1164. Helps Toward Deliverance

Helps Toward Deliverance

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death" (Rom_7:24).

Far be it from us to leave Naaman under the power and dominion of leprosy. There were certain steps that led to his cleansing. These we will observe.

1. A yearning for healing on the part of Naaman. The captain of Syria's hosts keenly felt his leprosy. He knew, well enough, his uncleanness. He sought for help on every hand, but found none. He almost, if not wholly, despaired of being healed.

This is just what we need to-day–a sense of sin; and then a realization of the hopelessness of victory in our own selves, or in others. We may try and purpose and pledge that we will live above the power of our flesh, but we continually fall.

Paul gives us an expression that describes Naaman's despair: "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom_7:24). Such should be the yearnings of every believer: "Where can I get deliverance?" "Where is victory?"

2. There was the helping hand of God. It was God Who directed the little maid into the life of Naaman. She was His missionary of grace. She was the heralder of the power of God. She it was who turned Naaman away from himself and his own environment. She led him in the way to God.

The Church to-day needs many preachers, many Christians with the message of the little Jewish captive. We need to preach the place of victory over sin; we need to tell how a Christian can live without fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.

There is never a yearning for deliverance on the part of any child of God, but here is the definite response on the part of God Himself. He has made full provision for cleansing.

First, He tells us not to sin: "Little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not" (1Jn_2:1).

Then, He tells us what to do if we sin. "And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins" (1Jn_2:1-2).

Best of all, He tells us how to keep from sinning. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh."

Thank God, there is a place of deliverance. "Sin shall not have dominion over you." The Christian has the old man with him, and the old man is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; but the old man can be "reckoned dead," he can be "put off," he can be "crucified." To him the believer need not yield, in him he need not walk. To be sure, none of this is possible to the flesh itself. The flesh cannot crucify itself. The flesh cannot put off the flesh. The flesh cannot reckon itself dead. This is the work of the "new man," empowered by the Spirit. He is our victory.

In Naaman's case the leprosy was entirely gone, not "suppressed." That is one side of the picture. So when we confess our sins, our sin is entirely gone. That is the work of grace; that is the power, of the Blood. So far as God is concerned, sin is gone. However, so far as our daily life, is concerned, the carnal nature is not gone, but, its power is broken, its dominion is lost. This is as far as the Naaman picture can be drawn.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR