I know that I have explained what that looks like before, but because of the confusion among the Body of Christ, I do not think it can be expounded upon too often ... When God revealed Himself on earth as the Son of Man and the Son of God, He came as our Savior, Jesus Christ, King of the Jews. And on a very base level, we can recognize that what the King rules over is His Kingdom. So while Jesus was on earth, we can say that His Kingdom had arrived (although His orderly rule among men had yet to be established -- that is what He wants us to partner in setting up). Also, Jesus made it very clear that the Kingdom of God is God's rule in our hearts.
As a representative of God's Kingdom on earth, what were some of the acts He conducted when demonstrating what it meant to Seek first, the Kingdom of God? You are aware that I have pointed out the significance of His act of Healing as a signal of the Power of God on earth, and as a condition of the order and rule in His Kingdom. And it is to the Glory of God that the Bible records that Jesus healed 31 individuals, including the Leper in Galilee; the paralyzed servant of the Roman Centurion; Peter's mother-in-law in Capernaum; the man with a withered hand at a synagogue in Capernaum; the woman with an issue of blood; two blind men departing from Jericho; the infirmed man at the Pool of Bethesda at Jerusalem... to just name a few.
But if you diligently search the Scripture, you will also find that not all of Jesus's healings were defined by sickness or infirmities. For instance, Matthew 15:22-28 reveals that He healed the Canaanite woman's daughter who was "grievously vexed with a devil". Matthew 12:22 tells us, "Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil; blind, and dumb: and He healed him." Then there are those mass healings that took place, as in Matthew 4:24: "So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them". And the last one (though not the final one) I will mention is in Luke 4:40-41: "Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, You are the Son of God! But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ".
These are just a few of the healings that have been described in the Bible -- cases of deliverance from both illnesses and demonic oppression. But I would be negligent if I did not point out what John, the Apostle said, regarding this subject: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written". Our Bible very plainly says that Jesus performed these miracles as signs that the Kingdom of God was now being set in motion upon the earth. Yet, we the Church, are largely ignorant that this is to be our duty as servants of the King -- to continue His work! And while my writing has concentrated on this, as our moral obligation to our King, I want to take a look at another aspect of what He taught in regard to Healing.
As my husband and I have studied and communed with God and Jesus about our divinely-assigned ministry of deep (spiritual) healing, [and what others term as Deliverance], we are being shown a Truth in Scripture that is important for the Body of Christ to understand if we are going to truly seek to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth. Yes, we are encouraged by the evidence shown us [in the Bible] that Jesus healed people from their torments and the oppression of the Enemy and his demons. And we have partnered with Him in helping quite a few people to escape the captivity in which they were bound. But we have also begun to see that just because a person is set free by Jesus [in the spirit], it does not guarantee that this freedom is permanent. And although it's taken me quite a few paragraphs, I'm finally ready to explore the question as presented in the title of today's post ... Can You Lose Your Deliverance?
I'm going to cut right to the chase... I believe that yes, you can. And I want to make it perfectly clear ... this is not a question of Salvation. I did not ask, Can You Lose Your Salvation? Nor do I assert that a person's Deliverance is dependent on their Salvation (although I do believe that if a person experiences Jesus setting them free of bondage and captivity due to their sinful life choices, it can lead to acceptance of Jesus as one's Savior).
So here is the Biblical evidence that I believe one can lose their Deliverance (or Healing). Recall, if you will, the story in the Bible of the man at the Pool of Bethesda as related in John, Chapter 5. This man had been an invalid for 38 years, and has positioned himself at the edge of the Pool, where it is stated that an angel comes down to occasionally stir the water, upon which the first ones entering are miraculously healed. [And I want to state that I have no problem believing in this miracle; just as I can believe other places in Scripture that record supernatural events, such as the healing of Naaman in the River Jordan (2 Kings 5:10-14); and the healing of those who have the shadow of Peter fall across them (Acts 5:14-16)].
When Jesus discerns that the man could not be healed on his own, He heals the man, who immediately recovers his strength. And what does Jesus tell him? Snatch up your pallet, start walking and keep on walking. This is the expanded Greek translation of John 5:8. Note the underlined words which imply that our deliverance (or healing) is not confined to this one moment in time. We must continue on the path Jesus has set us upon. This is further clarified just a few verses later, when Jesus happens upon the same man in the synagogue. This man has been questioned about his healing, as if the very fact of his healing is in question. After all, the Jews ask, who had the authority to do such a thing? And the man is hard-pressed to provide a rational answer, not being able to identify the Son of God as his Deliverer. But Jesus speaks to the man in the synagogue and tells him, Behold, you have become well. Do not go on sinning any longer, lest something worse happen to you. Right there, Jesus presents the possibility that this man's healing and Deliverance is dependent on him. It is not unconditional -- it is not a Get Out of Jail Free card with no expiration date. And the failure to keep his Deliverance runs the risk of a return to a life which is even more oppressed.
I must tell you that this is a concern as my husband and I minister to people who are in spiritual bondage, and in need of both spiritual and physical healing. [It is not uncommon for physical ailments to be rooted in spiritual issues that need healing]. There is usually much cause for celebration as a person meets Jesus in the spiritual realm and He is able to deliver them from their spiritual bondage and deep soul wounds. There is elation and a sense of freedom; a sense that they have seen the end of their oppression and misery. But just like Jesus cautioned the man at the Pool of Bethesda (and the adulteress woman at the well), it is not a one-time, done deal. We must "Sin no more" and Keep walking in the new direction that Jesus has provided by His healing. Jesus makes it very clear that He is warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices, which will only re-open Satan's legal authority to once again attack and oppress you.
I know this is a huge concept, but it is one that Christians in the modern world need to understand. It ties into the concepts I've presented on the Court in Heaven, and Our Authority vs. Satan's. But we desperately need to comprehend that Jesus's words extended His mercy, but also demanded our holiness. He is telling us that any return to the sin that subjected us to oppression and captivity will nullify any release or freedom we have gained. In essence, if we do not fight to keep our Deliverance [and resist the temptations and urges to return to the comfortable state of sin that resulted in our spiritual misery], then Satan will take advantage of that weakness and renew his attacks, and most likely our return to captivity will be even harsher.
This, in effect, is the principle as expressed in Luke 11:24-26: When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first.”
If, through Deliverance, or deep healing, a person is rescued from a life of demonic harassment or oppression, but does not make an effort to fill their life with the newfound freedom from Jesus and seek to keep walking in His ways, then they are leaving themselves open to be revisited by the same whispered lies of the Destroyer. In no time, they will find themselves back under the control of demonic influences and their freedom will vanish. In short, it is our responsibility to STAY FREE if we don't want to lose our Deliverance!
In closing, I guess my final thoughts are these: Jesus did not come to earth to establish a Kingdom that could be so easily won and lost [because we don't make the effort to hold on to the freedom and territory that He helps us to receive]. Or you can look at it this way ... It cost Jesus everything to come set us [the captives] free. When He Delivers us from Satan's clutches, we are being conformed to His image. Why would we want to exchange our newfound identity to return to the tarnished image that Satan presents us? Why would any of us want to return to those prisons and chains?
Romans 6:17-18 "But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness".