Refugees In Jesus
How deeply have you considered Hebrews 6:18?
Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
If you have dismissed this scripture as too difficult you may be missing one of the most elemental things you need. If you have studied it, how often have you contemplated this scripture trying to determine the … two immutable things? or have stood upon the promise that it is impossible for God to lie? or have desired to lay hold upon the hope? But how many have considered our refugee status?
Being a refugee is not an easy life, but often involves affliction. The cities of refuge in the Old Testament were for men to flee from the avenger of blood. Their deliverance and protection was upon the people of the city of refuge. There was no promise of an easy or blessed life for someone forced to flee there. They were separated from everything they owned or desired, and from family, but death awaited them outside the city.
Refugees that we see in the news today, often fleeing war or famine, live in squalor, often in tent cities by the hundreds of thousands. But they have been delivered from the sure death that awaited them at home. They have fled to see their needs and protection rest on the people, city, or country of the refugee camp. Supplies are often provided by many countries, but are usually insufficient to meet all the needs.
In this exhortation from this verse, we are considering spiritual refuge. We must have refuge from the sin and iniquity of our past, which was a sure death. But we also must flee the things of the flesh that lead to failure and death. It is an absolute necessity for you to give up the things of the flesh and this world to lay hold of the hope set before you;
I John 2:15 – 17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Spiritually there is a slow sure death in the things of the world. Hear God, give up your love for the things of the world, and flee. Seek refuge in God, and in fleeing to God we seek His deliverance and protection;
Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Psalm 46:1 GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Why would scripture declare Him as our refuge if it were not necessary? Have you fled for refuge? God will be your comfort, protect you from the enemy, be your strength, and your help in trouble. We have all heard people say, God is in control. God’s control for our life is where He is invited, or rather, where He has planned for you to be. If the control of God was everywhere, there would be nothing to need refuge or deliverance from. If you read and receive the following verses from Revelation, you will understand that while God is reigning in the committed, obedient, Christian’s life now, He will reign everywhere some day in the future;
Revelation 11:15 – 17 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
There is a complete reign and control of God in His power that is to come. But until then we must flee from the things of the world and to Him for refuge. Contrast this fact with Abraham and Lot. Abraham fled for refuge from Haran, obeying God and waiting for the promises;
Hebrews 6:13 – 15 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
In fleeing for refuge, and in patient endurance, Abraham received all the promises. Lot could not see for the things of this world, and moved into, rather than flee from, Sodom. Lot and his family had to be led by the hand to get them to leave Sodom, and they lost everything. Lot’s wife still sought those things, looking back. Jesus exhorted/warned us with this remembrance; Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife. Flee for refuge to Jesus!
Refugees become totally dependent on their benefactors; if we flee for refuge to God we should accept complete dependence on Him. Why would we believe that God would give us or tell us things that might harm us? God does not change, giving good one time and evil at another. Every good and perfect gift is from God;
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
When we flee to God for refuge we will not only have the protection of Deuteronomy 33:27 or Psalm 46:1, but also the blessings of His provision! When Israel fled for refuge from Egypt, … the Lord went before them … in a pillar of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21, 22) and they followed it. The presence and refuge of God was where the cloud or fire was! God then gave them bread from heaven;
Exodus 16:4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
The manna always fell near the camp where the presence of God, their refuge, was. We could stray here and talk about Jesus, … the bread of life … from heaven in John 6, and stress the need for a certain rate of the Word every day, but let us stay on topic; that He is our refuge. The children of Israel could not stray and leave His presence and refuge and still find the manna following them in their walk in the flesh; the manna was with God. Similarly His provision is there for us if we flee the things of life and turn to Him. By the Holy Ghost He will be a comfort from the fear. He will meet our every need, so why do we continue to be led of our flesh? Our deliverance is not in our hope and remaining in our flesh, but our deliverance is in our refuge, in fleeing from the things of the flesh. Have you made Him your refuge? There is no lack in fleeing to His refuge. All His promises are sure in Him if we will walk with Him.
Consider the two immutable things promised to Abraham (Hebrews 6:14 above); … surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. This promise came because he did not withhold his son, but offered him to God in obeying God’s voice;
Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Abraham obeyed and patiently endured for the promise, and received it. Will you obey and endure for your promises? Hebrews 6:17 mentions the … heirs of promise … in relation to the immutability and oath of God made to Abraham, and then in verse 18 that our consolation is in those two immutable things; … surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. Will you, as Abraham, be an heir of promise, a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:16, 17)? If you will believe, obey, and endure these two immutable promises are yours also!
By deception, our lust, and the things of the world the enemy tries to keep you from receiving refuge, and the hope that is our consolation. He is not obvious in his ways;
II Corinthians 11:12 – 15 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Understand the truth of spiritual warfare; Satan desires to be as God and only has lies, deceit, and lust as his weapons. Jesus said the devil is the father of that;
John 8:42 – 44 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Since the poisoning and murder of Eve and Adam in the garden, the devil has been lying to men. Do you look for the truth in everything? Our refuge is in the truth (Jesus). It is by lust, deceit, and lies that the devil seeks to pervert the godly, and when successful he uses them to pervert others;
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
These are the seducers Stanley Frodsham was told by God to warn us of. As David said in Psalm 51, … thou desirest truth in the inward parts … God wants the truth to be such a part of us that we can know the deception when it arises. An example of this occurred in our early walk with God, as He was telling us by the Spirit not to listen when a pastor was speaking certain things. It was soon found the pastor was in adultery, lust, anger, etc. and was removed. Let the Spirit be your guide, and you will be a child of God (Romans 8:14).
We have read Jude 4 – 19 and seen those who … crept in unawares … as distant or somewhere else. They are all around, being used of the enemy to deceive others. Go back and read these verses today in the context of this word. What has the enemy deceived you in? Have you made lies your refuge by the lust of your flesh? There is sure death in that path;
Isaiah 28:14 – 17 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
Who is that tried and precious corner stone, that sure foundation? Jesus; the way, the truth, the life, the light, the Word. We need to repent and flee for refuge to the truth. Fully realizing Him as our refuge will give us a dependence on Him that will further humble us. Remind yourself again that your sufficiency is only in Him;
II Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.
It is only in Jesus that we can be overcoming. Keep your eyes and ears open to the truth, for the truth is your refuge. Let us flee for refuge, that we may find “in” God His power, His protection, His provision, His deliverance, His blessings, His multiplying, His healing, His glory, and His honour in this evil day.