Deliverance: From the Temporal World to the Eternal Kingdom

The purpose for which Jesus died was to deliver us out of this present evil. I own.

That's what is inherent in his salvation very purpose of our salvation was to deliver us out this present evil age is that fact that you been delivered.

What is that mean for you today. How should your life change in the here and now. John MacArthur examines the biblical answers today as he continues his series delivered by God on Grace to you, but first we want to stress that grace to you is much more than just a radio program. In fact it's a lot more. So John for that person who may be listening for the first time today or who simply doesn't know everything that we have available. Maybe you could fill in some blanks for them yet. One of the things that has developed with Christie over the years were started as a radio ministry and now it's just grown and grown and grown into every conceivable format in presenting the truth of the word of God, whether it's daily, broadcaster books or videos or CD albums or television or online or whatever it is and all kinds of resources available on the grace to website and it's all over YouTube and there are apps and so this everywhere. If you go to our website Jide TY.org you will find even there more than 3000 hours of sermons in MP3 format. The entire grace to your sermon archives available for free download. You'll also find that those sermons can be downloaded in transcript form, you'll find all kinds of articles on very important spiritual topics. Question-and-answer features study Bible app podcasts just endless things all available free of charge and also every month I send a letter with an offer for a free CD or a free booklet or a free copy of my latest full-length book to people on our mailing list. In these letters often address the trends that you're concerned about so we have a lot to put in your hands. Through many different channels and I urge you to get connected that to the Internet then to our website and stay connected were here for you. Thanks for making grace to your regular supplement to what you're learning in your own church in your own study of God's word and if God is use grace to you in your life, drop us a note and let us know. Yes, do you friend if you been thinking about writing us.

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Stay here as John continues his compelling series delivered by God. I have spoken to you on the subject of deliverance. The neglected doctrine. I've done this because I feel obligated before the Lord to give you an understanding of the current state of the evangelical church. I do it with some reluctance that doesn't make me happy to do this it makes me sad. I don't like to have to point out many of the things that I've pointed out, but they are the truth and that is my responsibility before God. What I have been saying to you is that evangelicalism is in a desperate situation and that desperation is made manifest by its inability to distinguish who is a true Christian.

We have abandoned any clear understanding of what it means to really be saved.

We in the sense of broad evangelicalism. This kind of evangelicalism pervades today and it's being systematically developed and spread, and people are reluctant to call it what it is because we reviewed his unloving and I have to ask the question, is the gospel that unclear is it that fuzzy is it that hard to understand the gospel is the New Testament not clear on the subject's visit not give us enough light to know who is a Christian and what it means to be in the body of Christ and what is necessary to go to heaven. I mean, doesn't the Bible say go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Doesn't the Bible say that if anybody doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ is cursed. Doesn't the Bible say that salvation is by faith and courage and faith comes by hearing the word of God and hearing the word about Christ and how are they going to hear without a preacher and how they can have a preacher unless somebody goes, we really supposed to call the missionaries home.

We really supposed to stop evangelizing because anybody anywhere who thinks good thoughts about God and tries to be a little different than his society is going to be in heaven cutting the heart out of the church here and out of our ministry.

If the New Testament on the other hand does settle the issue and we have no right to ignore the New Testament we have no right to redefine it on our own terms. In order to be popular order to be accepted. True and historic Christianity has never been confused about what it means to be a Christian. Never true and historic Christianity is always known that the New Testament is crystal clear on this issue. The New Testament tells us everything we need to know so as to be unmistakably certain as to what it is that a person must believe to be saved. There is no lack of information in order to discern. There is no lack of information. Truth in order to distinguish between true and false nominal and real Christians and we have said that 1 Very Good Way to understand who was a true Christian is to understand this great truth of deliverance. If you understand deliverance, you will understand this issue. You can know who. A true Christian is because they been delivered.

They've been delivered and first of all, they been delivered from error to what the truth.

Nobody is a Christian who doesn't believe the truth about Christ.

Muslims don't believe the truth about Christ. Buddhist stone nonbelievers don't Mormon stone pagans and tribes don't. If they have a heart that seeks God is the spirit is prompting their heart. Believe me, God will deliver that truth about Christ to them so they can believe, but apart from that there is no salvation.

There isn't salvation in any other name is anybody who's a believer has come to know the truth understand the truth believe the truth embrace the truth and love that truth and reject everything else as a means of salvation.

One thing can be said about a Christian knows truth.

He loves the truth he worships the God of truth exalts the Christ of truth is indwelt by the Spirit of truth and obeys the word of truth.

Truth is the heart and soul of the gospel that saves transformation begins with the transformation out of darkness into light. Darkness is a metaphor in Colossians 112 and 13 for Erin light is the metaphor for truth we have to go to the corners of the world folks and we have to tell people the truth. The only truth that saves all these people are already in the body of Christ already. Going to heaven, where we sent in all these people. Millions and millions and millions of dollars to go do this unnecessary thing and you asked what's gone wrong what's going wrong what's gone wrong and evangelicalism. They was going wrong summary much about sociological pressure pressure from the world, not pressure from the world, not sociological pressure, it's not the culture that's doing this.

