“Divine Emancipation”
Galatians 5:1
The English Language is full of Words that have been Put in Certain Categories called Parts of Speech. We have Certain Words in our Language that are known as Nouns, Certain Words that are classified as Adjectives, certain words that have been Pronounced as Pronouns, and then we have Words that are called Synonyms.---Synonyms are simply Different words that mean the same thing.—for Instance the Words Muscular and Bulky are different Words, but mean the same thing.—The Words Pretty and Attractive are two Different words, but they mean the same thing. When we take a closer look at our Lesson today—The Word “Emancipation” is really another Word for Freedom.
—In other Words when you are Emancipated from Something or Someone you are “Freed from the Restraint, Control, or Power of another.”—“Emancipation” means you are Free from Certain Influences and Bondages.— I believe that most of us are more familiar with this word “Emancipation” because History teaches us about the “Emancipation Proclamation.”
The “Emancipation Proclamation” was a Declaration by then U.S. President Abraham Lincoln announcing that all slaves in The Confederate States would be Set free. While it only freed a Small Number of Slaves, It did set the stage for Slaveries ultimate demise here in the U.S.-----Now we need to understand that the Signing of the “Emancipation Proclamation” was really what I call a “Divine Emancipation”.— Now just to be clear and concise with you—A “Divine Emancipation” is “When God intervenes” and Frees you from your Bondage, Slavery and your Issues!!—
---If you have been born again and delivered from a World of Sin—you’ve had a Divine Emancipation!!---If you don’t go where you used to Go or say things that you used to say—You’ve had a Divine Emancipation.
IF you ever been Sick and God has healed you—You’ve had a Divine Emancipation.----If you’ve ever been in bondage to your flesh, or your mind but God Set you free—you’ve had a Divine Emancipation!!---The Bible itself and in its Entirety is full Episodes of Divine Emancipations!!—
---When the Disciples were In a storm and God wiped the Sleep out of his eyes and walked out on Deck and said “Peace be still”—That was a Divine Emancipation---When a Man that was living in a Graveyard and was running around town Naked and crying and cutting himself with Stones, but Jesus delivered him---That was a Divine Emancipation!!-----When The 3 Hebrew Boys were delivered from the Fiery Furnace—That was a Divine Emancipation---When Peter was bailed out of Prison by angels that was a Divine Emancipation!!
-- Now in the case of “The Emancipation Proclamation”—God used Abraham Lincoln as a Vessel and as President to sign it—But it was God that Stamped it a done deal!!—It was God that Finalized it!!-Simply Because around this time, just as it is today—God in the Person of Jesus Christ had already taken a Cloud back to Glory!!----And since he has been Gone—He now uses US as his Vessels to do his Work!!----If you Remember when he wanted the Egyptians to be freed from Bondage and slavery, Instead of simply doing it himself—He used Moses!
When he wanted to destroy the Earth the first time—In order to Save some of Humankind—He used Noah and the Ark.—When he wanted someone to go spy out the land of Canaan he sent Joshua and Caleb.
When he wanted someone to go in the valley and Preach the Gospel to Dry Bones—he used Ezekiel.—When he wanted someone to be a Forerunner for Jesus he used John the Baptist.
When he wanted someone to Spread the Gospel wherever he went—He used Paul!!-------And the question that really needs to be raised at this point is “Are we allowing God to use US as his Vessel??”—Are we as The Church and the People of God allowing ourselves to be used by him!!
When we look inside the Confines and the Context of our text:---This Letter was Written by that famous Gospel Globetrotter himself--The Apostle Paul.---- Now, You know Paul don’t you? --It was Paul who wrote over half of the New Testament----It was Paul who knew Several Different Languages—It was Paul that said “To live is Christ but to Die is Gain”-It was Paul that said “If any man be in Christ, he Is a New Creature, Old things are Passed Away and all things are become New”—
-Paul was a Man who could preach like an Archangel—Paul was a Man that was Bold as a Lion but at the same time Tender as a Hospital Nurse.---Now whenever you saw Paul’s name on a letter it was really worth millions!!---Not millions in the Financial sense, but rather Millions in the Spritual sense.—
The Name Paul on a letter was like Mozart’s Name on Music
Mercedes Name on a Car
Versace Name on Clothes
Sterling name on Silver
Rockefellers name on a Check
In other Words when Paul’s name was on a letter—It was very valuable!!—Simply because Paul was considered by many to be The Churches Greatest Thinker—The Churches Greatest Missionary—Greatest Theologian and The Greatest Apostle!!—He was a Man that literally turned the World upside down for God!!----And so here in Galatians 5-----Paul and the Gospel of Jesus Christ were under attack, just as it is on today!!
