Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Three Levels of Deliverance


The following is a wonderful picture of His amazing grace in operation as we continue in our journey with our God and Father.
This is taken from an ongoing series of articles by my friend Art Licursi.

Rich


Paul and his co-workers suffered many difficulties, such as coming close to death, in their travels and effort to spread the mystery “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) that Jesus gave to Paul for us. Here we see mention of the “trouble” that came to Paul and his co-workers.
2 Cor. 1:8-9 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, (so) that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Paul mentions three levels of deliverance as relates to the troubles believers will endure. In the following verses we see that Paul speaks of “deliverance” that was working in his life in three ways; 1) “delivered” (past tense), 2) “…doth deliver” (present tense) and 3) will “yet deliver” (future tense).
These three “deliverances” apply to three parts of man’s being, his spirit, soul, and body (1Thes 5:23), occurring at three differing times. as it now is in the life of all Christians.
2 Cor. 1:10

Who delivered us (Who has delivered us by flowing His life to us in our spirit) from so great a death,

and doth deliver (Who is continuing to deliver us by flowing His life to us in soul):

in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us (Who will yet deliver us by His resurrection life manifested as our new incorruptible “spirit-bodies” - see v9b)

I interpret these three levels of deliverance as follow.

1) At our rebirth our human spirit was delivered by regeneration (Titus 3:5), by the “spirit of life in Christ Jesus”; thus our spirit is now totally delivered (1Cor 6:17, Col 1:27).

2) While we live our life on earth our soul is “being delivered” - it is being “renewed” (2Cor 4:16, Rom 12:1-2). Thus, Paul commends us to be renewed in our soul’s mindset or attitude.

Philippians 2:5 Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:

3) We as Christians are yet to “be delivered” in body - in the twinkling of an eye we will exchange these corruptible bodies for incorruptible spirit bodies (1Cor 15:52). Philip. 3:21 Who shall change (metaschematizo, transfigure) our vile (earthly) body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Mankind has been dead toward God, much as we might say a phone line is said to be dead. There had been a break or cessation of communication and relationship between fallen man and God since the fall of Adam; Sin had separated mankind from God.

1) All mankind is born into this world “dead in spirit” toward God, since sin in his being has made him unable to live righteously. Due to the effects of sin in man’s being, fallen man is strong toward sin and weak toward righteousness. If we deny this we lie or we’re burying our head in the sand.

2) Our bodies have a sentence of death in them. The death rate is still unchanged – one per person. These vile bodies will one day be exchanged for a glorious body like unto Jesus’ resurrected body. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Sin works death in us completely, 1 Cor. 15:56a “The sting of death is sin.” Thus, we see that Christ came that we might have His resurrection life (Gk, ZoĆ«, spirit life) and have His life more abundantly (John 10:10) – that is His life is to permeate our entire being, eradicating death in our spirit and our soul, and then yielding our new spirit-body.

So what is it that we are we being delivered of or delivered from in the three parts of our being? We see in 2Cor 1:9 (above) that Paul is speaking of deliverance from of “the sentence of death.” We were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1b). God delivered us by depositing the life of His Son into our spirit ( Col 1:27. God has already regenerated us in spirit, (Titus 3:5) by depositing Christ’s “spirit of life” into our spirit (1Cor 6:17). We were made alive in our spirit where we had “been dead in trespasses and sins”

“And you hath he quickened (Gk. zao, made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins;” (Ephesians 2:1)

Christ’s life in our spirit is now flowing to renew and bring life to our soul, delivering us from the mindset of the flesh which ends in death. Romans 8:6a For to be carnally minded is death…He is now making us alive in soul by bringing us to renew our mindset to trust Him in all things. Romans 8:6 … to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Now we also look forward to the day when our physical death will be swallowed up of His life. He will “yet deliver” our body by making it incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality (eternal life), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The life of Christ we received into our spirit at the moment of our rebirth has forever enlivened and is “sanctifying us completely, in (our) spirit soul and body” (1Thes 5:13). Christ’s life is fully dealing with the sentence of death within His own.

Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

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