Greetings Saints – 

The Lord is doing a continuous work in this present age to bring His people out of varying levels of slavery and into His abundant promises. This goes beyond freeing us from sin through Christ’s blood and involves additional promises He has made to you and me.

The Lord is accomplishing this within a particular pattern and protocol which involves three major phases. He:

1. Brings us out of slavery, then:
2. Puts us through testing, then:
3. Brings us into His promises

 

King David observed this “out of – through – into” protocol of God with the Israelites. He wrote: You made men ride over our heads (slavery); We went through fire and through water. Yet You brought us out into [a place of] abundance. – Psalm 66:12 NASB20

There are numerous examples of men and women in scripture who went through this exact process first-hand. These include Abraham, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, Jesus, Paul, Peter, and many more.

Freedom is not God’s end goal for His people. It’s merely the escape and exit gate. His ultimate desire is that we enter into and walk in His abundant promises. Connecting the exit and entrance gates is always a pathway of testing. The time we are on this path is mostly up to us.

After escaping slavery, we learn to walk in God’s promises. God longs for this because when we do, we get to directly taste and partake of His divine nature: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. – 2 Peter 1:4 KJV

God’s promises are whatever He said He would do. This includes the many promises recorded in scripture, plus ones which He has spoken directly and personally to us as individuals, families, generational lines, businesses, churches, cities, regions, or nations.

Some of God’s promises are dynamic in nature. Meaning, they entail the reversal and exact opposite of whatever is currently enslaving us.

Out of Slavery

The first step to walking in God’s promises requires coming out of slavery. Slavery takes many forms.

After the death of Joseph and his generation, the Israelites slowly began migrating to Egypt under the reign and power of a new Pharoah. As they began multiplying in great number, Pharoah became afraid of a takeover and took countermeasures to enslave them (Exodus 1:9-11). Their enslavement was not immediate. Instead of embracing and remembering the truth of their own identity and in the power and promises which God made to their forefathers, over time, they allowed deception and slavery to ensue them.

There is a modern parallel of this happening today with the Body of Christ.

At the time of this message, the global Church is at its peak population size in all human history (nearly 2.4 billion people). As it grows and multiplies in number, the god of this world is increasingly organizing counterattacks to enslave God’s people and bring them under deception. His ultimate objective is to delay God’s people from dismantling his kingdom of darkness and prevent them from walking in God’s promises. He has no power over God’s people, except the power we given him.

The primary sign in the last days will be the increase in deception both outside and inside the Body: But evil people and impostors will proceed [from bad] to worse, deceiving and being deceived. – 2 Timothy 3:13 NASB20

As mentioned, slavery and captivity can come in many forms to God’s elect. All forms are rooted in lies and spiritual deception. Ultimately, His children can be held captive by anything that hinders the abundant Spirit-filled life God has planned.

Common forms of captivity include:

Slavery to Legalism (to the Past) – Legalism attempts to decode and define God’s actions into a series of if-then statements based on His past works. Legalism creates deception by attempting to box in God’s actions within a limited framework. It says, “if God did it that way before, He will also do it that way again”. God is infinitely creative, completely unpredictable, and takes different actions with different people at different times. The counter-truth to legalism is grace.

Slavery to Tradition (to Men) – Traditions of men can enslave God’s people and prevent them from experiencing His good promises. One example is the Catholic rule instituted in 1139 requiring all their priests to remain celibate. Paul, speaking by the Spirit, prophesied that this demonic deception would eventually come to the Church and enslave some: But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons……who forbid marriage [and advocate] abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. – 1 Timothy 4:1a-3 NASB20. The counter-truth to tradition is new covenant-based scripture.

Slavery to Mental Strongholds (Lies) – This is a true statement: every thought we think is not true. Any thought we have that runs contrary to what God thinks creates an internal argument with God. It asserts we are right, and He is wrong. These thoughts are usually rooted in false “I am” statements (i.e. I am worthless, I am a sinner, I am not loved by anyone, etc.).

Unless we question its validity, it will grow into a strong hold (falsely constructed mental belief system) which will ultimately bring us into some form of imprisonment and captivity. Therefore, instead of obeying it, we must take it captive to the obedience of Christ: [We are] destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and [we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, – 2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB20. The counter-truth to mental strongholds is regularly affirming who God says you are according to scripture.

Slavery to Sin (the flesh) – Children of God can become enslaved again to sin which the Blood first freed them from. By returning to our old ways, habits, and approaches of the past after we were freed from sin, sin can begin ruling again inside us: Therefore, sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, – Romans 6:12 NASB20

There is a spiritual law that what we obey we become slaves to: Do you not know that [the one] to whom you present yourselves [as] slaves for obedience, you are slaves of [that same one] whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? – Romans 6:16 NASB20

The blood freed us from sin’s penalty and death. But it is the power of the Cross, when applied daily, that keeps us free from its deception: knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him,] in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; – Romans 6:6 NASB20

The power of sin has been destroyed, so by being enslaved to it again is the ultimate form of spiritual deception. It is likened to a lion tied to a pole by a rubber band and deceived into believing it is powerless to break free from it.