—These Judiazers had came down from Jerusalem to Galatia and taught the Gentiles that they needed to return to the Mosaic Law. They were teaching that if you weren’t Circumcised, you weren’t saved!!—They were trying to Mix Old Testament Law with New Testament Grace!!—They were trying to Entice these New Christain Converts into the Jewish Religious System. They were teaching that a person was saved partly by faith and then partly by works.—
-They were teaching that a person grew in Christ partly by faith and then partly by his own effort.--- They were Perverting the Doctrine of Justification that Paul had been preaching!! And we need to understand that -The Gospel Paul taught was very Simple!!—The Gospel of Our Lord is very Simple!!—There are no Strings Attached!!
Paul taught that a man was Saved by the Atoning Blood of Jesus and Jesus alone.— Paul taught that its not about Circumcision but rather Cruxifiction. Paul taught that it not about Ceremony, but Christ!! Paul was teaching them that its not an ACT that can save you!!—Not Tithing, Not Speaking in tongue, Not Baptism, Not Holy Dancing, Not rolling under Pews and Running around the Church---No Right, no Rule, no Regulations can save you!!-- Surgical Procedures didn’t matter, a Dress Code didn’t matter, a Special Diet didn’t matter--Paul message was of Gods Pure and unadulterated Grace!!—Outward Rituals may effect the Body, but it takes more to effect the Soul!!--Paul’s message was You cant Earn Salvation, Win Salvation or Merit Salvation----Jesus paid it all!!—
--- And so when Paul heard that these Galatians were being Hoodwinked and swindled, Taken away and Captured by this Damnable Doctrine, Paul takes out his Pen and Paper and dips it into the Ink of Inspiration and says “I better Write now”! And so here in Chapter 5, —Paul in his own Pauletic Writing style confronts this False Doctrine by telling us about the Liberty that we have in Him!!
1. The Believers Position---“Stand fast”---Now we need to understand that God has always been concerned about our Position in Him!! As a matter of fact, all over the Bible he talks about our Position.
In Ephesians he says “Walk Circumspectly”— Walking is a Position. In Acts 3 it talks about a man who was “Laying” at the Gate of the Temple”—Laying is a Position. In St. Luke 13:11 it talks about a Woman that was “Bent over and could not lift herself up”—Bent over is a Position!!—As a Matter of fact, God is so concerned about our Position in him that one day he touched the Psalmist to tell us in the very 1st Psalm that we are Blessed according to our Position in him—Watch what he says—“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”—Walking, standing or sitting are Positions in him!!—
And so Paul says Stand!!—The Word “Stand” in the Greek text simply means “Stationary”----We need to realize that as Believers, we cant be like these Galatians.—They were Wishy-Washy, They were 2-Faced, They would Believe One thing one day and something else on the next.---We as the People of God we cant be like Spritual Kangaroos—Jumping from Church to Church to Church, but we have to know what we Believe in and be Stationary in whatever it is that we believe!!!!—But watch what else Paul says—“Stand Fast therefore in the Liberty!!”—That word Liberty simply means “Freedom”!!—Freedom to do what??--- We have the Liberty and the freedom to Pick and choose our Own Praying Ground!!
—We have Liberty to Worship where we want to Worship!!—In other words-Don’t knock me because I am a member of Sweet Home, St. Paul, Bethel AME, C.M.E. or The COGIC or Non-denominational—Don’t knock me because that’s the Liberty that God gave me to join where I want to Join!!—But where God is going to hold us responsible is, is at the Church that I do Worship, Are We Receiving Bible Doctrine or Man-Made Doctrine???----Are we receiving “what doth saith the lord or what saith man??”
