You Can Be Free From Life-Restricting Perceptions (Salvation Series #1)
March 6, 2018
Perceptions, SalvationWe can benefit from blunders, ours and others, “if” we are willing to hear and heed the guidance God provides. We can see this illustrated in God’s Word. Examining Israel’s salvation from their Egyptian bondage teaches us much about life-restricting perceptions.
While I know very few of you personally, I am passionate about helping others overcome constraints that may be lurking in your life. The Relate to God ministry evolved as I began sharing fresh insights from Scripture to help bring clarity to God’s purpose for our lives. I want everyone to experience an exciting journey of personal interaction with God. This is God’s great desire for you!
While studying Scripture, I discovered four specific perceptions that hindered Israel’s full salvation. God delivered Israel from physical enslavement in Egypt, and yet, they remained entwined in perceptions that developed in captivity. Unfortunately, some of these same perceptions often impede God’s best intentions for us today.
Wilderness Wanderers
Instead of entering the promises their deliverance intended, Israel died in the wilderness. Yes, God continued to bless them with natural provisions but they failed to enter salvation’s full promise. Certainly, we are blessed; however, embracing many of the same views hinders our fuller experience:
• Their faith was only in what their natural senses could see and hear.
• They believed they could not personally hear God speak.
• They wanted God’s help but would not accept His life changing insights.
• They also sought God’s miracles but rejected His abiding presence.
Let’s be honest with ourselves as we answer a probing question, “Do any of those views strike a chord with me?” Being willing to honestly assess life in these areas is a major step to finding release from confining views. Perhaps things in your personal life seem generally amiss and you just can’t put a finger on it. Many times, you may not even realize you embrace hindering perceptions.
Still Living as Slaves?
God truly desires to be an inspiring presence for each of us today as He has done since initiating His plan to raise offspring. However, He does not push. It is up to us to accept His insightful guidance and be saved from the “slavery of separation” that plagues humanity.
God desires to save us from the “slavery of separation” that plagues humanity.
By “separation,” we mean the perception accepted by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they accepted the temptation to ignore God. When God came to communicate with them, they hid from His presence. The truth is, we inherit from our first parents the seeds of separation, the same sinful tendency. Who has not dealt with the desire to do it my way?
The deception, “I can be as God” separated Adam and Eve, as it does us, from God’s guiding fellowship. In The Christ Culture, I thoroughly explain the separatist problem and illustrate how God’s ultimate solution, was demonstrated in Jesus Christ.
The Better Way
Similar to Adam and Eve’s decision that impaired their relationship with God, Israel’s perceptions thwarted the full salvation God had provided. When we hold the same erroneous views, we limit the fullness of life God intends for us. As with Israel, God’s deliverance is intended to release us into a better way of living.
Certainly, Israel wanted to be free from oppression; they just didn’t know how to hear and respond to God’s governing presence. Why? They had lived in slavery for a few generations and were conditioned to think as slaves.
God knew that deliverance, in itself, could not accomplish a lasting effect. His beloved offspring needed to learn how to think differently and how to function under His guidance. Hence, a wilderness journey was a necessary part of Israel’s salvation.
“Now it came about when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, ‘Lest the people change their minds when they see war, and they return to Egypt’” (Exodus 13:17).
The wilderness journey was a necessary part of Israel’s salvation.
God’s Salvation Process
Israel’s release from bondage only began their salvation. The wilderness process would prepare them to live triumphantly in their better way of life. God intended their wilderness journey from Egypt to Canaan to be a two-year transition process. Does it surprise you to learn their indirect route was God’s plan?
As with Israel, our transformations into people that live with God in our midst are often stalled by entertaining the same misperceptions:
1. Our faith is only in what our natural senses can see and hear.
2. We believe we cannot personally hear God speak.
3. We want God’s help but do not seek the life changing insights that would allow God to work through us.
4. We also seek God’s miracles but do not entertain His abiding presence.
Our initial deliverance is just a release to begin to really live and experience God’s salvation process. This is the first blog in our Salvation Series. Stay tuned for blog #2, “Why Salvation Actually Involves Stages.” Sign up to receive email notification of our latest blog.
Go deeper and join us on an exciting journey of personal interaction with God! Get your copy of The Christ Culture, A Way of Life Like No Other. We provide a Guide to facilitate discussions.
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder. I truly welcome your feedback. Please comment with your thoughts!