Truth and Freedom

It is truth that sets us free: and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32 NASB20

However, it is not general truths or “Bible” facts that we know intellectually that free us, but rather specific and revelatory truth spoken by Christ directly to our current situation. We must then apply it as a disciple to truly experience freedom from captivity (John 8:31).

It is prophetic & present-based truth which reveals reality and frees people from slavery. Referring to Moses, the scriptures record “By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt (Hosea 12:13).

Bringing freedom to people was a key ministry work of Christ while He was on earth. For He said: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18).

Prophetic truth not only reveals secrets, but it also contains the Spirit’s backing and power to create the release and change. After we become free from deceptions and bondage and receive a promise from God, we will go through testing.

Through 

You will be tested by every genuine promise from God you receive (Proverbs 30:5-6). Consider Joseph, who received a dream from the Lord concerning his future. However, the scriptures state, “until the time that his word came to pass, the Word of the LORD tested him”. – Psalm 105:19 NKJV

Testing is for us, not God. The teacher does not issue tests for themselves, but for their student’s benefit. When it is a genuine test, the Lord will orchestrate a setup or circumstance that looks exactly opposite of the promise He gave you.

• From Joseph’s story, it was being a slave and in prison as opposed to being in a place of great authority and leadership influence.
• From the Israelite’s story, it was dwelling in a dry wilderness as opposed to resting in a land flowing with milk and honey.
• From a personal story, it was experiencing a miscarriage with my wife after receiving a prophetic word about having a son. Shortly later however, every detail of God’s Word came to pass until we held His promise in our hands.

 

God doesn’t cause bad or evil to happen during tests. However, He does allow it and use it as a tool so that all things can work together for the ultimate good for those that love God. Joseph said to his brothers who put him in slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result…”. – Genesis 50:20 NASB20

What many claim as “trials and tests” are usually just the resulting consequences of either unfavorable life circumstances or unwise decisions. True tests from God will always entail:

1. A clear Word of promise from the Lord, followed by)
2. Disappointment(s)
3. A perceived lack of resources
4. Breaking of fleshly desires

 

Ultimately, going through testing will lead to some form of suffering, distress, and hardship temporarily. God’s main purposes for testing include:

1. Revealing our heart issues
2. Refining our faith
3. Training us in obedience

 

Those that fail God’s tests end up taking His classes again. This causes us to dwell in the dry place much longer than God originally intended…He brings out those who are bound into prosperity, But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. – Psalm 68:6 NKJV

For example, the Israelite’s journey should have taken only 11 days – being a 200-mile journey in direct route from the Red Sea to the land of Canaan. Instead, it took them 40 years.  Like many of the Israelites in their time of testing, it is rebellion, bitterness, complaining, and stubbornness to not align our ways with God’s which causes us to go in circles and extend the hour of our testing in the dry place.

Furthermore, the original generation that left Egypt did not even live to see the God’s promise. This is a hard truth, but like the Israelites our rebellion can eventually cause us to forfeit God’s promises altogether (Hebrews 4:11).

How to Pass the Test – Using God’s Answer Key

In education, teachers have answer keys to help students. An answer key is a list of structured and correct responses for a test or assignment. It is provided as a reference for students to check their answers against.

There is a secret answer key hidden in scripture to help God’s people successfully pass His tests and walk into His promises. It contains four key answers. If you are currently going through a test, you can use them to grade yourself and make corrections accordingly. They are:

1. Guard your mouth
2. Know God’s ways
3. Do what God wants done
4. Remember God’s Word

 

Key Truth #1: Guard your Mouth

When first going through a dry place, it may become tempting to complain or become embittered at God, yourself, or others. The Lord will create setups which test our reactions and verbal responses in adverse circumstances so that we can see and know what is in our own hearts. This usually occurs during the beginning of a test after encountering disappointment.

For example, immediately after Moses led Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, they went into the Desert of Shur. After three days of traveling, they came upon a place of water. The water however was undrinkable and bitter.

Immediately upon disappointment, they reacted by complaining and grumbling against Moses. They named the place Marah, meaning “bitter”. Because they did not guard their mouths, the people failed the test immediately. Referring to this initial test, we read: ….There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. – Exodus 15:25 NIV

The word “bitter” comes from the Greek word “pikria” which means to “inject poison through piercing/biting”. God designed this disappointment to help the Israelites see and deal with their own bitterness in their hearts. They had allowed the serpent to slither into their lives while they were in Egypt and inject/bite his poison into them. His bite had created bitter roots in their hearts. This resulted in bitter fruit coming from the mouths during their hour of testing.

Bitterness can cause us to fail God’s tests and delay us from stepping into His promises. The antidote to the venom and poison of bitterness is forgiveness, just as God in Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:31-32). If bitterness comes out during a test, it is a signal that we need to forgive someone. For the Israelites, God was trying to get them to see their own bitterness and forgive their former enemies and slave masters.

Key Truth #2 – Know God’s ways

God’s works and His ways are very different. His works are what He does. His ways are His personality, character, and nature. His ways include the manner, paths, and patterns by which He operates in and through.

His works are constantly changing. His ways never change.

