Our Exodus Story

Our Exodus Story

You may know that we are completely saved when we accept Jesus as our savior. There is nothing we can do to earn it. Only God does the saving! (2 Co 3:4-6) It is simply our faith, our belief in God and His Son Jesus, that enables us to be saved. But often, we forget that we are in a process of being saved, being changed into the likeness of Jesus while we're here on earth and on our way to Heaven. Scripture says ... 


2 Co 3:17-18 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

God changes us into the person of Jesus as we focus on Him, even in the midst of our wilderness experience. With each new week, I’m shocked yet again at the growing moral decline of our culture. I’m even more saddened when I see a Christian compromise their integrity in effort to blend in and keep their following (or their job) If we could just be reminded today that Jesus’ blood was shed to make us clean and deliver us from bondage!

1 Co 15:1-2 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word..."
The blood of the lamb came before the Israelites could do anything to earn being rescued. The blood comes first. God initiated our rescue! Exodus comes before the promised land. Too many people want the promised land and yet don’t want the Exodus. Exodus comes first. First, you must admit that you’re in trouble and in need of the blood of Jesus to purify you from all unrighteousness. The Exodus - the leaving of Egypt is the choice to leave behind the addictions and bondage of sin and step out in faith, into the unknown with God. It's believing that Jesus is saving you - saving you from things you can't fix on your own.

Maybe you're struggling this week with an old sin habit. Maybe you've gone back to some old ways and even thought "What am I doing?" Friend, you must remember the blood of Jesus given to save you from that sin. You must remember the price Jesus paid in order to set you free! Think about that. Let that revelation prompt you to leave Egypt and leave those things behind. You can feel alone in the wilderness and people “in Egypt” may mock you. But be reminded that God is WITH YOU in the wilderness and He’s leading you to a promised land!

The Exodus of Israelites we read about in the Bible is their story from slavery in Egypt. This is a great picture of our Salvation. God miraculously saved them. God miraculously saves us. God uses a man named Moses to rescue them with miracles, even cheating death. God used Jesus who came as a man to rescue us doing the miraculous, even cheating death.

The wilderness serves as a picture of the “being saved” process, what we often term “sanctification” and it's an important part of our Exodus story. The Israelites are no less saved when they’re learning to trust God in the desert. They are no less saved from Egypt when they’re learning to be thankful for the mana. They’re no less saved when they learn to look upon the bronze serpent hanging on a cross in order to be healed. All of this wilderness experience is their story of being saved. It’s the time in which they are between Egypt and the Promised Land. We too are in between! We who have accepted Jesus as Lord have been rescued from the bondage of sin, the evil Pharaoh of our sinful nature that held us bound to actions that caused pain and regret. We're saved! But, let's be honest, we’re not yet in Heaven! At least if you’re reading this, I would guess that is safe to assume.

You and I are the people of God, saved from Egypt and on our way to our Promised Land. The Exodus story is our Exodus story. You and I are the people of God, saved from sin’s rule and on our way to Heaven where Jesus rules and reigns. Jesus is the new human who saved us, the Moses who led us out in miraculous signs and wonders! So be encouraged today that while you feel things just are not right in the world, you’re being made more aware of your Exodus story. You’re being made more aware that you are going somewhere where there is no more pain, sorrow, regret, cancer, heartache, sin, grief, pain or confusion! You’re on your way to the Promised Land! You and I are being saved! WOW! What a joy and privilege to continue to look upon Jesus who took the curse of the serpent so we could be healed! What a joy and privilege to look upon Jesus who defeats every enemy as we simply walk around Jericho and then praise Him! It’s a funny thing to be the people of God isn’t it? To know we live in a tension of here and not yet, to know God is taking us through the wilderness teaching us to trust Him for every provision we need, every healing we need and all the forgiveness we need. The Exodus story is our Exodus story. Be encouraged! The promised land is next!

2 Co 4:7-17 "We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison..."

Their exodus story is our exodus story. By the way, the wilderness is where you’ll see the most miracles =) Many Christians won’t see miracles in their life because they won’t first leave Egypt.