While last week we emphasized more on the experience of living in an unredeemed body this week I really want to talk about what it is like to be delivered in the midst of our walking through this world.

“They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free ‘?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.…” John 8:33

While deliverance can and is defined through outward- situational terms, I see Jesus describing a deliverance that was from a much different place than those of this world were mindful of.

And while Jesus was indeed speaking of a deliverance beyond their perceptions, I find their knee-jerk reaction rather interesting. “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone!” Really? Who were they trying to convince? Jesus? Themselves? Hey, even at that time in their history, they had to be so very careful as to not stir up their Roman overlords to take action against them.

Adam, you remember how the raising of Lazarus scared the chief priests and Pharisees enough for them to call a special meeting of the board to discuss how to handle the Jesus-problem, right? Well, one of the alarmists in the group summed up their worst fears this way:
“What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
And for all we know, he may have been the same “they” who made the absurd claim about never having been enslaved.

The point I’m making is the same thing I think we’ve all encountered with people in this world, and that is that oftentimes, those who make the boldest claims about being free are the ones who are the least free. You know what I’m saying?

That’s why Jesus’ statement is so powerful, for it goes beyond the claims man and directly to the very nature of the fleshly mind: “…everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

Regarding Deliverance- Where is it when I can’t even make myself meet the demands of even fairly routine everyday things?

We are all brought into a world that demands way more than is even necessary just in order to survive and function in daily life.

[I suspect that there are those that are considered strong that lift up the weak in everyday matters such as material provisions and social requirements within the realm of families that believe etc..]

The demands are abundant.

And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Even right now I know it would be important to have a relatable example as I am writing this audio but alas, I can not produce it right now. My ability to produce it is out of rhythm with the seemingly best place to produce it. In this case, the spirit is indeed willing but, the flesh is weak.-

We are dwelling here with the old creation which possess absolutely zero patience toward their fellow man. This is our living quarters. The very rhythms and confines of impatience.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

While the pace [and expectations] of life in this world is set to a tempo wrought in the impatience of the old creation, we who are in Christ get pressured into thinking that this is the form of Christ in us and get pulled into fear, guilt and shame all over again. This is not joy my friends.

So how DOES one approach life in this world knowing they never totally live up to all the various erected rules, behavioral demands and societal standards, both spoken and unspoken? Can we put words to this? [How is His deliverance at play here?]

We have health demands. Going to the Dr. when we should, eating right etc..

Etiquette demands

Standards of how and when you pay your bills

“Morning person’ demands

“Evening person” demands

Clothing demands-what is appropriate-how much u have-etc..

Morality demands

church people acceptance demands

Family acceptance demands

Friend acceptance demands[rules to follow]

Good parent standards

Behaviour standards

Work demands

The list goes on and on. We have ourselves backed into a corner and all this without ever being part of an official religion!