CHAPTER 33
BE A DELIVERER
(THE SECOND YEAR)
God is searching the whole world for deliverers. The whole world is in darkness and bondage. The whole world needs to hear the gospel message because the gospel is the only thing that will bring light, liberty, life, and love to a fallen and lost world. However, remember it is not us that will set people free, it is Jesus Christ (the Word of God) that sets the captive free. Also remember it is not our wisdom or knowledge or power or holiness that draws people to Jesus Christ, it is the fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, we must start by cultivating our relationship with the Holy Spirit so that He can produce fruit in our lives. We must begin planting and watering our own spirit by memorizing and speaking the Word of God. How do we cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit? We must get to know God by His Word.
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
54) BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH;
55) MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE: AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW.
GALATIANS 5:22-23
It is not the branch that draws people to the vine, it is the fruit, which the branch bears, that draws people to the vine. If a branch does not bear fruit, it is pruned off of the vine to allow room for more productive branches, and the unproductive branch is cast into the fire. Therefore, our chief aim, as a branch, should be to bear abundant fruit for the Lord. Paul is very specific when he writes to the Corinthians:
56) BUT HIS I SAY, HE WHICH SOWETH SPARINGLY SHALL REAP ALSO SPARINGLY, AND HE WHICH SOWETH BOUNTIFULLY SHALL REAP ALSO BOUNTIFULLY.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6
The key to bearing fruitful is giving. The more we give the more we will increase. I am not just talking about giving money. If God has blessed us with money, we need to be generous with our money, but God has blessed some people with position, like Esther and Joseph, or skill like Hiram, or wisdom, like Solomon, or understanding, like Abigail. If we want to get, we must first give. If we want to reap, we must first sow seed. If we want to receive spiritual fruit, we must give from our spiritual storehouse.
The most important gift we can give to the lost world is the Word of God! Where is our spiritual storehouse, and what do we store there? The Word of God is the treasure that we have been diligently and patiently storing in our mind/heart (spiritual warehouse). If we want to reap spiritually, we must sow spiritually and we must sow the Word of God in our mind/soul.
BUT SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN YOUR HEARTS; AND BE READY ALWAYS TO GIVE AN ANSWER TO EVERY MAN THAT ASKETH YOU A REASON OF THE HOPE THAT IS IN YOU WITH MEEKNESS AND FEAR:
I PETER 3:15
What is the answer we should be ready to give? Should our answer be from the newest and best selling relationship book, or psychology book, or financial book, or our favorite television talk show host? No, no, a thousand times NO!
The answer we must be ready to give is the Word of God. Receiving and believing the Word of God is the answer to all of mankind’s problems. We will be ready to give an answer to every man that asks only if we have God’s Word memorized and stored away in our hearts. Even a Christian with no worldly wealth can give the Word of God and bless a lost and dying world.
FIRST FRUIT = LOVE
God is Love. Therefore, the more we mature in the spirit, the more of His love will be manifest in our lives.
57) A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, THAT YE ALSO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
JOHN 13:34
How can we tell if we love one another? Once again the answer is giving. How can we tell if God loves us? God gave His Son as a propitiation for our sins. See Romans 3:25
PROPITIATION - 2435. Hil-as-tay’-ree-on: an expiatory (place or thing) i.e. (concrete) an atoning victim, or (specifically) the lid of the Ark (in the Temple): - mercyseat, propitiation. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
Jesus Christ is the mercy seat that covers the Ark of God. The Ark represents God’s throne, His authority, His provision, His quickening life, and finally God’s judgment proceeds from His throne. When the Ark was taken from the people of Israel by the Philistines, God smote the Philistine city of Gath. See I Samuel 5:9. When the men of Beth-shemesh looked into the Ark, over fifty thousand men died. See I Samuel 6:19.
Why? Because without the shedding of blood, without a propitiation for sin, or covering for our sins, God must judge sin and the judgment for sin is always death. The Jewish High Priest only entered into the presence of the Ark one time per year, after he was ritually cleaned. When the priest entered the Holy of Holies, he sprinkled blood on the mercy seat for the remission of the nation’s sins. However, Jesus made an eternal sacrifice by placing His body, as a propitiation (covering) for sin, between us and the judgment seat of God. All of God’s judgment for all of our sins fell upon Him. Jesus gave everything for us. The Old French word for love is charity.
CHARITY - 26. Ag-ah’-pay: love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast; - (feast of) charity ([-ably]}, dear, love. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
58) AND ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT CHARITY AMONG YOURSELVES: FOR CHARITY SHALL COVER THE MULTITUDE OF SINS.
I PETER 4:8
Charity has become synonymous with liberality to the poor, but it originally meant much more.
Charity, n. 1. Love; benevolence; affection; good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love of God, and universal good will to men. (Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Simon and Schuster, 1979.)
Charity is the feeling that should well up in our heart when we see someone we love who is sick, or hungry, or cold, or destitute, or in bondage. We naturally want to heal them, or feed them, or cover them, or lift them up, or set them free. As we mature in the spirit, our love will be manifest to a wider and wider circle of people, until finally we will have empathy and charity for all the people of the world. We will no longer be able to ignore the plea of the desperate, or take advantage of the simple, or grind down the poor.
SECOND FRUIT = JOY
59) A MAN HATH “JOY” BY THE ANSWER OF HIS MOUTH: AND A WORD SPOKEN IN DUE SEASON, HOW GOOD IT IS?