It's not the unbelievers that are doing this to us. It's not the outside that's doing this to us. The problem is there is within the confines of Christianity. False teaching in Murray is right when he wrote in his book evangelicalism divided and I quote spiritual decline is not a mystery which Scripture leaves unexplained is the result of the presence of falsehood. Weather should be truth" that set.

The problem is we are imbibing lies the problem. One thing you learned very rapidly when you study the Bible is God is a God of truth and Satan is a liar and from the very beginning from the first encounter in the garden with Eve, Satan, with the whole human race into sin by lies in the Bible warns about false teachers from the front to the back from the beginning to the end. From top to the bottom.

Over and over and over and over Bible talks about deception. Deception. Deception dumb dogs that can't bark clouds without water dumb dogs. It can't bark was Isaiah's phrase. Isaiah 5610.

These people come along. Jeremiah 11 and says they say, peace, peace. They have the way of peace.

The way of peace.

But there's no peace in the offer you a way of peace with God, a way of reconciliation but it's a lie. It's a deception. They are the prophets, Jeremiah 23 says that God didn't send.

They go but God didn't send them.

They speak, but not the word of God. False teaching brings the church and impotence into confusion into heresy the great Scottish preacher Horatius Bonner wrote of Satan and the gospel. These words he comes as an angel of light to mislead yet pretending to lead to blind yet professing to open the eye to obscure and bewildered yet professing to illuminate and guide. He approaches us with fair words upon his lips, liberality, progress, culture, freedom, expansion, elevation, benevolence seeks to make his own out of all these to give the world as much of these suits his purpose as much, as will make them content without God and without Christ and without the Holy Ghost he sets himself against God in the things of God in every way he can deny the gospel or he can dilute the gospel or he can obscure the gospel or he can neutralize the gospel. He rages against the true God sometimes openly and coarsely at other times calmly and politely making man believe he is the friend of the truth until a true Christian true Christian knows the truth understands the truths loves the truth lives for the truth. Nobody is saved who doesn't. That's the truth about who God is a Trinity holy the eternal sovereign of the universe who Christ is God incarnate in human flesh, lived a sinless life that his substitutionary death, though he was innocent of any sin rose the third day in a physical resurrection, having conquered death ascended to heaven, from where he sent the Holy Spirit now interceding for us someday to return and establish his eternal glory and kingdom and to believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from any works. Doesn't matter that you're trying to be a little better than the people around you. That's the truth and apart from that truth. Nobody saved somebody's a Christian.

They know that truth, they understand that truth. They believe that truth embrace that. Secondly, Christians have not only been delivered from error to truth, but from sin to righteousness. Remember in Romans six go back there for a moment. Romans 617 and 18 is a very critical verse because it captures the essence of this deliverance doctrine. Romans 617 middle of the verse you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered is what the Greek says you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching that body of doctrine that body of truth to which you were delivered. That was your salvation you went out of the darkness into the light out of air into truth you from the depth of your heart. Obeyed that doctrine that body of teaching regarding Jesus Christ and the gospel. You believe that you were delivered into that now go back to the beginning of the verse, so thanks be to God that, though you were slaves of sin drop down to verse 18 you have been freed from sin become slaves of righteousness. The second thing from which you were delivered not just from air to truth, but from sin to righteous you can tell a Christian they practice righteousness. The been delivered from sin to righteousness. We look to first John chapter 3 tremendous portion of Scripture starting in verse four, going all the way out there all the way down to verse 10 of first John three we saw how that the one who was born of God does not practice sin one who abides in God is not continuing a pattern of sin. If you are a true Christian, you obey God's word is a pattern of life you practice righteousness verse seven of first John three little children don't let anybody deceive you. That's what people do they deceive you, they lie to you.

It's this clear. The one who practices righteousness is righteous, how clear is that and what is righteousness. Righteousness is defined as God's holy standard, you practice righteousness, righteous. That is, you have been delivered from sin to righteousness your Christian verse eight the one who practices sin is of the devil.

It's that simple doesn't mean the Christians never sin.

It means that that's not the pattern of their life. That's not there practice we we say a medical doctor has a practice what we mean is he is a pattern professional fulfillment.

You have a practice to is a Christian and it's a practice righteous. If it isn't that then you're not a Christian. There are the children of God, and there are the children of the devil.

Verse 10 says by this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious who is a Christian, somebody who practices righteousness.

Never forget getting into this debate when I wrote the book on the gospel according to Jesus, and I said that people are true Christians live a righteous life and people started saying wait a minute. A person can be a Christian and and have no righteousness. They can even be an unbelieving believer. They can even reject God curse God and live a life of sin and still be a Christian. What that's what they that was parts. Part of this evangelicalism of today that it's a missing event at some walking forward raising hand signing a card praying a prayer having an emotional event. That's the salvation it has nothing to do with what you are. The rest of your life. Not so the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious by their practice. James says in James 214 to 26.

