DELIVERANCE



“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Romans 4:25

Our hearts rejoice, and we stand amazed as we consider all that Jesus was delivered unto, and as the result all that we’ve been delivered from and shall be delivered unto.

“FOR OUR OFFENCES”
Before the foundation of the world, our dear Lord had a date with the cross. We are told of several who were involved, on His path there. Humanity is so prone to pass the blame, but be it ever remembered that our offences (misdeeds) put Him there.

Judas Iscariot, after seeing Jesus body anointed for burial with very precious ointment, going to the chief priests, and saying “What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.” Jesus said shortly thereafter; “The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born” - Mt. 26:15,24. After Judas had betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and saw Him condemned to die, he tried to undo his dastardly deed by giving back the silver, but instead it was used to buy the field of blood.

The Jewish religious leaders: “…the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor” – Mt. 27:1,2. We here read of the counsel of puny, fumbling, bungling men. They seem to have laid their plans, and now are carrying them out without any problems. We read that Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered him” – Mt. 27:18.

Acts 2:22-24, “…Jesus…a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”

Pilate: Jesus allowing Himself to be led into Pilate’s Judgment hall, spoke not a word in self-defence. Pilate marveled, and asked Him if he knew that he had power to crucify or release him. Thank God that Jesus’ destiny was in the hand of a higher Authority and Pilate was overruled. Shortly thereafter Pilate sought to release Him, then “delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified” – John 19:16.

We read in Acts 3:13-15, “…the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead.” In the prayer of Acts 4, we read about the kings and rulers, Herod, Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel being gathered against Jesus; “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

We actually have stated most clearly in Romans 8:32, who really delivered our dear Lord to the cross, and why He did it. God didn’t spare Jesus any measure of the wrath of divine judgment against sin, that He might be able to spare, deliver, and enrich us. By delivering Jesus up to the cross on account of our sins, He is just, and the justifier of the ungodly who believe in Jesus Christ.

“RAISED AGAIN”
Our right standing with God is also related to Jesus’ deliverance from death and the tomb. The Apostle wrote, that if Christ be not raised, we are yet in our sins. Praise God, we need no longer live under the guilt, condemnation, or control of sin. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “…sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” I Cor. 15:56,57 & Rom. 6:14. Glory to God for deliverance, body, soul and spirit, provided for us in the redemption and resurrection of our dear Lord.

“So great a death” “…we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us: – II Cor. 1:9,10.

“Hath delivered us:” This is a result from the past. We, being justified by faith, have a new standing, a secure position, knowing deliverance in our spirit from the penalty of sin.

“Doth deliver:” As we presently experience sanctification of the Spirit, our soul also, progressively enjoys deliverance from the power of sin. As our affections are being set on things above we enjoy an ascending state, a transforming condition. As we let Him work in us, we are not conforming to this world, but being transformed inwardly from glory to glory. When the Apostle Paul cried out, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” he was dealing with the sin principle in the fallen human nature. We are now being delivered from selfishness, shamefulness, suffering and even shallowness and sickness. As we walk by faith and not by sight, in love, and in the light, we are also presently experiencing deliverance in our bodies because of the resurrection life of Christ and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus Christ “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father; To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” - Gal. 1:4,5. The present day conditions are evil because they are somewhat controlled by the god of this world. The course of this age seems to be going according to the prince and power of the air. But, thank God, our deliverance is according to the will of God, and unto His eternal glory. Jesus, doing God’s will, came and gave Himself to ransom and rescue us from the present evil influence and tendencies which characterize this age. I believe that sanctification is the process by which he is now developing kings and priest unto God.

“Will yet deliver:” Our future deliverance is glorification, when creation “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” What a deliverance eternally from the presence  of sin! We read of that eternal state, and rejoice that “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” – Rev. 21:27.

So now we await God’s “Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” – I Thess. 1:10. God, that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all – that he might bring many sons unto Glory. We now, and shall forever give thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son - Col. 1:12,13.

He was able to do that because, He that descended first into the lower parts of the earth, hath also ascended up on high and led captivity captive.
By J. D.