DELIVERANCE by J. H. D.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 10, 1895

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 21, No. 40.

DELIVERANCE

By J. H. D.

BY J. H. D.

“FORASMUCH then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” Heb. 2:14–18.

In these few verses is found both a revelation and a mystery. Christ is revealed as the power that can destroy the devil and deliver those who are in bondage to him. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Were it only the devil that he could destroy, man would have to remain in bondage until the great adversary is cast into the great abyss. But it is the works of the devil—sin—that holds man in bondage, and Christ has come to destroy his works, and to do it now. He does not ask us to wait until the heavens shall roll together as a scroll, and every island shall be moved out of its place, and Satan cast into the burning flame. He has been manifested to take away our sins, and thus free us from bondage. This is indeed a great revelation to fallen man. That he took human flesh and dwelt in it, is a great mystery. While all men can accept the fact on the authority of the sure word of God, yet none will ever be able to explain how the Son of God could leave heaven and come to this earth and be born as fallen humanity is born.

Why Was He a Partaker of Flesh?

“That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Christ came to destroy and deliver. Satan, through the victory gained by causing man to fall, has the power over those that are subject to him even after they are in the grave. See Luke 4:6; Jude 9. Jesus came in the flesh to meet Satan in his stronghold and drive him forth, as he drove the thieves and robbers forth from the temple at Jerusalem. To do this he must take the same flesh that man had after the fall.

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” He took neither the nature of angels, nor of man before the fall, but he was born “under the law,” to redeem them that were under the law. He was born under the law, both to be judged by the law and to be dealt with according to the law.

Had he taken the nature of Adam before his fall, he would not have been under the death sentence which was passed upon all men. While he was compassed with like infirmities, and tempted upon all points like as ourselves, yet he did not possess the passions of our fallen natures, caused by being overcome by sin. But the flesh which he took would soon have possessed all the passions that sin has brought upon us had he once yielded. He met the tempter in the weak, sinful flesh, and condemned it so that it was not able to overcome him. In doing this he made it possible to set us free from the bondage in which we are held, and by living his own life in us condemns sin in our flesh. “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” Mark the expression, “who are in Christ.” Such are united by faith as members to him, their Head, and thereby partakers of his righteousness. There is now, while they are fighting against their corruptions, no condemnation. This is why Jesus Christ was a partaker of flesh.

Subject to Bondage.

“And might release these, as many as by fear of death through all (their) lifetime were liable to servitude.”—Rotherham. It is very unpleasant to be in bondage. This is especially true when we consider that the sentence is just and we deserve all we have. Speaking to those who are free from condemnation, the apostle says, “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.” This fear comes by seeing what is good and right, and being at the same time conscious that we are unable to do what is required. “For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Rom. 7:19, 24 (margin). The apostle further illustrates this state of fear in Gal. 4:23, 24, in his allegory of the bondwoman: “He who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; . . . these are the two covenants; the one from the Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. “But how did the Sinaitic covenant gender to bondage?—In that it made no provisions outside of human wisdom and strength. It was man in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh, which was an impossibility. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” Therefore it takes more than flesh to cast out sin. As long as we live under the covenant of works, we shall do no more than to see that we are in bondage and bewail our wretchedness. For he that is of the bondwoman (of works) is after the flesh, and “they that are in the flesh can not please God.”

Jesus Christ was sent into the world to condemn sin in the flesh. He took sinful flesh that he might subdue the corruptions of our old nature. He encourages believers to oppose the reign of sin in their mortal body, and not to obey it in the lusts thereof, with this promise, “Sin shall not have dominion over you.” It is not his will that any should remain in bondage all their lives.

Loosing the Bonds.

“O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds.” Ps. 116:16. Before these bonds were loosed, we were the servants of sin, of the bondwoman. There was no peace, no words of praise, no joy, but only exclamations of, “O wretched man that I am!” Now all has changed. “There is therefore now no condemnation.” Now there are words of praise. “I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.”

This deliverance covers the past, the present, and the future. He forgives all our past sins, and by his justification we are made as free from them as though they had never been committed. Being pardoned and accepted

in the Beloved, we are partakers of every covenant mercy; for he is made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. By his regenerating power, he puts his own mind within, and that directs this sinful flesh of ours, as it did the flesh which he took. In other words, he wishes to deliver us from our own minds, and give us a new mind, which makes us new creatures, with the power to live new lives. The former mind was controlled by the desires of the flesh, while the new mind controls the flesh.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” We are brought out of a state of alienation and separation into one of acceptance and peace. There is no condemnation. We are now regarded as friends, and feel free to consider ourselves as members of his family, and joint heirs with Christ. The Revised Version of the above text reads, “Let us have peace with God.” According to some critics, this is the better reading. It most surely brings in a new thought that is a very important one in the Christian life. Let us have peace. God has made it, now let us take it. So many persons are trying to make peace between themselves and God. How unnecessary, how foolish this is, when we but remember that peace is already made through Jesus Christ! God is asking us to take the reconciliation that he offers, and have the peace which he has brought to us. How many are acting towards God as if he were at war with them, as if everything were against them, and the God of love was their great enemy.

Peace is made for every individual who will receive it through Jesus Christ, turn from his sins, and accept the Saviour as his Redeemer. It is needless to try to please God by our own works and thus earn his favor. His way is that we accept his forgiveness, turn from our rebellion, and accept the peace which has been offered to us. This is his wondrous grace towards the sinner.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” It is one thing to be delivered from our sins, but quite another to be kept free. Justification deals with our past sins only. But we need to be delivered from the very nature of sin, or the sinful nature in our flesh. God can forgive sinful acts, but sin he can never forgive. It must be removed and destroyed. We are not only to have our past acts of sin pardoned, but we must have our present sinful nature crucified. This means that sin shall not reign any longer, and that Christ shall have the entire control of our mind, soul, and body. But what does he want of us?—To use in his service. But before he can use us, we must be entirely dead, so that we will not look to ourselves for any good things. Several symbols are used to illustrate this death and its results. It is represented by baptism: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Baptism is the appropriate symbol of death and resurrection, and not only of death, but of a death so definite and final that it is followed by burial, so that the old life is out of sight forever, and we are separated from it as thoroughly as the life is separated from the body that lies in the grave.

Again this death is set forth in the symbol of planting: “If we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” Christ uses this same figure to represent his own resurrection: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Nature abounds with illustrations of death and resurrection. In the spring every seed of the earth reiterates the resurrection. Every harvest is produced by it, and every flower and tree is a witness to the truthfulness of it. The seed must be buried, and must decay and die, and out of this corruption comes the germ of life, which in time produces fruit. This is God’s parable of true spiritual life.

In order that we may be free from the bondage of sin, we must die, and the new life we receive is Christ’s life dwelling within, which bids us “stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” He knows every trial and every temptation. “In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.”