PROVERBS 15:23
JOY. 8057. Sim-khaw; blithesomeness or glee (religious or festival): - exceeding (-ly), gladness, joy (-fullness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice (-ing). (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
A man hath joy (exceeding pleasure) by the answer of his mouth. How does a man have joy by the answer of his mouth?
ANSWER. 4617. Mah-an-aw’; from 6030, a reply (favorable or contradictory); - answer, x himself. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
Still a little confused? Let’s look up the Hebrew word under number 6030.
SPEAK. 6030. Aw-naw; root; properly to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce; - give account, (cause to, give) answer, cry, hear Leannoth, lift up, say, x scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
Now we are getting somewhere. A man hath joy (exceeding pleasure) by the answer (testimony, witness) of his mouth.
60) HOW BEAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS ARE THE FEET OF HIM THAT BRINGETH GOOD TIDINGS, THAT PUBLISHETH PEACE; THAT BRINGETH GOOD TIDINGS, THAT PUBLISHETH SALVATION; THAT SAITH UNTO ZION, THY GOD REIGNETH!
ISAIAH 52:7
The only joy that I can compare with speaking the Word of God is hearing the Word of God. When we are sick, or in distress, or in desperate circumstances, a messenger with the Word of God can truly lift our spirits. However, there is no greater joy than when we can personally deliver the gospel to somebody in distress, by speaking the Word of God and witnessing their deliverance.
BUT SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN YOU HEARTS: AND BE READY ALWAYS TO GIVE AN ANSWER TO EVERY MAN THAT ASKETH YOU A REASON OF THE HOPE THAT IS IN YOU WITH MEEKNESS AND FEAR:
I PETER 3:15
Remember the answer must be the right answer and there is only one right answer to every problem: JESUS CHRIST (the Word of God). This is why it is so important for us to memorize God’s Word. We receive the greater benefit when we testify about Jesus Christ and tell of what He has meant to us. When I look back on my life, I cannot imagine accomplishing the things that I have accomplished without knowing Him. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus! If you want true joy, be ready always to give an answer (testimony) to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you. If we are saved, we should have a testimony that we can share with everyone.
THIRD FRUIT = PEACE
61) THOU WILT KEEP HIM IN PERFECT “PEACE”, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE: BECAUSE HE TRUSTETH IN THEE.
ISAIAH 26:3
PEACE. 7965. Shaw-lome’; safe, (abstract) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace: - x do, familiar, x fare, favour, + friend, x great, (good) health, (x perfect, such as be at) peace (-able, -ably), prosper (-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ly), salute, welfare, (x all is, be) well, x wholly. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
Peace in Hebrew is far more than just relief from strife. Although it does mean relief from strife, it also means health, prosperity, safety, perfect wholeness. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. See Isaiah 9:6.
When a Jew in ancient Israel met another Jew, he said, “Shalome” (Peace). When two Jews parted in ancient Israel, they again said, “Shalome” (Peace). Peace is essentially what God wants for everyone and there is only one way to attain Shalome. We must keep our minds stayed on God.
STAYED. 5564. Saw-mak’: a prime root; to prop (literally or figuratively); reflexively to lean upon or take hold of (in a favorable or unfavorable sense): - bear up, establish, (up-) hold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay (self), sustain. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
We can only have health, prosperity, peace, safety and perfect wholeness when our minds lean or hold fast onto God. How does our mind lean on God? Once again, we must memorize and speak His Word. Remember Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2, we need to meditate on God’s Word. We must speak God’s Word over and over too ourselves. We must store God’s Word in our mind. Our mind must lean on God’s Word.
I can personally testify that by leaning my mind on God’s Word, I have enjoyed good health, prosperity, peace, safety and perfect wholeness. I also believe I have become smarter and wiser by leaning my mind on God’s Word. If you do not believe me, why not try memorizing one Bible verse per week for a year or two and see what happens?
FOURTH FRUIT = LONGSUFFERING
62) BUT, BELOVED, BE NOT IGNORANT OF THIS ONE THING, THAT ONE DAY IS WITH THE LORD AS A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY.
63) THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; BUT IS “LONGSUFFERING” TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTENCE.
2 PETER 3:8-9
LONGSUFFERING. 3115. Mak-roth-oo-meh’-o; longanimity, i.e. (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude :-longsuffering, patience. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
Longsuffering is truly a fruit of the spirit and if you manifest this fruit, you are well on your way to being a mature Christian. Often times I look around at this sinful world and wonder how God can allow all the horrors perpetrated by mankind to continue, but then this verse always comes back to me. What if God was not longsuffering, we would have all been cast into hell long ago. We must also be willing to be longsuffering, if by the grace of God one more person can be saved from the eternal torment of hell. It is often said we must hate the sin but not the sinner. Often times this is no easy task, especially when somebody is attempting to harm us or our loved ones. However, we must always remember, but for the grace of God, there go I.
We not only must be able to have empathy for others and try to imagine walking in their shoes, but we must also try and remember what we were like prior to our own salvation. After a year of speaking God’s Word, you will see a radical growth and transformation in yourself. The same growth, year after year, and we will become totally different people.
We eventually are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. An acorn cannot be compared to a mighty oak tree. We must be patient and longsuffering with the lost and with immature Christians. God is not done with them yet and God is not done with us yet. Therefore, we must not become impatient with ourselves either. Eventually, in God’s own good time, everything will reach fruition, both the good and the bad.
THE FIFTH FRUIT = GENTLENESS
5544. Khray-stot’-ace; usefulness, i.e. moral excellence (in character or demeanor): - gentleness, good (-ness), kindness. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)