What Does The Bible Say About Deliverance?

What Does The Bible Say About Deliverance? November 26, 2015

What does the Bible have to say about deliverance?

Psalm 34:17 “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

The Bible says a lot about deliverance; deliverance from the wrath of God, deliverance from the penalty of sin, and deliverance from the judgment of God, at least for those who have repented and trusted in Christ. When the righteous cry out for deliverance, God hears them “and delivers them out of all of their troubles.” There is no timetable but there is the promise that all of the believer’s troubles will someday be history.

Second Samuel 22:1-3a “And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.”

David was a skilled musician and composer and loved to write praise songs and he often praised God in song for His delivering David from his enemies and he had many but it is God Who is the Rock, the Rock of Refuge and a fortress. There is no other refuge from those who would oppose us like God Himself.

Colossians 1:13-14 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

This is the greatest deliverance of all. God has delivered us from the domain of darkness where we were once blinded by the god of this world (2nd Cor 4:4) and brought us into the glorious light of Jesus Christ through whom we have redemption and this, through “the forgiveness of sins.” What greater deliverance is there that is possible? None!

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Psalm 107:6 “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

Once more, like in Psalm 34, the righteous cry out to God “in their trouble” and as history has proven, God “delivered them from their distresses.” God does not turn a deaf ear to our cries…He is closer to those who are crushed in spirit and are brokenhearted.

Philippians 1:19 “I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”

When Paul wrote this to the church at Philippi, he was thanking them for their prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ as they turned out to be the difference maker for his deliverance. Even though Paul was in prison when he wrote this, he had confidence in His deliverer and he writes, “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Phil 1:12) so no persecution and no suffering is every wasted. This turned out to spread the gospel rather than stifle it. Suffering and persecution always works out for our best and also glorifies God and those are worthy goals to be sure.

First Thessalonians 1:9-10 “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Paul was overjoyed at the many in Thessalonica who had turned from stone and wooden idols to the One True and living God, not made with hands but in fact, the Maker of all things. This same God that raised Jesus from the dead has delivered the children of God “from the wrath to come.” Since Jesus took God’s wrath upon Himself at the cross, we would be spared the wrath of God which we fully deserved.

Psalm 50:15 “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Here is what I wrote about earlier…our deliverance is intended to glorify God and not glorify ourselves for we have nothing to glory in or boast about except boasting about our Redeemer. That day of trouble that is coming for all who have rejected Jesus will come swiftly and suddenly after death (Heb 9:27) and in time, eventually all will be judged at Christ’s return as it will come at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:12-15). Fortunately, God’s wrath has passed over us because of Jesus’ atoning work at Calvary, shedding His precious blood for us who believe.

Conclusion

If you have not yet bowed the knee to God and confessed your sins and repented of them, meaning you’ve turned away from them and forsaken them, and then put your trust in Christ, you have not been delivered but will actually be delivered into the hands of an angry God and this will come when no one’s expecting it. None can escape this judgment after death except for those who have repented and trusted in Christ. They have been delivered and are seen as already being seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.


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