God's Deliverances Part 2

V. Between the legal salvation at Calvary and the bodily salvation at Resurrection Day, the inwardly saved elect (the quickened) can experience other salvations. A. Since Christ is specially (in a special manner) the Savior of believers (1TI 4:10), by faith they may through Him be saved: 1. from vain thinking and ignorance of the true God. ACT 17:22-23; 2CO 10:5. 2. from fear of death. HEB 2:15. 3. from deceptions of lies and sins. ACT 3:26; 26:18; JOH 8:31-32; EPH 4:20-22. 4. from a stained record before God. ACT 3:19; 2:38. 5. from works-righteousness. ROM 10:3. 6. from impossible burdens like the Law and flawlessness. ACT 15:10; GAL 3:13; JOH 1:16 c/w MAT 11:28-30. 7. from an untoward generation. ACT 2:40. 8. unto joy, peace and hope through the Holy Ghost. ROM 15:13. 9. unto joyful fellowship with God, Christ, apostles and like believers. 1JO 1:3-4. 10. unto victorious living in Christ. 1JO 5:3-4.

B. They may also experience deliverance/salvation through prayer. MAT 6:13; HEB 5:7. 1. These may be natural deliverances: a. from affliction and troubles directly or by agents. JOB 5:19; PSA 91:1-3, 11-12; 34:7, 17-19; ACT 7:34-35. (1) Ever find yourself in a bind or pickle not of your own making and are not even sure what to do? Remember 2CH 20:12-24. (2) Ever dig yourself into a hole by poor judgment or through ignorance? Humble yourself and call upon God. JAM 4:9-10. b. from unreasonable unbelievers. ROM 15:30-31; 2TH 3:1-2. c. from injustice. LAM 3:55 c/w JER 38:13; ACT 12:5-11. d. from the oppression and violence of man. PSA 119:34; 140:1. e. from fears. PSA 34:4. f. from tears. PSA 116:8. g. from imminent death. MAT 8:25. 2. These may be spiritual deliverances (PSA 116:4): a. from temptation. 1CO 10:13 c/w HEB 4:16. b. from transgressions and their consequences. PSA 39:8; 51:7-10, 14. (1) Frank confession of sins is needed. 1JO 1:9. (2) Repentance is needed. PRO 28:13; ISA 55:7. c. from ignorance of divine wisdom. JAM 1:5-6. d. from failing under pressure. 2TI 4:17-18 c/w 1PE 5:8-10.

C. They may also experience natural deliverance by God-ordained means, like wisdom, discretion or even destruction. PRO 2:10-12. 1. One may be delivered from the pitfalls of emotion-led decisions. PRO 28:26. 2. One may be delivered from exposure as a fool. PRO 17:28. 3. One may be delivered from unprofitable labor. ECC 10:10, 15. 4. NOTE: Such deliverances as noted above are natural deliverances by natural means which require no saving grace from Christ. The wicked can be witty and wise. a. They are things which men may know or learn naturally. 1CO 11:14. b. Therefore we should not assume that a successful sage in this world must be a spiritually saved child of God. c. There is more hope in the man who sees himself a stupid sinner in need of God’s wisdom in Christ crucified for sinners. 1CO 1:22-24. d. God gives natural deliverances in time to natural men according to His providences and His interest in His people (2KI 5:1; GEN 18:26), so we should not assume that natural deliverances are proof of eternal salvation for all who are naturally delivered. 5. Consider Noah’s salvation by water. 1PE 3:20. a. The water which destroyed an ungodly world lifted up the ark. b. So Christ is also set for the fall and rising of many. LUK 2:34. c. The ark was a natural salvation which was typical of spiritual salvation. d. “This instance of the dispensation of the providence of God to the old world is very appropriately, though by way of digression, introduced by the apostle; showing, that in times past, as then, God's usual method has been to afford the outward means to ungodly men, and to bear with them long, and then bring down his vengeance upon them, and save his own people; and this suffering saints might depend upon would be their case, and therefore should bear their afflictions patiently,” (John Gill on 1PE 3:20) e. It may be said that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. was also the deliverance of Jewish Christians from the oppression of their corrupt country and from the allure of abolished temple service. HEB 13:13-14.

D. Elect, born-again believers may be delivered by God in spite of themselves. 1. Lot was delivered out of Sodom and from temptation against his will. 2PE 2:7-9 c/w GEN 19:16. 2. God was merciful to deliver an indifferent Jonah. JON 4:6. 3. Do not presume upon such deliverances. JUDE 1:5. E. Make the best of deliverance that God has given you. Render to Him accordingly. LUK 17:12-19 c/w 2CH 32:24-25.

VI. Eternal salvation is guaranteed to all the elect but there are certain salvations in time that accrue only to those who submissively call upon the name of the Lord by faith. ROM 10:8-13. A. This is particularly so under the dispensation of the Spirit. ACT 2:17-21. B. There is spiritual salvation by way of pardon upon conversion. ACT 2:38. C. There is spiritual salvation from societal corruption. ACT 2:40. D. There is spiritual salvation by hope in the resurrection of Christ. ROM 8:24; HEB 6:18-20. E. There is spiritual salvation by remembering gospel instruction. 1CO 15:1-2. F. The Philippian jailor experienced diverse salvations by faith. ACT 16:30-31. 1. He was spiritually saved from darkness unto Christ and the victorious abundance He alone can give. ACT 16:32-34 c/w JOH 10:10 c/w PHIL 1:6. 2. He was concurrently saved from suicidal despair or the fate of a failed jailor. ACT 16:27-28 c/w ACT 12:19. 3. Countless people over the centuries have been similarly saved. Their spiritual conversion was also their personal salvation from destruction. G. (ACT 22:16) And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.