Sermon: Unshackled
by Chris Cumming
On the 18th of
January of this year (2020),
I presented to you the sermon, “Double-down”
which shared with you a hands-on perspective to repentance. I began
that sermon with this statement:
“Back in July and August of 2014, I gave four sermons as part of a
Holiness series.
You can see all these sermons at the
Las Vegas site.
This sermon is the seventh in that series. Each is a stand-alone sermon
on the same overall subject: Holiness.”
So “Double-down” is part of the
Holiness series
of four (4) sermons. From this one sermon, I have put together fourteen
(14) sermons in what I call the, “Salvation
series.”
You can see these sermon titles and subjects on the
Sermons page
of the
Las Vegas site.
Each sermon has a key verse or two you heard in “Double-down.”
Today is the seventh sermon in this series.
Note:
Any scripture you see with an asterisk (*) is one found in the sermon
“Double-down.”
Let us begin.
The name of this sermon is, “Unshackled.” Let us look at the meaning of
this word:
The base word is “shackle”:
1] a ring or other fastening, as of iron, for securing the wrist, ankle,
etc.; fetter.
…as a verb:
1] to put a shackle or shackles on; confine or restrain by a shackle.
2] to fasten or couple with a shackle.
3] to restrain in action, thought, emotion, or action as by
restrictions; restrict the freedom of.
Could there be anything in our spiritual life that could have us in
shackles? As a firstfruit, could we have moments or periods where we
are restrained in action, thought, emotion or deed? Could we ever be
restricted in a combination of these, such as a restraining emotion that
results in holding us back from good works and our journey to maturity?
The purpose of this sermon is to explore what shackles might be at play
in our lives and how to free ourselves from them.
Unshackle yourself. Get free of all things evil and negative. Manifest
freedom.
Unshackle yourself.
Here is our key verse from the Double Down sermon:
James 1:21*
Wherefore lay
apart all filthiness and superfluity [soo-per-floo-i-tee]
[excessive amounts]
of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is
able to save your souls.
The “shackle” in this verse is “naughtiness” or excessive amounts of
naughtiness. “Naughtiness” is an umbrella word for all things negative,
wicked and evil. Notice the definition:
Naughtiness:
--disobedient; mischievous:
--improper, tasteless, indecorous (in-dek-er-uhs),
or indecent:
--wicked; evil [sin].
Double-down Phrases for James
1:21:
--Lay apart evil and all
things negative and bad…the
shackles.
--Immerse yourself in the Word of God…the
way to freedom
Definition for “Immerse”:
Immerse:
to involve deeply; absorb, to embed
I am giving you the solution right up front in this sermon. To unshackle
ourselves from evil and all things negative and bad is to immerse ourselves into
the Word of God. We must continue to involve ourselves deeply in that Word. We
must absorb it. God’s Word must be embedded in our hearts, minds and souls.
Unshackle yourself.
Take our key verse again:
James 1:21*
Wherefore lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity [soo-per-floo-i-tee]
of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to
save your souls.
Now let
us look at the verses linked to James 1:21.
Acts 13:26
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you
feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. ~emphasis mine
Commentary:
The word of this salvation - The doctrine that contains the promise of
deliverance from sin, and the means by which it is brought about; all which is
founded on Jesus, of the stock of David, dying and rising again for the
salvation of Jews and Gentiles. ~Adam Clarke
Romans
1:16
For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Commentary:
It is the power of God unto salvation -
The
almighty power of God accompanies this preaching to the souls of them that
believe; and the consequence is, they are saved; and what but the power of God
can save a fallen [from law], sinful soul? ~emphasis mine
1
Corinthians 15:1-2
1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain. ~emphasis mine
Commentary:
By which also ye are
saved -
That is,
ye are now in a salvable state (the salvation process); and are saved
from your Gentilism, and from your former sins.
If ye keep in memory - Your future salvation, or being brought finally to glory, will now depend on your faithfulness to the grace that ye have received. ~Adam Clarke
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that
holy Spirit of promise,
Commentary:
The gospel of your
salvation
- The
gospel bringing salvation to you. ~Barnes Notes
2 Timothy 3:15-17
[see
Lesson]
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
~emphasis mine
Titus 2:11
[see
Lesson]
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Note: This “grace” is the salvation process. The salvation process
brings salvation.
Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began
to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Commentary:
And was confirmed unto
us ... -
They who
heard him preach, that is, the apostles, were witnesses of what he said, and
certified us of its truth. When the apostle here says “us,” he means the church
at large. Christians were assured of the truth of what the Lord Jesus spake by
the testimony of the apostles; or the apostles communicated it to those who had
not heard him in such a manner as to leave no room for doubt. ~Barnes Notes
1 Peter 1:9
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Let us, once again, go back to
our key verse of James 1:21 and do more immersion.
James 1:21*
Wherefore lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity [soo-per-floo-i-tee]
of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to
save your souls.
I want to discuss the word, “filthiness” and the phrase, “and
receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
Commentary:
All filthiness
- This word signifies any impurity that cleaves to the body; but applied to the
mind, it implies all impure and unholy affections, such as those spoken of James
1:15, which pollute the soul; in this sense it is used by the best Greek
writers.
~Adam Clarke
Note:
See how the word, “filthiness” is the word representing “any impurity” and
“implies all impure and unholy affections.
Quoted verse:
James 1:15
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death.