We must never follow the Lord by His works. When we do, we send Him the wrong message which He interprets as us testing Him. The Israelites made this mistake, which grieved the Father’s heart: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. – Hebrews 3:10 KJV

When going through tests in the wilderness, you and I must prioritize seeking and knowing God’s ways above everything else.

After seeing many miraculous works of God, this became the heart cry of Moses: “Now then, if I have found favor in Your sight in any way, please let me know Your ways so that I may know You, in order that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” – Exodus 33:13 NASB20

The Lord was pleased with his request and shortly later revealed them to Moses. Passing by in front of him on Mount Sinai, he proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. ….” – Exodus 34:7 NIV

God revealed to Moses:

1. His compassion
2. His grace
3. His patience
4. His love and faithfulness
5. His forgiveness

 

When in the wilderness, we need to focus on these specific qualities and ways of God. We will all fall and fail occasionally. But even in the very midst of our rebellion we must know that the Lord is faithful, loving, compassionate, and slow to anger towards us. He is patient and gracious to always help reroute us back onto His chosen path wherever we find ourselves in life.

No matter how far we get off His path, no matter how many times we may fail His tests, the Lord’s presence will always be with us.

Key Truth #3: Do what God wants done

Learning how to completely submit to authority during times of testing is the primary way God teaches us how to truly obey Him. This includes earthly authorities and the Father directly.

Submitting to earthly authorities

Learning to fully submit to all earthly authorities/masters over us without complaining helps us pass God’s tests faster. This includes organizational authorities (bosses/managers), authorities of the law and government, spiritual authorities, and mutual submission in marriage. During tests, the Lord teaches us to see all authority figures over us as being designated by Him. We learn to ,with a resolute will, diligently obey all their words to the best of our ability and to the extent it aligns with scripture.

For Joseph, it entailed learning how to fully obey Potiphar, then a prison guard, and finally a pagan leader named Pharaoh. For the Israelites in the wilderness, it entailed learning how to obey Moses and later Joshua. However, it was the 2^nd generation who entered into God’s promises that fully learned this important truth. They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. – Joshua 1:16 NASB20

Ultimately, learning how to submit and obey earthly authorities is training ground for learning how to obey the Father in His promises.

Submitting to the Father – Our Heavenly Authority

Tests bring suffering which teach us how to obey and fully submit to the Lord. Although Jesus was the perfect Son of God, He had to learn how to obey the Father through testing and suffering also: Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. – Hebrews 5:8 NASB20

The first place He suffered and learned obedience was when the Spirit led Him into the wilderness for 40 days – isolated and without food – to be tempted/tested by the devil: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. – Matthew 4:1 NASB95. This was a solitary place where Christ used scriptural truth to defeat satanic lies and cultivate His alignment to God’s will.

The enemy could not successfully tempt Christ because He had no sin or heart attitudes which satanic influences could get a foothold into. He was pure in heart. Concerning Satan, Jesus said, “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; – John 14:30 NASB95

Jesus went into the wilderness filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) but, having passed testing, He came out in the power of the Holy Spirit: And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding regions. – Luke 4:14 NASB20

Going through tests causes us to move from being filled with the Holy Spirit to walking out in the power of the Spirit. This is to help us accomplish God’s destiny for us.

Christ revealed the exact protocol for how to obey the Father as the hour of His ultimate test of obedience, the crucifixion, was approaching: He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them (His disciples), knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” – Luke 22:42 NIV

While in a test, do as Christ did. Kneel down, put your face to the ground, and pray His words from a place of deep sincerity: “Father – if this can be removed, please do it. Otherwise, I will do whatever You want done”.

This may need repeating, as Christ did, until we become completely surrendered in our innermost being to the Father’s will.

Key Truth #4: Remember God’s Word & Promises

The final answer key to help us pass God’s tests is recalling regularly what God said. This was Paul’s admonition to Timothy: Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected…. – 1 Timothy 1:18-19a NIV

It is essential that when going through a test we keep recalling what God has promised despite whatever situation we are in. We must keep His promise always before us. This was Christ’s way. He kept His hope alive and what the Father had promised Him in the forefront of His mind. This gave Him strength and fortitude to endure the Cross. As it is written …. For the joy set BEFORE him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Into His Promises

Finally, after coming out of slavery and going through testing, we are ready to step into, possess, and enjoy the Lord’s promises.

God said to Joshua, “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them–to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set foot, as I promised Moses. – Joshua 1:3 NIV

When God gives you the signal and the Word, get ready to cross the Jordan – the threshold between the end of testing and the start of the promise. As you enter in, realize that God’s promises require action and exploration to take full possession. So, set your foot on every place you can.

Conclusion

As this present ages ends, deception and enslavement will worsen. However, the Lord is bringing His chosen and remnant people out of it and into His great and precious promises. The Lord will take all His children through testing so that we may know our hearts, learn obedience, and refine our faith. If we apply His answer key and pass the tests, we will surely see His promises come to pass and experience the complete fulfillment of our Kingdom inheritance – both in this life and the one to come.

As God’s people, we need to not only know and experience these realities ourselves but help the generations around us do so also.

Are you hearing God’s voice today? Are you ready to step into what He has for you?