Deliverance: From Sin to Righteousness, Part 1 B

Second point is this the doctrine of deliverance means we have been delivered by the spirit of truth wasn't from error truth. We have also been delivered from sin to righteousness by the spirit suspected salvation every Christian needs to understand what it is. God delivers you from when he saves you well. John MacArthur's current study on grace to you is clarifying that issue as he looks at all the things Christ delivers you from when he grants you salvation and today's focus is especially practical. You're going to see how coming to Christ should affect your day-to-day decisions and the effect that should have on your future.

This series on the life-changing power of salvation is titled delivered by God and now with today's lesson. Here's John. I must continue to deliver what I feel is pressing on my heart. I don't ever remember hearing a sermon on deliverance.

I don't ever remember reading a theology about deliverance and so I began to look in some of the indexes in the back of theology books to see if there was any discussion on the subject of deliverance. I couldn't find anything. I began to view salvation from the perspective of deliverance and realize that this great truth is largely neglected in the church so we're in the midst of this series on deliverance. The neglected doctrine and why is it important. It's important because I am saying to you in this series that I am continually saddened and I'm continually disappointed by the widespread lack of discernment in the quote unquote evangelical church and while it's lack of discernment is obvious to any discerning person and while we could make a long list of things that they don't seem to discern very well at the very top of that list is one most critical matter where there is a serious lack of discernment and that is the issue of who is a true Christian and it's astonishing to me how confused people are in the way you understand who a Christian is is to understand deliverance. The theology of deliverance. You can tell a Christian because there delivered.

That's what the Bible teaches. And you know just at that point. Maybe we can talk practically deliverance I believe may be the best, most comprehensive most clarifying word to define a Christian. The first category of deliverance is those who are really Christians have been delivered out of error into truth unless and when I say no one is a Christian who does not understand, believe him grace and love the truth. What truth the truth that we call the gospel. No one can be a Christian who has not been delivered out of false doctrine and the true doctrine and that is into the gospel of Jesus Christ. You must be delivered into the true gospel any other gospel. Galatians 1 results in a curse. In second John anybody who does not abide in the teaching of Christ who doesn't settle down in the true teaching of Christ does not have God. Second John Bellamy just take you to a passage that will ask for us as a transition Romans six verse 17 just a simple thought her okay thanks be to God, you were slaves of sin stop there with the slave.

All assets word carries a lot of baggage with the right a slave is somebody who is an abject dutiful service under a master.

We think of a slave.

With that we think of someone whose will whose ideas whose opinions whose plans whose purposes, whose future are not in their own hands the matter, slave or somebody does whatever he told a slave is somebody who is under commanding authority and he says about us. You were slaves of sin. We are literally dominated by sin. Sin is our master. Occasionally we do something that is humanly good, kind, and something that might be even humanly noble.

Occasionally, we express love would take care of children. We take care of older people. We give to charity, but the basic dominating force and power in our lives is sin's way. This inverse 18 but you been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. While this is a dramatic change misses a major dramatic change you. You no longer slave to sin. You're now a slave to righteousness your master is righteousness your your compelling power is righteousness and where once you found your satisfaction and you found your delight and you found your joy and you found your fulfillment in in in sin, you now find your delight in your satisfaction and your joy in your fulfillment and righteousness were once you hated the thought of doing right love the thought of doing wrong. Now you hate the thought of doing wrong. Love the thought of doing right is a big change. Change how did it happen middle over 17 got it see this, you became obedient from the heart. Something didn't happen on the outside, you can get a new set of rules and grit your teeth and grind away to try to fulfill them. Something happened on the inside you became obedient from the heart obedient to what look at this to that and I want to give you the Greek coupon did our case into which you were delivered. There's that great were delivered Pa Rod did of me in this case to deliver to hand over to relocate the reason you have changed the reason you have stop being a slave of sin and become a slave of righteousness.

