For over two decades people have been coming to me for deliverance. In their minds some have a concept of what that looks like. For some it's the stuff of Hollywood and they're freaking out that the horror movies are the method that deliverance happens to them. For others its wanting to deal with a spiritual blockage that they can't seem to break through. For many it's put into the place of specialist and away from the prayers of so many believers. People who move in deliverance can easily build platforms that people need to approach to receive deliverance but they are kept away from standing on that platform...
Jesus had a different approach to it all. The whole platform thing was never in his wheelhouse. He always allowed people to sit with him and always looked to put the Key's of His Kingdom into the hands of those who loved him. For me, if there is a secret to it all, here it is... it was and still is, His love. It's no great secret. However, the church has made it so by seeking knowledge at the expense of understanding of how powerful Jesus' love actually is.
We've promoted a language of warfare rather than flowing from the language of love. So we talk battle and armies at the expense of the relationship and grace. We forget that Jesus has overcome the world and we operate like it is our job to do what Jesus has already done.
Paul spoke about deliverance too. But he was not delivering these people from named demons, he was delivering them from a belief system that led them to a practice of following God at the expense of a relationship with him. In Galatians he spoke of delivering Peter from trying to love out of two belief systems.
Any time we find ourselves living out of two belief systems there will be an internal struggle/wrestle for our peace, our rest and relationships with God and others. Jesus didn't die on the cross for us to continue to fight a battle he had won. He delivered us from religion that day. He gave to us the Keys to the Kingdom and removed every obstacle that would get in the way of us living in freedom.
In demystifying deliverance, let me start in the place of our design with the invitation to encounter God's love in a way that fear cannot compete with. When we recognise our design our sin no longer has a voice that can convince us we are not who God says we are. This, my friends, is freedom. This is our design. It's not complicated and it does not operate from a platform. It operates just like Jesus showed us in Matthew 12:48-50: “Let me introduce you to my true mother and brothers.” Then gesturing to the disciples gathered around him, he said, “Look closely, for this is my true family. 50 When you obey my heavenly Father, that makes you a part of my true family.”
Delivered, or set free to be family with Jesus.
Matt