Family
This time, it's not just about our relationship with God. Are there people in your life who threaten your marriage (if you're married) and your family? If so, cut your ties with them.
God designed marriage to be between just one man as the husband and one woman as the wife. The only third party allowed in marriage is God Himself, as He is Lord of your lives together. See Genesis 2:24.
God also meant the family to be our first ministry. Someone who crashes in to destroy your family for whatever reason shouldn't be allowed to do so. Even Jesus entrusted Mary to John in His death on the cross (see John 19:26-27).
