I am on the Right Road now!!!

Galatians 1:15–17 KJV 1900

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

🔹 1. The GPS (God’s Positional System) Illustration — “Recalculating Grace”

Imagine you’re driving with your GPS on. You take a wrong turn — maybe you’re distracted, or you think you know a better way. The GPS doesn’t quit. It doesn’t scold. It simply says, “Recalculating.”

That’s grace.

In today’s passage of scripture, God “got” Paul — and you will also see that He got us too — even when we went in the opposite direction. Before Paul got God, God was already rerouting his life toward purpose.

Point: God’s grace doesn’t get lost when we do. Even when we “miss the turn,” He lovingly redirects our path until we arrive at destiny.

Background Study

Author -

Apostle Paul

Occasion and Purpose -

This letter to the Galatians is different from the other Pauline letters.

First, the salutation in Galatians does not record the traditional prayer of Thanksgiving. Such as we see in Romans1, 1 Cor 1, Phil 1, and 1 Thess 1.

We highlight this contrast to illustrate the seriousness and the burden on Paul while writing this letter to the young church.

Also, the main issue that the book of Galatians deals with is that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and no work can earn salvation. The other books written by Paul deal with several practical issues.

Paul wrote this letter to correct the false teaching. He wrote this letter to substantiate the gospel he preached. In chapter 1 of Galatians, “gospel” is mentioned at least six times. The Gospel as we know is the life, death, burial, and resurrection of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul preached that it is by grace through faith alone that man is justified, and it is by faith alone that he is to live out his new life in the freedom of the Spirit.

The Judaizers argued that Paul teaching was good but he was not an authentic apostle and out of a desire to appeal the gospel to the Gentiles he removed from the gospel certain legal requirements.

Paul responds to this argument and defends himself with an analytical exegesis of himself. Paul says let me tell you How God recalculated my route! (Galatians 1:11-12)

Galatians 1:11–12 KJV 1900

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Judaizers - Paul is perverting the truth.

Paul - I did not receive the gospel from any man. I received the gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ.

“The message that I am preaching now, yesterday I was persecuting.”

Now to understand this statement a little deeper, you have to look at what is preaching?

Preaching - publicly proclaiming God’s Word

Persecution - comes from the Latin/Greek meaning to hunt down; to pursue.

“Paul didn’t change his method, but he changed his message.”

Luke 14:23 ““And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.”

compel - in the English, the word is associated with force. However, it likely means to have a strong moral urgency though constrain.

Judaizers - Paul is watering down the gospel and compromising God’s word.

Paul says that both his message and his call come from God. The Highest Authority

“God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”

Judaizers - Paul you are a traitor to your Jewish faith.

Paul says that you heard how I used to live. Now you see me proclaiming the gospel. I know that I am not worthy of this position but it is the grace of God that I am able to stand before you. You heard about me being a rising star in Judaism. I was fighting for tradition and but hiding the truth.

I tried to destroy God’s church.

I persecuted the Church of God

“But since I met Jesus, there has been a change in me.” “Since I met Jesus, I am a brand new me.”

I was headed in the wrong direction. Build up tension here!!!

Galatians 1:15 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,”

1. God’s Guidance

Observation:

The conjunction “but” in the Bible often introduces a divine remedy to a discouraging situation, frequently followed by “God” or “the Lord”. This phrase is not a linguistic accident, but carries profound significance, revealing that God is fundamentally different from humans and actively intervenes in the world. When confronted with humanity’s sinful condition and darkness, “But God” represents the moment God steps in, bringing light and hope where human efforts have failed.

grace - Grace (charis) is derived from the verb rejoice (chairo). Rejoice means to cause joy.

In this verse, God is the one pleased. God’s grace positioned Paul for this moment of carrying the gospel. God’s provisional grace has led Paul since his mother’s womb.

Interpretation:

Mother’s womb -

This is when the key was placed in the ignition and God’s guidance for Paul’s life began. When Paul was conceived in his mothers womb, there was a 100% possibility that he would Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God recalculated his route on the Damascus road. The GPS recalculated his route, and God had him when He didn’t have God.

In Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Isaiah 42:6 ““I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations,”

John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Who separated me from...

Who would be a better individual for God to convert than this persecutor. God demonstrated that no one is past saving and no past is beyond redemption.

When God separated Paul, that means that he removed the boundary lines. He wasn’t bound by traditions of the church, but he was bound by the Truth of God. And the truth of God has no limitations.

Paul was in a dark place because he did not have the light of the LORD in his life.

Paul has nothing to boast or point the glory to himself but he is an illustration of how Amazing God’s Grace is.

In Genesis, Joseph told his brothers that their efforts to reject him as God’s chosen deliver was actually the means by which Joseph was established as the deliverer .

