Only God Can Give Deliverance From God

I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. ¹² I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God. ¹³ Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” – Isa. 43:11-13

In this passage, God declares Himself to be the Savior.  There is no other god in existence who can save or deliver. In fact, God declares that “there is none who can deliver from my hand.”

This poses a question:  What do we need saving from?  Since God is the Savior or Deliverer, what is it that we need to be delivered from?

Some will say that we need to be delivered from our sins.This is true.  It is the Son who can set the captives free (Luke 4:18). When the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).  

Some will say we need to be delivered from hell.  This also is true. The Bible says that the “unbelieving will have their part in the lake of fire” (Rev. 21:8). The way out of this is to place one’s trust in Jesus only for salvation and forgiveness of sins.

Some will also add that we need deliverance from Satan.  This is so right. By the kindness and greatness of God, “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).

We can also add a few other things we need deliverance from. But you know what the bottom line deliverance we need from?  God! It is God who we will all stand before and give an account. It is God who casts people into hell. It is God who judges sin. It is God who will keeps the fires of hell burning for all eternity.  It is God who will judge Satan and his demons and throw them all into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). It is God who punishes people for their sins. It is God who has the final word.

God says in Isaiah, that “I am God; there is none who can deliver from my hand.”  You see, it is not the wrath of Satan that ought to scare us, but the eternal wrath of God. As a result, looking to other so-called religions, man-made science and self-help techniques simply will not do. Who can deliver out of My hand? 

Therefore, when God proclaims Himself to be the Savior and Deliverer, He is letting us know that everyone’s destiny lies within His power. Some will have a favorable destiny and some will not.  But no one will ever be delivered from God’s hand by any other means than God Himself.  Only God can deliver from God.

Think about this. 

When God sends people to hell, no one will walk away free. When God takes people to heaven, no one will be lost.  Everyone’s life and breath is in the hand of God. He makes the determination to cause one person to breathe longer and another person to stop breathing completely. Who is able to deliver from His hand?

Think about this life.  It is God who “causes well-being and creates calamity; I am the Lord who does all these” (Isa. 45:7).  God grants you success and good health, and it is God who takes away your health and gives to you calamity. Does this bother you? If you do not know Him personally as your Lord and Savior it should.

You object, “Pastor Rich, I think this sucks!  I will not believe in a God who has all that power to use and abuse!”  God’s response:  “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker”(Isa. 45:9).  You may not like it, but your objection will in no way be enough to deliver you out of God’s hand.  Only God can deliver from God.

Why does God do what He does?  “His good pleasure” (Isa. 46:10).  It is the good pleasure of God to save some and not to save others.  Nothing that God does, He does without in some way to bring Him good pleasure.

You know what this is called?  Sovereignty.

Try to water it down if you want; try to explain it away if you must. But in the end, only God can deliver from God.

Therefore, we preach the saving grace of God to offer others deliverance from God. It is God who in the end will punish sin; who will send people to hell, and who will even cast the devil himself into the lake of fire. “Who is able to deliver from my hand?” God declares. 

Only God is strong enough to deliver from God.