The reason is because you were delivered from error into that coupon did the case to pond, meaning that mold that structure that form that body and the idea there is there is a body of truth. The body of teaching a set of doctrines proves into which you were delivered and became obedient from the heart is the first indication of a true Christian.

They have been delivered into the body of truth that saves and if they haven't their Christian somebody can explain the gospel doesn't embrace the gospel doesn't believe the true gospel are not saved wish they were, but the only way to help them become what they are not is to tell them they're not not to tell them they are. I want to be part of that deception. They have not been delivered from the heart into that body of truth that constitutes the gospel leads me to the second point at last I'm just can introduce it.

Second point is this the doctrine of deliverance means we have been delivered by the spirit of truth lesson from error to truth.

We have also been delivered from sin to righteousness by the spirit of holiness. And that's right there.

Look back in verse 17, you were slaves of sin. Verse 18. You became slaves of righteousness that is a fact. Folks, that's a fact that somebody will say oh you know my my husband is just behaving terribly. He is not interested in the church and the know he's going off at this woman is having an affair. Whatever whatever whatever and I are you know how I know is a Christian because IIII used to go to church and so from so many types of if a person wants to sin. If a person's greatest satisfaction fulfillment is found in sin. That's not a Christian.

There is a new life principal. There is a new slavery, and it is a slavery to righteousness. It isn't that we're perfect. It's just the new principle that creates a new practice.

It amazes me how people don't get this one of America's leading theologians just wrote a book and talked about the fact that when you're converted.

You may not change anything in your life. What that is absolutely absurd, it changes everything in your life. Absolutely everything go back with me to Ezekiel 36, showing the core principle at the very essence of being that is changed in this deliverance, the new King James by the way, translates Romans 617 excellently by using the word delivered, but in Ezekiel 36 this most notable passage on the new covenant within the new covenant is the saving covenant, but I want you to notice the character of this new covenant salvation. Verse 25. I'll sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleaned. What's going to happen when I save you what's going to happen is I'm going to clean you and cleanse you from all your filthiness, that is amazing there's going to be a washing here synonymous with the washing of regeneration, the New Testament, the washing of the water.

The word, and I'm in a cleanse you from all your filthiness and your idols. Verse 26 I'm going to give you a new heart that he's the prophet here is is reaching in and talking about the very seat of thought and feeling and emotion and attitude. I'm changing the inward character. The inward nature of the inward principle, the inward disposition a new heart by putting a new spirit to remove that hard heart that couldn't sense righteousness and and I want to give you a tenderhearted verse 27 I'm about my spirit within you is just that is coming out every way he can come at it. I want to change everything about your insides and so good. Verse 27, cause you to walk in my statutes and you'll be careful to observe my ordinances and the universe. 28.

You'll be my people, and I'll be your God and I will deliver you from all your uncleanness when you become a Christian.

The spirit of truth moves you from error to truth and the spirit of holiness moves you from sin to righteousness, from vice to virtue, called his name Jesus. Matthew 121 because he would save his people from their sins. Since power since dominion is broken, shattered like the Romans six for a moment and so many scriptures he says in verse 19 on I'm talking in human terms on talking and the language of slavery because it's a good human metaphor speaking human terms because the weakness of your flesh and you as human beings. It's hard for you to understand spiritual truths on attaching it something you do understand. Like slavery further in using human analogies you you once presented your your members, your faculties as slaves to impurity and lawlessness all your human faculties, all of them, your mind, your thought patterns your voice your speech your body on everything was basically serving impurity and lawlessness producing further lawlessness and now your members become slaves to righteousness resulting in sanctification when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed for the outcome of those things is death, but now you have been freed from sin, you are enslaved to God you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification and the outcome eternal life. Everything is different.

Not only is the end different death and life but the life is different slaves of sin to slaves of righteous love what it says in Romans 11 when the deliver comes he takes away sin by verse 14 of Roman success in his and master over you anymore. It's not master and back in verse four of Romans six you you were buried with Christ in his death. You have risen with Christ in his resurrection.

