Sin's Human Captives
The Divine Conquest
Chapter #2
In Word, or in Power

By A. W. Tozer

In asserting that faith in the gospel effects a change of life-motive from self to God, I am but stating the sober facts. Every man with moral intelligence must be aware of the curse that afflicts him inwardly; he must be conscious of the thing we call ego, by the Bible called flesh or self, but by whatever name called a cruel master and a deadly foe. Pharaoh never ruled Israel as tyrannically as this hidden enemy rules the sons and daughters of men. The words of God to Moses concerning Israel in bondage may well describe us all: "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." And when, as the Nicene Creed so tenderly states, our Lord Jesus Christ "for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and the third day He arose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father," what was it all for? That He might pronounce us technically free and leave us in our bondage? [b]Never.[/b] Did not God say to Moses, "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey . . . and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Let my people go"? [b]For sin's human captives, God never intends anything less than full deliverance. The Christian message rightly understood means this: The God who by the word of the gospel proclaims men free, by the power of the gospel actually makes them free. To accept less than this is to know the gospel in word only, without its power.[/b]

Prayer
Thank You, Kind Father, that the power of the gospel makes us free.

Hallelujah!!! Thank you Jesus for setting us free... for being a God who knows our infirmities, knows our condition, and loves us to much to leave us in a "technical salvation" with nothing to do about our present state! Who the son sets free is free [u][i][b]In Deed[/b][/i][/u]!!

Now that is something to rejoice about!!

Thanks for your post!

Anything less is less than He came to give us. He is such an amazing God. I mean, He would have had every right to demand our service, praise and obedience, and been a tyrant! A God who was only "right and just" 50% or even 90% of the time. But not Jehovah. He is always right. Always just. Always gracious. Always cleansing.

I can't believe He did it... but boy am I glad He did!!

We sing this one at church...

"He touched me, oh He touched me! And oh the joy, that floods my soul! Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole."

The old testament had a "technical" salvation with sacrifice... how much more is Jesus??? He saves His people FROM their sins... not the consequence of. Not from the guilt. Not from the pain. FROM THEIR SINS...

Ro 6:4 - Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in [b]newness[/b] of life.