Part 7 - Paul's Prayer for Deliverance:

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Deliverance from Suffering.

Here we see that Paul says he was the first man to be saved under the new grace program called "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph 3:2). 1Timothy 1:16 (KJV) Howbeit for this cause I (Paul) obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Paul's life was "for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe."

Paul asked the Lord to remove his "thorn in the flesh." Paul says "I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me" (NIV). Paul's prayer for deliverance from his suffering was answered, but not as we may expect (2Cor 12:7-10). While God is certainly able, and sometimes willing that we be delivered from our situation, I find that most often now His will for me and most maturing Christians who live under "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph 3:2) and "the mystery" which is "Christ in you the hope of Glory" (Col 1:27), is that we "endure" by availing ourselves of the supply of Christ's indwelling life as the grace of God.

This new way of deliverance under the grace gospel is consistent with the situation we see when the Apostle Paul besought the Lord three times for deliverance from his "thorn in his flesh." Note that the Lord did not comply with Paul's request. Rather, the Lord said, "my grace is sufficient." The great "grace" we have received is the very life of Christ in us.

Further, the Lord communicated to Paul that his thorn in his flesh was a "messenger of Satan," obviously permitted by God, to buffet" Paul, lest Paul "be lifted with pride." Here we see that the Lord enlisted Satan to work as a tool in the Father's hands to do for Paul what Paul cannot do for himself. I personally believe that Paul's thorn was not a physical problem, but rather a chronic fleshly temptation, his pride, that was ever-present, and Paul's suffering was used by God to humble Paul.

Three Levels of Deliverance:

Paul tells us of three levels of deliverance for believers. In the following verses we see that Paul speaks of "deliverance" that was working in his life in three ways, 1) delivered (past tense), 2) being delivered (present tense) and 3) will be delivered (future tense). These three deliverances apply to three parts of man's being, his spirit, soul, and body (1Thes 5:23) as it now is in the life of all Christians.

2 Cor. 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10Who delivered us (Who delivered us by flowing His life to us in our spirit) from so great a death, and doth deliver (continuing to flow His life to us in soul, se Rom 5:10b): in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us (will yet flow life to us bodily in resurrection of our bodies - see v9b);

From this Scripture we can note three deliverances that Paul describes as being His experience. I interpret these three deliverances as follow.

  1. At our rebirth our human spirit was delivered by regeneration by the "spirit of life in Christ Jesus"; thus our spirit is now totally delivered (1Cor 6:17, Col 1:27, Titus 3:5).
  2. As we live our life on earth our soul is "being delivered" as it is being "renewed" (2Cor 4:16), Thus, Paul commends us to be renewed in our soul's mindset or attitude (Rom 12:2, Philip 2:5).
  3. We as Christians are yet to "be delivered" in body - in the twinkling of an eye we will exchange these corruptible bodies for incorruptible spirit bodies (1Cor 15:52).

Philip. 3:21 Who shall change (metaschematizo, transfigure) our vile (earthly) body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

From Death to Life:

What is it that we are we being delivered of or delivered from in the three parts of our being? We see in verse 9 that Paul is speaking of deliverance from of the "sentence of death" in himself. Formerly being dead in trespasses and sins, our death is being fully swallowed up of His life. 1 Corinthians 15:54 (KJV) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality (eternal life), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The life of Christ we received into our spirit at the time of our rebirth has enlivened us, dealing with the sentence of death within us. God has already made us alive in spirit, (Eph 2:1-2, Titus 3:5) by depositing Christ's "spirit of life" into our spirit (1Cor 6:17). We were made alive in our spirit where we had "been dead in trespasses and sins" Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened (Gk. zao, made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins;

We had been dead toward God, much as we might say a phone line is said to be dead. There had been a break or cessation of communication and relationship between fallen man and God – sin had separated man from God.

  1. All mankind is born "dead in spirit" toward God, since sin in his being has made him unable to live righteously. Due to the effects of sin in man's being, fallen man is strong toward sin and weak toward righteousness. If we deny this we lie or we're burying our head in the sand.
  2. Our bodies have a sentence of death in them. The death rate is still unchanged – one per person. These vile bodies will one day be exchanged for a glorious body like unto Jesus' resurrected body.

Sin works death in us completely, 1 Cor. 15:56a "The sting of death is sin". Thus we see that Christ came that we might have His resurrection life and have His life (Gk, Zoë, spirit life) more abundantly (Jn 10:10) – to permeate our entire being, eradicating death in our spirit and soul, and yielding a new spirit-body (1Thes 5:23).

Deliverance Comes by Learning to Trust His Life as Our New Overcoming Life

It is His enlivening and empowering life within the believer's spirit that delivers them today in this age of grace, while living upon the earth (Gal 2:20). We live by the faith "of the Son of God." In the KJV the word of appears as being properly translated from the Greek "ek." "Ek" means "from and with." We live by Christ's life and faith, which is from and with the very Son of God His self within us. It is not our faith – it's His supernatural faith in us that we live by.

  1. First we must receive Christ, as the Spirit of LIFE into our spirit at our new birth (John 3:6, 1Cor 617).
  2. Then, being one with Him, He uses the sufferings of our life to work His life into our self-soul. He permits the situations and circumstances to come into our lives, "for the good" (Rom 8:28-29a).

The Lord purposes that we might let go of believing our outward circumstance. We must come to "believe in Him" – that is to trust Him who is over all things and who loves us unconditionally.

He permits insurmountable situation to come into our lives in order to deliver us from self-dependence; we've always depended upon our fallen and sin-infected self-life. He works in us to bring us to cooperate with His work and will in our lives. God desires that we rely upon His overcoming uplifted, indwelling life. His is a life that is able to deliver us in the midst of trial. We are delivered by His life spreading from our spirit (His dwelling place) to our soul, which needs a mindset renewal (Philip 2:5).

Our soul thereby is delivered; changed "from glory to glory," when we turn our heart from Moses (the old way of the Law) to Him (2Cor 3:15-18), to His life in our spirit. This turning of our heart is a yielding of our soul's mind, emotion, and will, to receive the current or flow of His life supply as our normal supply for our daily living.                     

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