You now walk in newness of life. We have a new life. It's the same as second Corinthians 517 if any man is in Christ is what the new creation. All things have passed away new things. I'm not perfect, but my longings are changed. My affections are changed. My desires are changed. I want to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

I want to love and honor Jesus Christ. I want to bring honor to the spirit of God as his temple. I want to bring the word of God in clear bold relief before the face of men and I want to obey the word of God, and those longings are not natural longings is a natural unconverted person. I have no understanding of the things of God. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to me. I am totally blind, totally dead.

To that and fully satisfied to follow the course of my own sin. That's not how I think anymore. Sometimes parents will say you know I have a child and I I remember when they prayed a prayer and and you know they were saved in another just living this life are all they want to do is wrong and look that is the manifestation of their character, their nature is acting its normal way. If the if you're falling into sin and saying I hate this. I resent this I don't want this.

If you're saying like Roman seven there something going on in me and my flesh that I hate. I do what I don't want to do or don't do what I want to do. O wretched man that I am please God deliver me from this. That's a Christian, nobody is on the way to heaven who doesn't have manifest holiness in their life. A manifest love of what is right. Jeremiah 3133 is another old covenant passage. Look it up. It essentially says the same thing. Jeremiah 31 the that's the classic new covenant passage should say the classic new covenant passage was and what it says. Jeremiah 31, 33 this is a covenant want to make with them. I'll put my law within them and on their heart. I'll write it.

I'll be there God will be my people. While I'll be devoted to them will be devoted to me. I won't have to hold them to an external law, it will be all over their hearts.

It will be their desire, their longing their joy. Sanctification is inseparable from justification.

So deliverance means you're delivered from sin to righteousness.

It means your whole perspective is completely changed completely different wonderful way the book of Revelation begins chapter 1 verse five. Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. I love this to him who loves us and released us from our sin. That's not just forensic it's is not just a legal release to real. That's why Philippians 3 says in verse three we are the true circumcision that that is where the true people of God who worship in the spirit of God. That's a characteristic we worship in the spirit of God. We rejoice in Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence in our flesh that the believer you rejoice in Jesus Christ you worship in the spirit of God, you have no confidence in your flesh.

Do you long to honor God to know his word obey his word.

Most of the evidences of new life.

Ephesians 210 very familiar your say verses eight and nine, by grace, but verse 10 says we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, and James is the same thing and James to faith without works is what is data minutes by the evidence of a changed life that we know the faith was viable. While there are many passages I think of Galatians 615.

Neither is circumcision anything nor am circumcision, that kind of thing doesn't matter, but a new creation. We are a new creation. Every thing has changed with regard to our view toward sin and righteousness final passage. Second Thessalonians 213 I'll close with this although there are almost endless texts to which we could look. Second Thessalonians 213, we should always give thanks to God for you brother and beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you.

That's election from the beginning for salvation. Look at this through sanctification by the spirit and faith in the truth, there is the 2.7 trying to make. There has to be faith in the truth. That's the first deliverance though it's mentioned second here and there has to be sanctification by the spirit. Sanctification means a separation. That's what sanctification means.

It means to separate you are delivered from sin to righteousness. Salvation then comes through that separation from sin and through that faith in the truth those of the first two great points in Scripture so consist, nobody is a Christian who doesn't believe in the true gospel and who doesn't have holy longings, righteous affections love for what is right and it deep animosity toward what is wrong.

That's indication that you have been delivered. So when you evaluate somebody's Christianity. Many will say to me Lord, Lord, right Jesus said in Matthew seven on the say depart for me. I never knew you workers of what I just look at your life and I see the product you do iniquity, you'll belong to me. Under what you claim is you do iniquity belong to me the amount of the said Lord Lord. We did this in your name did that prophesy cast out demons doesn't doesn't point look at your life. Workers of iniquity.