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Application:

Like the old goat in the song, when you throw dirt on me, I am not going to pack it under my feet, I am going to praise it under my feet, because when praises go up, then blessings come down.

Because of God’s Grace, God is taking the failures of our life and shaping our future. He is recalculating our route.

2. Faith During Uncertainty

Galatians 1:16 “To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:”

When we are using the GPS, we are listening for directions. Because we don’t know the way, we have faith in the GPS. Every so often the system will reveal an exit or it will reveal how far to your next turn.

Observation:

God revealed Christ to Paul so that he could reveal Christ to those who didn’t believe in Christ. People who don’t know Christ are always in a crisis.

Interpretation:

When God saved you, He saved you so that you could save someone else

In Galatians 1:12 “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Paul wrote how Jesus was revealed to him (revelation of Jesus Christ). However in this verse, this is something greater, because God wants to do more than reveal Christ to us. God wants to reveal Christ in us.

Revelation comes from the Greek meaning to uncover; to make fully known

What we see so far is what God did; the guidance of God and having faith during uncertainty

God set him apart from his mother’s womb

God called him through His grace

God is now revealing Christ in Paul

Point: What God is doing here is important for Paul and important for us to see too. This is important because Christ would be his source of strength. In Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Paul after Christ being revealed to him, he does not seek advice of others. Meaning that he didn’t have to ask anyone to interpret the revelation of Jesus Christ to him.

Before Paul can effectively present and proclaim Jesus, Jesus had to be revealed to him. God will always prepare His preacher to present and proclaim his prophetic word. God is saying I revealed Jesus to you Paul so that you would preach to others.

Some people will never pick up a bible and the only bible they will see is you.

Some people won’t come to church with you until the see the church in you.

Application:

For our faith during uncertainty to be effective we must follow the GPS namely the Word of God. We have to allow the Word of God to lead. Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.”

3. Finally, Patience in the Process

Galatians 1:17 “Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.”

Arabia:

Arabia: a barren desert area east of Israel.

Observation:

After receiving his revelation, Paul does not go to Jerusalem. He goes to a desert or wilderness to prepare and train for battle and went back to where he first met Jesus (Damascus).

Interpretation:

Why does Paul not go up to Jerusalem?

The Spirit of the LORD has led Paul to show that Christ has worked directly on him.

Paul does not seek peoples approval. He goes to a place of serenity. Paul knew that Man will build you up and then when God blesses you then tear you down. But when God lifts you up

1 Peter 5:6 [Therefore] !!humble!! yourselves under the mighty hand of God, [that] He may exalt you at the proper time,

Why go to Arabia?

The geographical setting is a desert.

Illustration:

There are times when there is a Divine Detour. God has led Paul to a place where there is little to no growth. Therefore, since Paul is here then he has to depend on God because there are little to no resources to work with. Having patience during this process is necessary for Paul to be transformed from a persecutor to a proclaimer.

Remember when Mama and Grandma would feed the babies peas, beans and cornbread. When there was no WIC program or SNAP. They would first chew the food for them and then feed the babies. The babies grew healthy and strong.

This is what Paul is doing. In the preparation of his ministry he is preparing the Word of God in a way that not only the Gentiles (who couldn’t chew whole food). Paul is learning to break down the Word of God.

You see some of us are in church today trying to eat porterhouse steaks and you have no spiritual teeth to chew. You don’t have patience during the process for you to grow stronger.

Why return to Damascus?

After spending time with God developing his ministry, Paul is compelled to go to Damascus to this time Preach the Word of God.

Conclusion:

First Adam brought sin and death

Second Adam brought resurrection and life

First Adam gave into the devil.

Second Adam faced satan head on

The GPS came down through forty and two generations. It made a stop in a town named Bethlehem, then guided Jesus for 33 years, then the GPS went to Calvary, but I still wasn’t on the right road yet. It stop by a grave and made a stop for three days. All night Friday, all day Saturday, all night Saturday, but early on that Sunday morning the GPS said we made. Jesus got all power, and now I am on the right road now.

Song:

Lyrics

Amazing grace shall always be my song of praise For it was grace that brought my liberty I do not know just why He came to love me so He looked beyond my faults and saw my need

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary To view the cross where Jesus died for me How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul He looked beyond my faults and saw my need

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary To view the cross where Jesus died for me How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul He looked beyond my faults and saw my need

Source: MusixmatchSongwriters: Dottie Rambo

2745 Take those road hazards—the potholes, ruts, detours, and all the rest—as evidence that you’re on the right route. It’s when you find yourself on that big, broad, easy road that you ought to worry.

Joni Eareckson Tada

What is the use of running when we are not on the right road? My Point: I couldn’t run for Jesus because I was on the wrong road.

Anonymous

The Christian is not one who has gone all the way with Christ. None of us has. The Christian is one who has found the right road.

Charles L. Allen