You can say you have faith, but faith without what is what is dead. It doesn't exist it's a non-existing thing. If there's not a pattern of evidence that you have a new life. You were literally no life died new life came you died with Christ to Rose to walk in newness of life. You are a new creation and that new creation manifests itself in a practice of righteousness and of the practice of righteousness is in there. You're the devil child not God's practice of righteousness simply means you are from the heart not only obedient to the form of doctrine, but from the heart.

You are obedient to its righteous standards.

So the true Christians believe the right thing and behave the right way and when reducing his grief to us because we love righteousness is another element of a deliverance. Christian has been delivered from the temporal world to the eternal kingdom. The Christian has been delivered from the temporal world to the eternal kingdom was in the Galatians 1 verse three Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

By the way, I stole the name of a radio program from Paul Grace to you. Verse four who gave himself for our sins. Here comes that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

That's a great it's a great doxology is we have been delivered how this present evil age into the eternal kingdom.

By the way, this is will the color Greek subjunctive which indicates purpose. The purpose for which Jesus died was to deliver us out of this present evil.

I own. That's what is inherent in his salvation. The very purpose of our salvation was to deliver us out of this present evil age.

What's he saying what he saying is that if you've been saved.

You have been rescued from this evil world system just doesn't hold any charm for you. It just doesn't hold any attraction for you. I'm telling you you need to go and vote for those that most approximate a righteous standard because God would be honored when you do that, but for us sometimes it's hard to do that because is really nothing in the system ultimately did, but compels us Jesus death was for all who believe a rescue effort and you could tell a Christian. Real Christian by their disinterest in the present world system. The word deliver here, just a note about that is X Eck Cairo Cairo it means to rescue. It is used just a few times in the New Testament is used in the seventh chapter of acts where Stephen was preaching his sermon before the Sanhedrin which he was stoned. You remember to death and he was describing how God delivered Joseph and his children.

The children of Israel from Egyptian affliction about the 10th verse of acts seven and again I think it's repeated, and 34 first and it's the word rescue delivered to rescue the children of Israel, and Joseph from Egyptian affliction. Peter use the word to describe God's deliverance of him from prison in acts chapter 12 verse 11 in the Roman commander Claudius Lycia's used it of the rescue of Paul from that angry mob in Jerusalem. In acts 23 verse 27 so it's a word that talks about rescuing someone out of a very dangerous situation so that those four times it's used it's used in a physical sense, only wants is use in a metaphorical sense and that's here and it's used here to refer to the cross, the death of Christ who gave himself for our sins, that he might rescue us out of this deadly and dangerous present evil age it's evil in that it's characterized by evil. It's dominated by evil word ages.

I own it doesn't refer to time, but it refers to a system and era in the present evil age started at the fall and it will go on until Jesus comes back and establishes his kingdom of righteousness in between the fall and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ is this present evil age is characterized by lies is characterized by deception is characterized by Satan's agenda is characterized by what is temporal what is for time only what is physical what is passing what ultimately will be destroyed.

Lord rescued us from that. Another way to say it is over and the sixth chapter of Galatians.

Look at that six verse 14. It is sort of talking here about how the Pharisees boasted in their works were proud about their self-righteousness and Paul is not like the circumcised to boast about their fastidious attention to the law.

Verse 14 he says, may it never be that I should boast a negative boast about anything in me you don't have anything worthy in me but if I do boast I will boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and what did that cross accomplish through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. What is me to be crucified to be dead. It's just a dramatic way to express the thought of death. Paul says Jesus Christ went to the cross and through his work on the cross. The world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world. What does it mean it simply means that the world has no relation to the believer and the believer has no real relation to the world and what we mean by world here is not food and sunshine and and and just the normal matters of life which God has given us what he's talking here about ideas and ideologies and thought patterns, and values and honors and achievements and accomplishments and all the stuff that everybody is into the pleasures the treasures the honors the values the ideas go back to second Corinthians 10 five very important passage he talks about the the in the ideologies. The log is Moss. Paul says we are destroying ideologies and any further describes them as every lofty thing lifted up or exalted against the knowledge of God Indiana. I got idea any anti-God idea I want to do my duty to take care of my yard so that it reflects the beauty of God's creation, but I can't get into this environmental thing of save the planet save the planet save the planet. This is a disposable planet the way it was designed. Sin is catapulting this planet for destruction.

And as I've said before, if you think were messing up the planet.

Where do you see what Jesus does to this is a passing world. All this action, all this fury. All this media attention for all of this stuff is nothing to do with anybody's eternal soul.

People go to colleges and universities get PhD's to rearrange these pictures. Soft stuff that's raised up against the knowledge of God pulses when I came to Christ.

I died to end it to me. It has no part with me. I have no part. This is grace to you with John MacArthur thanks for tuning in today. John's lesson looked at how Christ delivers you from the power of sin, the punishment of sin and the future presence of sin, encouraging truth, it's part of John's current study on grace to you titled delivered by God. Well friend before the lesson John mentioned that we love to hear from listeners like you and if grace to use verse by verse. Teaching has played a role in your spiritual growth. Maybe even helped lead you to salvation. Please let us know.

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