You can tell who's a Christian, manifest they been delivered. They have been delivered to faith in the truth. The language of second Thessalonians 213 and they have been delivered into sanctification by the spirit that is they have been separated from error and from sin into truth and righteousness. You see, I can we ask the question who's a Christian it's all right there. It's all right there. We believe the truth and they live as new creations. Lord you know how my heart is gripped by this issue. Because of this pervasive confusion. So needless and how sad it is that people say oh that's just his opinion, and if that isn't an exact proof of the severity of the problem on what is were not interested in my opinion or anybody else's.

We just want the truth, Lord, and you've made it so clear how how you have held us accountable to the truth because it's so clear it's not as if you've tucked it behind the scenes in some obscure passage, it splattered all over the entire Scripture that you have a relationship with you. We have to come to the knowledge of the truth and we have to be delivered from sin into righteousness the kingdom of darkness. The domain of darkness is the domain of error domain of iniquity. The kingdom of light. The kingdom of the son of your love is the domain of truth and domain of holiness, and if we belong, then we been delivered into truth and holiness. May we honestly evaluate our own lives, our own relationship to you, and if there is any fear that we in fact are not Christians and we embrace the truth in all its glory and cry out to be delivered from sin into righteousness and may you be gracious to us that father use us to bring the truth to bear to so many people not only outside the church, but inside, so hopelessly confused. May we be people of the truth and people of holiness give us wisdom with our families are close friends to be discerning and if there's not an understanding of belief and embracing of and love for the truth.

The truth of the gospel and there's not a passionate affection for what is right and a longing to find all satisfaction in goodness and holiness. May we help uncover that one's true spiritual condition called them to a genuine faith and repentance. Use us and that way we pray in Christ. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary, helping you better understand what being a Christian really means delivered by God. That's the title of his current study year on grace to you now.

We recently heard from someone who has been delivered from doubts, specifically doubts about God's purpose for trials in the Christian life. Grace the radio played a very timely role in the situation and John, I'll let you read the letter from this man, also named John yeah John and Colorado Springs rights. This I want you to know about my absolute thankfulness for your dedication to the truth of God's word.

I recently been going through the hardest season of my life with my wife diagnosed with cancer and starting chemotherapy this week in particular has been extremely difficult but had many questions about why a godly woman of Proverbs 31 wife would be subjected to such sickness and suffering and just yesterday I was listening to Grace to you on the word 100.7 FM, and I heard your message on the helmet of salvation in your message, you mentioned John Bunyan who wrote the Pilgrim's progress.

My favorite book aside from the Bible. During his most difficult season.

I was reminded that Bunyan's work in the midst of struggle has been a blessing to my life as has grace to you, radio, and the people to make it available. I still have many questions and many struggles but I know that I can trust a good God, whose character is unchanging. Whatever he does it somehow must be in my best interest. Even when I don't see it.

Thank you.

Grace to you and the word 100.7 radio your changing lives by being faithful to the Lord that he signs his name John. Just a note. It was a couple of months back good. John heard the message on the helmet of salvation and that's part of our series on the believers armor series on Ephesians 6.

It's always the highest joy for us to receive letters from people whose lives are transformed by the word of God that is proclaimed through grace to you. I just would remind all of our listeners.

We love to hear from you. There are no joys is great for the staff of grace to you as to get letters that let us know how this ministries touching your life Christian radio still very important to us were thankful for the partnership with Christian radio stations and were thankful for your listening to Grace to you and maybe going beyond that to find your way to the website with all the resources available there. That's right, and friend. Thank you for praying for the staff and volunteers here at Grace to you and for the people God is allowing us to reach with biblical truth. If you get a free moment, please do what John suggested and send us a letter about how you are benefiting from this verse by verse teaching that really is a great encouragement to all of us here you can send an email to letters@gty.org or mail your letter to Grace to you.

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