EXODUS 17- AN EXAMPLE OF HOW MEN DO THEIR PART WITH GOD FOR DELIVERANCE

When I read stories like this in the Bible I always want to ask why didn't God just win the fight for them? He does it other times. Why here were they only able to defeat their enemies while Moses' arms were up? This is the question I want to address in this message.

Some might say this is an example of how we who are being pastored must support the pastor. But, I contend that that is a Roman Catholic view based on her mandate of allegiance to the ruling priest class. And that while Israel in the Old Covenant had leaders like Moses and Joshua that as judges delivered Israel from her enemies as types of Christ. The called out assembly of the New Covenant do not. Our only revered leader that rules over us now is Jesus.

This is why the apostles when faced with people who didn't know better began to worship them. They immediately stopped them. Saying, "Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein". Acts 14:15

In Luke 22:25,26 Jesus told His disciples "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve."

So the greatest of God's called out ones are those who serve. Not those who mis-lead while trying to rule over you. Because we all have one ruler and leader. The Lord Jesus.

Which is why Jesus said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

John confirming this again saying in 1 John 2:26,27 "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

So trust His leading as you read and believe what the Bible plainly says. So that you won't be deceived by those who would seduce you with doctrines of devils as they try to rule over you. Doctrines that join you to a false god, a false Jesus, and a false atonement.

And such is the doctrine of original sin. Many who have been taught the doctrine of original sin believe that God's sovereignty means our salvation is monergistic. Meaning our choice is not involved in any way in our salvation. Because they believe He chose who would and would not be saved before anyone was born.

So that through no choice or fault of our own most will suffer for eternity in the lake of fire. While only a comparatively very few will go to heaven. This also through no choice or fault of their own.

This is how they have been taught to interpret "Many are called but few are chosen". Even though the context of that verse is regarding the calling of the Jews in the Old Covenant compared to how God has called the whole world in the New Covenant. And has nothing to do with predestination of the individual for either heaven or hell as taught by Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. And those false teachers that are their disciples.

Some who believe all men inherit a sin nature from Adam will say this is "hyper-Calvinism". And does not fully represent their beliefs. But, in reality it was taught long before Calvin came on the scene. By someone that those who teach all men have a sin nature led Luther and Calvin to their conclusions. The first to introduce this to be codified to the Roman Catholic religious system was Augustine of Hippo who lived a thousand years before Calvin.

However, John Calvin, as well as Martin Luther, was a student of Augustine's teachings. So Calvin's TULIP, which stands for Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints, is the direct result of taking those teachings to their logical conclusions.

However, if you have a sin nature as Augustine taught Calvin and Luther, then you can not have free will. Because they are mutually exclusive because sin nature means it is impossible for man not to sin. While free will means it is entirely possible simply by choosing not to.

The Biblical example of this is found in Luke1:5,6 where Zachariah and Elizabeth are said to have been "both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."

Without free will

1) God is not love- but, 1 John 4:7,8

2) Jesus did not die for the whole world so that whosoever should believe in Him could have eternal life- but, John 3:16

3) It is not God's will that none should perish- but, 2 Peter 3:9

4) Jesus did not come in the same flesh all men have as Heb.2:14 says He did

5) you have no say in whether to believe God or not. But you are only a robot doing what a so called sin nature forces you to do- but, Joshua 24:15

6) If you are saved then it is only because God predestined you to be. And those who are not saved are not saved because God predestined them to go to hell- but, Mt.22:1-14

This is why Calvin taught that "We may rest assured that God would never have suffered any infants to be slain except those who were already damned and predestined for eternal death."

And

"There are babies a span long in hell."

These are the by products of the sin nature doctrine. And this is not the grace of God that Paul preached. But, is a different gospel. Think about all these things before you believe something as detrimental to the gospel that Paul preached as is the sin nature doctrine.

Think about this when reading passages like Ex.17 that tells us how in God's plan it was a relationship between Him and Moses that caused Israel to win the battle. And how the holding up of his hands was a choice he made to trust in God. And when he did Israel was delivered.

And even when his hands began to fall there were others who because they also believed God went to Moses' aid to help him keep his hands raised. This is the "2 or more gathered in my name" Jesus spoke of. This is the "choose you this day whom you will serve" that Joshua spoke of. This is the "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" that John spoke of. And this is the "justified by the faith of Christ" that Paul spoke of.

And if you will be joined in synergistic relationship with Jesus you too will know the justification of the faith of Christ. Because you will express the same faith in Jesus that He expressed to the Father. The righteousness of faith that always was, is, and always will be the way God chose for all men to have immortality and eternal life.

By everyone who will have eternal life confessing Jesus is Lord. And believing that He has raised from the dead.

By this we are saved. Which is the same deliverance that we see in Ex.17 when God delivered Israel from her enemy.

If you will do this you will know the peace that passes understanding that Paul speaks of in Phil.4. If you will do this you will become a spiritual being by being born again. Born from above. If you will do this you will be made a child of the true and living God. If you will do this you will be heir to His kingdom. If you will do this you will be delivered from death to life.

If you will do this... I will see you there or in the air!