These are questions we want to address here. Of course, if I
am to address this topic in its broad, expansive, or all-encompassing nature,
it will take a full book to do so. Here we want to do a quick synopsis
of this remarkable subject, while you snack along.
Our main text is 2 Corinthians 1: 10.
The Bible shows us the explicit truth that religion continues
to conceal from people. The Gospel makes it unequivocally clear that we’ve been
delivered already by Jesus Christ (Colossians 1: 13).
But what is the scope of this deliverance and to what extent do we enjoy or experience it? Is it a temporary or permanent deliverance?
Let's read on to revel the truth.
EVERYONE’S BEEN DELIVERED, BUT NOT ALL HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED OR RECEIVED IT
The word deliverance is a synonym for salvation.
Jesus saved or delivered the whole world from Satan, by destroying Satan’s
legal authority or rulership over the human race (John 1: 29; 12: 31 – 33; 2
Corinthians 5: 14, 15). But not everyone knows they’ve been delivered already
by Christ, in the legal sense, and even among those who might have heard of
this good news, not all have acknowledged or received Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior. As a result, Satan continues to hold them
captive illegally, because of their lack of knowledge of the truth of their emancipation.
Scripture therefore establishes the fact that we’ve been eternally
delivered already (c.f. Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18; John 12:13; Eph 1:7; Col 1:13,
14; Heb 2:14,15).
When I say “WE” I’m not only referring to Believers alone,
but unbelievers as well. The doctrine of limited atonement is a terrible
religious fallacy. Jesus delivered everyone (John 1: 29; I Timothy 4: 10; Hebrews
2: 14, 15). The Bible indicates that the salvation and redemptive work that
Jesus wrought was intended for the whole world, not just a select few. But the
problem with unbelievers is that they’re yet to acknowledge what Christ did for
them in His substitutionary sacrifice, and have thereby refused to receive Him
as their Savior or Deliverer. By not receiving Him, they fail to receive the
deliverance that He’s already provided for them, into their spirit, and become
spiritually reborn.
Now we must realize that this deliverance is spiritual. And
it belongs to everyone. Spiritually speaking, man has been delivered from
Satan’s dominion as said above. But this deliverance will have no meaning or
impact in a person’s personal life until they acknowledge all that Christ has
done for them in His finished work, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.
As a Believer in Christ, you’re already delivered. You were
delivered before you became Born Again, but then you received this deliverance
the very moment you received the Christ. You’ve already received your
deliverance in the New Birth. But then, that’s not all there is to it.
THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATION OF OUR DELIVERANCE
Having received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are to recognize now that this deliverance which we have received spiritually, i.e.
into our recreated spirit, through the New Birth, its power or effect continually
progresses, manifests, or experienced outwardly, in the physical or natural realm.
That even though it is something we possess spiritually, we continue to see or experience its power manifesting in our daily lives.
Let me say this again for the sake of emphasis.
Our deliverance is so powerful such that its power extends
from the spiritual dimension into the natural, i.e. we always experience a
continual manifestation of its power in our daily lives, and circumstances.
This is what the apostle points out to us in 2 Corinthians
1: 10, that our deliverance is experienceable in the Past, Present,
and Future. Meaning that it has a continuous effect or impact on us, in a way that we can manifest or experience it outwardly, in a way that isn’t limited or
constrained to time, as we read Paul’s statement.
2 Corinthians
1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we
trust that he will yet deliver us.
First, Paul makes this statement to explain how they
experienced the manifestation of GOD’S deliverance outwardly, in all the places
where they journeyed to preach the Gospel message. They experienced GOD’S
miraculous deliverances from various forms of physical danger or harm, as they
engaged the opposers of Christ, with Grace truths. Paul expresses confidence
that they would continue to experience the outward manifestation of this
deliverance wherever they would take the Gospel.
But that’s not all the apostle is saying in the above
verse.
A SETTLED FACT
The apostle also uses the above verse of 2 Corinthians 1:
10 to unveil further truth, about the extent of our salvation or deliverance. He
uses the verse to point out the reality of the eternal security of our
salvation or deliverance, that it is beyond time. It extends beyond the past,
present, and future. By this statement, Paul is indicating unapologetically,
that GOD is forever committed to keeping us safe and delivered for all time. No
more fears!
Note the following phrases.
“who delivered us” = Past. meaning
that we’ve been delivered.
“and
doth deliver” = Present. Meaning that we stay delivered.
“He
will yet deliver us” = Future. Meaning that we will forever
remain delivered, for all eternity.
What does this mean? It implies that we who have received
Christ, are forever saved past, present, and future. Our salvation or
deliverance is forever a settled fact (Non-negotiable). Its scope or extent is
beyond time. And, the power of it is expressible and experienced in the present
moment, while in this body of ours, we will always experience the power of this
deliverance in all our interactions in this world, through the way of escape,
protection, or providence, that the Father continues to provide us in whatever
circumstance or situations that may show up in our way, and then the power of
this same deliverance will pick up our natural bodies and change it into the
redemption body when the LORD shall appear to take away His Church from this
evil world.