—Because in this day and time, you have a lot of Preachers that are making the Bible say what they want it to say!!---And I believe that God has given all of us enough Common Sense and discernment to know if we are Receiving Truth or Error!! ----That’s what happened in the early 70,s when Jim Jones lead his people to Guyana and said that God wanted them to drink Poison—That’s what happened in Waco, Texas, when “The Wacko from Waco”—David Koresh led those People to burn up!!--If they would’ve read the Bible, they would’ve known better that God doesn’t wear Glasses!!-----------but not only do I see the Believers Position
2. The Believers Practice---“In the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free”----Now we need to understand that if we are Free, we should Live as Free People!!---But the Problem that we have in Today’s church is that we have to many “Free” People acting “Bound”!!----Once we give our Lives to Christ and become Full of the Holy Ghost, we don’t have to let Sin “HAVE” Dominion over us, we “CHOOSE” to let Sin have dominion over us! Because the Word tells us “He whom the Son sets free is Free Indeed”
—But we also need to realize that:--WE HAVE LIBERTY and Not LICENSE!!----In other words we have Liberty to Worship but not License to Sin!! Some of us think that just because we are living under Grace that we can Live a Carnal Lifestyle!!---But if we have been truly Born Again, we would ask ourselves the question that Paul asked the Roman Church “Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound??—God Forbid!!
And so Paul was saying in so many Words, Practice your Freedom, but do it in the right way!!
What was going on in this text is that these False Teachers were still teaching from the LAW point of view, but Paul was teaching from the GRACE Point of View!!---Now There’s a big Difference between Law and Grace-----The Law says—“If you earn your Freedom, you will become free”—but Grace says “You’ve been made free at the Cross of Calvary”.—Law Commands but does not enable, but Grace Provides what the Law Demands!!----CH Mackintosh said it best—“The Law demands strength from one who has none and curses him if he cannot display it, but The Gospel gives Strength to one who has no strength and Blesses him in the exhibition of it”
----Watchman Nee says that “Law means I must do something for God, but Grace means that God does something for me”!!------IS it anybody here that Knows what Grace can do????----Grace is God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.---Grace is The Beginning of Glory within us----Grace is a State of mind that sees God in Everything—Grace is not given because we have done Good Works, but rather that we might do Good Works-----Grace can help us when were down, Heal us when we are wounded---Grace is God Himself-----Grace the Old Warriors used to sing—“Woke me up this Morning, Grace started me on my way”
But not only do I see 1. The Believers Position—The Believers Practice
3. The Believers Plan---“And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”--- That word “Entangled” in the Greek text simply means “To Ensnare”. That Word “Again” means “Repetition” or to “repeat” That Word “Yoke” means “Servitude----Paul is telling us in so many Words that our Future plans should be not to be entangled once again in Servitude to things are unlike God!!
And I’m Sure that it might be somebody here that used to Live a Life of Sin!!. You used to a Slave to Satan.—When you were unsaved you had an Invisible Ball and Chain around your Neck. And wherever the Devil would tell you to go or tell you to do, you wouldn’t think twice about doing it!!
- But Paul says, that if were going to have a Divine Emancipation, Our plans should be not to live our lives looking in the Rearview Mirror. In other words, we don’t need to go back to the way that we once used to live.---If you have been Delivered, If you have been set Free, Why in the World would you go back to the Life that you once lived??-----And that’s what most of us are doing in this day and time.-----Were no Longer have to sit in the back of the bus.—We no longer have to fight for our right to vote---We no longer have to go to the Back of Restaurants to get a Doggy Bag----we no longer have to drink from Different water fountains—We no longer have to Protest about us being treated wrong----But I believe that Dr. Kings dream has really become a nightmare because,
after all that our Forefathers did for us to be free----We would rather stay In Bondage.----Its not the White Man Oppressing us, But now its Cigarettes---but its Budweiser and Colt 45---Its not the White man but its Marijuana and Crack Cocaine!!-----But Thank God that I met somebody who has set me free!!-----His Name is Jehovah Jireh----Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, The Prince of Peace---His name is Jesus!!
He Emancipated a Woman with a Issue of Blood one day
He Emancipated a Woman who was caught in Adultery
He Emancipated a Woman who was by Jacobs Well.
He Emancipated Jarius daughter from the Clutches of death.
He Emancipated a man who had been born Blind.
He Emancipated Paul and Silas in a jail Cell.----He Emancipated his self one day out on Calvary’s Hill…..They beat him all the way up Golgotha’s hill…..They put nails…..
First Preached 1-8-06---Sweet Home MBC----NEN
