The means of Deliverance
Matthew 5:21-22 “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever will kill shall be in danger of the judgement:
But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement: and whosoever will say unto his brother, Raca (silly person), shall be in danger of the counsel: but whosoever will say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Sin, self, and the World are connected. They are our “enemies”. For they work to lead us away from Christ and His Will.
Sin is wrong doing (we all agree here, although we may not agree with what “wrong doing” consists of).
But it is also wrong being, which includes all the inward sins of resentment, a flash of anger which never leaves the mind, and wrong attitudes.
Jesus set this forth in the verses above.
And so sin always involves self.
Self is the term for the old nature.
The old nature is our fallen man from Adam.
It is our nature which claims your right to rule yourself: your right to decide and lead yourself (morally or not), your right to feel what you want, your right to think what you want.
It is you, as your own lord.
1 Corinthians 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (The natural man)”
And so we see, the old nature is always open to the influence of the World around us: and the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The World’s influence comes, as we walk in it everyday.
(When the Bible speaks of the World, it is talking of the “spirit of the times”.
It does not mean the birds, trees, etc.
But the attitudes, and the rage, of the times we live in)
As Christians, we are to be in the World, but not of it.
John 17:14-16 “I have given them thy word: and the world hath hated them; because they are not of the world; even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “
The World’s system wants no part of Jesus Christ as Lord.
They may accept or praise Him as a holy man, a great teacher, or a good guy;…..but they will not submit and yield to Him as Lord.
1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
These are formidable foes. But we are not left to ourselves, thank God, but are enabled to live and work in the World, as it is, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit within.
1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
To overcome is to still be standing with God, when the battle against the influence of the World for today, is over.
(How many of us hear horrible swearing, filthy suggestions, dirty jokes, hatred filled speeches).
It is to still be hanging on to God’s Word. To still be looking to Christ, for everything.
It is deliverance in the situation, as well as out of it.
It is to be energized within, given strength and comfort.
It is to know what to do, here and now. (not just for next week, or next year)
1 John 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
And how does faith give us victory?
Faith centers our life around Christ Jesus. And if He is the center, all other things must take their rightful place.
Faith receives the Word of God, and by the Holy Spirit places within us the power to do it. (Grace is the unmerited favor of power)
Faith makes us aware that we are not alone in this fight; on the contrary, we are made to know His presence in a real way. (Remember the servant’s eyes being opened to see who was for them, 2 Kings 6:12-17)
We have a much more powerful friend.
Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
God’s grace is provided through the Holy Spirit, that we may do the task at hand.
It is power we receive in our spirits, our souls (our mind, heart, and will), and our bodies.
It comes as light for our walk, so we will not stumble, or be tripped up.
Overcoming should be our everyday experience.
It usually isn’t. We fail to hear. Or we give in to self.
But Christ Jesus has supplied all we need to overcome; we must yield to Him in the situation we are in.
1 John 3:22 “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.”
1 Corinthians 10:13-14 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above which ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”
The means of deliverance for any Christian is yielding to the Holy Spirit within.
Receiving and using the grace given, in the situation.
Reading His Word, letting it give us all He has for us in it. ( all the promises, and commandments)
Overcoming by faith in Him.
Walking in His Light.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 