These realities Paul expresses in those expressions
used;
“who delivered us” = Past.
“and doth deliver” = Present.
“He will yet deliver us” = Future.
We have received our deliverance, and its power manifests
in the present in our physical bodies, our daily lives, and circumstances. And we
shall also experience the ultimate manifestation of its power when we shall be
changed and transported out of this present world.
All of this brings us to the
understanding that our deliverance being spiritual, has a spiritual side, and
then a physical side.
THE
SPIRITUAL SIDE
There are two parts here, and Paul captures these two parts
of the contract in Colossians 1: 13. The first part is the part that says;
He delivered us;
The first part of the contract refers to everything that
took place in the past; starting from Calvary through to the resurrection. All
that Christ accomplished for humanity in His work of redemption. This is what
Paul is referring to in the beginning part of Colossians 1: 13, which says;
“Who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness,…”
Realize that the first “US” in
this beginning part of Colossians 1: 13 refers to everyone in the world, not necessarily to Believers. But all of humanity. Not a chosen few.
This speaks of Jesus
emancipating humanity from the dominion of Satan according to the following
passages (Romans 5: 6; Hebrews 2: 14, 15; 1 Timothy 4: 10; 1 John 2: 2).
The second part of the
spiritual side is the part that says;
And hath translated
us;
This second part of the
contract is expressed in the second part of Paul’s statement in the same
Colossians 1: 13, which says;
“…and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”
Notice also that the “US” in
this second part of this verse is referring specifically to everyone who’s Born
Again, who having received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, Paul says have been
translated into the Kingdom of GOD’S firstborn Son – Jesus Christ.
These two parts make up the spiritual side. The latter has been made possible by the former. These spiritual sides are the roots. They cannot be repeated. Nobody can be "spiritually delivered" a second time because that has been accomplished by Christ already on their behalf. What remains is for them to receive the deliverance that Christ has provided for them already, by receiving Christ Himself. And now as a Believer, you cannot be Born Again a second time. This is because the New Birth cannot be undone. Everyone can be recreated just once. And the act is an irreversible absolute.
THE
PHYSICAL SIDE
This physical side has two parts as well. The first part is the
part that says;
“and doth deliver” (2
Corinthians 1: 10).
This speaks of the physical or outward manifestation of the
spiritual deliverance that Christ has already provided for us spiritually.
It is the outward manifestation of the power of the
deliverance that GOD has made available for all men, based on His Loving
Grace demonstrated through the one-time redemptive work of Jesus Christ. GOD in
His grace allows us to experience the power of His deliverance in the physical
dimension of our daily lives, in our physical bodies, minds, and circumstances.
This can manifest as; physical healing (James 5:16), rescue
from any form of physical danger or harm (Romans 15: 31; 2 Thessalonians 3: 2),
and various miraculous provisions of GOD in times of material need (Philippians
4: 19; 2 Corinthians 9: 8).
We can draw upon our spiritual deliverance to manifest its
power in the physical realm. For instance; Peter was released from prison by an
angel of GOD, as the Church prayed for his release (Acts 5:17-21, 12:1-19), Paul
and Silas were also released from prison, as they prayed and sang in prison
custody (Acts 16:16-24, 25,26)
We can draw upon the power of our deliverance to
manifest in these aspects of our physical lives, again and again.
The second part of this physical side is also primarily for
Believers alone, and is indicated by the statement;
And will yet deliver us;
This part speaks of when the power of this deliverance will
change our mortal body making it immortal, and we will be physically
taken out of this evil world at the very moment Christ returns for His Church.
Rom 13:11 And
that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:
for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
The Greek word translated as
“salvation” in this verse is “Soteria,” which is also translated as
“deliverance.” (Strong’s). And can also read, “…for now is our deliverance
nearer than when we believed.”
What deliverance is Paul
talking about? He is referring to our departure from this world any moment soon when our perishable bodies will be changed into imperishable,
immortal bodies, at the sudden appearance of Jesus Christ.
This is also part of the
physical or outward manifestation of the power of our deliverance.
Paul speaks further on this
change of our bodies in the following passages (c.f. 1 Cor. 15: 51 – 54; 2 Cor.
5: 1 – 5; Philp. 3: 20, 21; 1 Thess. 4: 13 – 18).
From this, we can see that
deliverance is a one-time event wrought by Christ for all of humanity, and
receiving this deliverance through the new Birth is also a one-time event in
the life of the Believer. However, experiencing the outward manifestations of
the power of this deliverance in our daily lives and circumstances is continuous
until we depart from this world.
You are immeasurably blessed!
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