Note:
James 1:15 is a negative process that ends in the second death. The salvation
process is one that ends in eternal life. Both cannot reside continually in the
soul of a firstfruit. Surely there are moments when even a firstfruit will
experience the first part of this process…the lust, the conception of a negative
action and then the sin. But notice an especially important phrase: “when it is
finished.” A forward-moving firstfruit will not let this negative process
continually reside in their soul. “when it is finished” is a situation where
repentance is not being manifested. This phrase is G658 and means to “complete
entirely, that is, consummate.” Firstfruits will continually fight to insure
this negative process never consummates. The definition of “consummate” is, “to
bring to a state of perfection.” Firstfruits will not allow this negative
process to perfect itself in our lives.
Superfluity of naughtiness
- The overflowing of wickedness. Perhaps there is an allusion here to the part
cut off in circumcision, which was the emblem of impure desire; and to lessen
that propensity, God, in his mercy, enacted this rite. Put all these evil
dispositions aside, for they blind the soul, and render it incapable of
receiving any good, even from that ingrafted word of God which otherwise would
have saved their souls.
~Adam Clarke
Note:
At the beginning of this sermon, I told you that the word “naughtiness” was a
shackle and meant
excessive amounts of naughtiness. I told you it is an umbrella word for all
things negative, wicked, and evil.
Notice the commentary has the same conclusion we just discussed. That is,
wickedness and sin can “blind the soul and render it incapable of receiving any
good.” It then says that the Word of God is the element that saves souls
The
ingrafted word - That
doctrine which has already been planted among you, which has brought forth fruit
in all them that have meekly and
humbly received it (firstfruits
now), and is as
powerful to save your souls. ~Adam
Clarke
What does the commentary mean when it says that the ingrafted word can save your
souls. The answer is simple. The Word of God is God. It is the mind of Jesus
Christ. It is the mind of God the Father. No human can separate the Word of
God from God or Christ. I suppose that one could say, God uses the Bible as an
instrument in His hands to save people. This is fine as long as they understand
that the Word of God is the mind of God. Indeed, Jesus is the Word of God.
Revelation 19:13
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The
Word of God.
So the Word of God or the ingrafted word has power. When God calls someone and
gives him/her the Holy Spirit, that Word is planted in one’s heart. If it
remains there, it will constantly destroy the shackles Satan and the world
desire to put on you.
Unshackle yourself.
If you have the text of this sermon, you notice that in the commentary on, “the
ingrafted word” I mark some text in bold and blue letters:
that have meekly and humbly received it.
Just wanted to point out
that a forward-moving firstfruit realizes that all the goodness in his/her life,
to include daily blessings, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, healing and many
miracles and interventions are all accomplished and experienced by the power of
God or Christ working in and through us. Our seeing this on a minute-by-minute
and day-by-day basis results in us being meek and humble. We stand in awe to
what God is doing in our lives and we realize that the meekness and humbleness
in our mind and heart is, itself, fruit of the Spirit of God.
Since we are discussing the Word of God as the hammer that breaks and destroys
all shackles, I want to share with you some text from my definitive sermon on
the Word of God, “Full
Immersion.”
The
Word of God or exactly how to unshackle yourself
There is much in the Bible and in the
statements of men to show the totality of God’s Word. The totality of its
depth, its power and its nature.
Let us take a look at some of these.
Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The Word of God is Spirit and the Spirit of God is alive. Notice…
1 Peter 1:22-23*
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
The Word of God is alive. That is because it is Spirit. Spirit abides forever. God’s Word is Spirit. Anything made of Spirit abides forever.
Now Hebrews 4:12…
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word of God is a descerner of thoughts and our intents. So we find not only God’s will but our own in the Word of God.
Now turn to Psalm 119 and beginning in verse 33…
Psalm 119:33-40
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.
40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
This whole passage speaks of total commitment.
He is giving his whole heart to the Word of God. He is talking about the Word of God as if it were active and alive; which it is. He is describing full immersion.
Notice the attitude we must have toward the word…
Isaiah 66:1-2
1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isaiah 66:5
Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Now listen to this from the fly leaf of the Bible published by the D. L. Moody Institute:
The Bible…This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of life, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers. Read it to be wise. Believe it to be safe. Practice it to be holy.
It gives light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you.
It is the traveler’s map, the soldier’s sword, the Christian’s chart.
It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully.
It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with it.
All of these verses and all of these statements together show the fullness and totality that the Word of God is.
Isn’t this true regarding everything about God?
He owns everything.
He wants to give us everything
He demands 100% obedience
He demands your life….TOTAL COMMITMENT
He wants total commitment to Him and His
Word. ~unquote from the sermon
Here is a small list of things that act as shackles in our lives. Find more
from you own life to add to the list.
Shackles List:
1] Sin.
2] Hate.
3] Shifting the blame.
4] Lies.
5] False doctrines.
6] Undefined goals.
7] Neglecting your health.
8] Self-doubt.
9] Inaction/not taking action.
10] Lack of discipline.
11] Distractions: TV, Internet, Social media, Games, YouTube, Twitter, E-mail,
Daydreaming, etc..
12] Negative habits.
13] Negative emotions.
14] Putting yourself down.
15] Lack of sleep.
16] Poor diet.
17] Staying in your comfort zone.
18] Waiting for the right time due to fear.
19] Lack of focus.
20] Lack of fervency, diligence, zeal and perseverance.
21] Not asking questions.
22] Not educating yourself.
23] Ignorance, including neglect of the Word of God.
24] Not apologizing for mistakes.
25] Being consumed by failure.
26] Fear.
27] Comparing yourself to others.
28] Expecting instant results.
29] Over involvement in politics.
30] Being fearful of the news, the future and/or prophecy.
31] Naughtiness (James 1:21).
32] Filthiness (James 1:21).
Let us end with a couple of shackle quotes I found:
“There is little hope for us until we become tough-minded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and down-right ignorance.”
“There is nothing evil save that which perverts the mind and shackles the conscience.”