In our previous post, we started to examine issues of life from which the word of God can set us free. But God’s deliverance list was so long that we had to break it up and continue here. We did not even have the space to unpack the single verse that we did consider. Now, merely reading through that list and seeing how much Jesus saved us from reminds me afresh of how precious He is to all believers. Glory be to His name forever.
We see this prime God’s deliverance list in Isaiah 61, and while the Bible contains many lists of problems from which we need salvation, we refer to this as prime because Jesus Himself wrote it. Hopefully, we will have enough space to examine and unpack it comprehensively. Because Jesus said it, we can take it as the absolute Gospel truth. Let’s go.
In Isaiah 61.1, our Lord says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Do you not love the way of God? God’s deliverance list starts with healing the brokenhearted, immediately after preaching.
Preaching that does not heal your broken heart is imperfect, almost useless. It is the same reason God began by saying, “Let there be light” at creation. Without that light, nothing else could happen. Similarly, without healing your heartbreak, you cannot even start to know God in your heart, from where faith originates. You may know Him in your head, but head knowledge is not the same as faith.
Glorify God with Your Life
In a previous post, we looked at the importance of God’s sequencing. God’s deliverance list demonstrates how deliberate our God is. Once God heals your heart, you are ready to hear His proclamation of liberty and the opening of prison doors. You may have heard stories of assault victims who do not escape even when the way is clear for them to run. That is because their heart is still broken. Enough on sequence, since we have a lot of ground to cover.
But we note one more point in that verse. We see the same thought in Luke 1:74-75. “To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.” Once we are liberated, God takes us to the next verse.
“To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God. To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” This is God planting you firmly in His family, first by taking away your sorrows and mourning.
Next, we see God’s deliverance list being established in your life by ridding you of anything or anybody who constitutes an enemy. Please bear in mind the reason He does all this – that He may be glorified. Unless your life glorifies God, you may find yourself back on the enemy’s bondage list, the opposite of God’s deliverance list. I hope you know to which list you should belong.
Outcome of God’s Deliverance List
Happy is the man whose name is on God’s deliverance list because he can begin to make rapid progress. Verse 4 says he will rebuild the old ruins, the desolation of many generations. Imagine, no more generational curses or any such problems. You have to love verse 5, where God promises that people we did not previously know, total strangers, will serve all our needs. Sweet!
Next, God will call you into the ministry (verse 6). Dare we repeat it? Find your calling and do so urgently, for the end is nearer than when we first believed. Next, you shall start to eat of the riches of the unbelievers. You may know that God promises to reserve the wealth of the ungodly for the Godly. God does not change. He goes on to promise you double honor for any shame you might have suffered (Verse 7). As if that were not enough, God adds the promise of everlasting joy, and some of us can hardly wait to get that abundant joy in Heaven.
Be Sure You Are On God’s Deliverance List
But not everybody who says, “Jesus is Lord” will have this outcome. Only those who are on God’s deliverance List will have these results. Not everybody who preaches or writes a blog on heaven will get there. There is only one way to get to God in Heaven, and Jesus described it for us in John 14:6. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
I bless God that He does not hide His mind because nothing can be any clearer than that statement. Nobody, be it the Pope, a Pastor, a Bishop, or a church member, can come to God the Father except through Jesus. Ask yourself, “How is my relationship with Jesus? Or, are you basing your divine ticket on church attendance and/or service? Please do not make that mistake. Only faith in Jesus will get us onto God’s deliverance list, where the final outcome is everlasting joy.
Maranatha!
