Threefold Deliverance
January 19, 2012

"For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling" (Psalm 116:.

This is the beautiful testimony of the psalmist when the Lord answered his prayer: "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul" (vv. 3-4).  The Lord does, indeed, deliver our souls when we call upon Him for salvation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, "for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Divine deliverance, however, is more than deliverance from death and hell.  "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD . . . shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away" (Isaiah 51:11).  "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying" (Revelation 21:4).  God delivers us from the penalty of our sins, from death and hell, right now, and then from all our sorrows and tears in the age to come, delivering us even from all the effects of sin forever.

But He also delivers us right now from the power of sin in our lives, which would otherwise come again to cause our downfall even after we have been saved.  Many a fearful Christian, afraid that he is unable to hang on to the Lord, needs to know that it is the Lord who hangs on to him!  "For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" (Psalm 56:13).  Our Saviour, who died for our sins and rose again for our justification, promises this.  "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall |anyone| pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). HMM

For more . . . .

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"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall |anyone| pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28).

Are there false and true converts?

False converts lack genuine contrition for sin. They make a profession of faith but are deficient in biblical repentance.

"They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16).

A true convert has a knowledge of sin and has godly sorrow, truly repents, and produces the "things that accompany salvation" (Hebrews 6:9).

This is evident by the fruit fo the Spirit, the fruit of righteousness, the fruit of repentance and so on. However, only God truly knows the genuine from the false.

This is what P. T. Forsyth said:

"Our churches are full of the nicest kindest people who have never known the despair of guilt or the breathless wonder of forgiveness"

in essence a 'true convert' can never become lost, i.e once saved, forever saved, abi?

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall |anyone| pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28).

BTW 'false convert' sounds like an oxymoron to me; if one is not [i]truly [/i]converted, he's not a convert, no?

muyoto:

in essence a 'true convert' can never become lost, i.e once saved, forever saved, abi?

I don't think so. As in the picture below, a true convert sabi waka comot from the Shepherd.

muyoto:

BTW 'false convert' sounds like an oxymoron to me; if one is not truly [/i]converted, he's not a convert, no?

Is it only God that truly knows the genuine from the false?

[i]"Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are His. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19).