Children of Promise
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Galatians 4:21-31
Galatians 4:21-31
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.
But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Do Not Be Under the Law, Be Under Christ
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”
For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
It is good to do good, in the name of Christ
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
When we believe the lie that we are a “good Christian” because we ___________________, we stop the sanctification process.
What prevents you from living your faith in a way that honors Christ and makes His presence evident to everyone around you?
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
Flesh Vs. Spirit
Children of flesh are in slavery, children of promise are in the Spirit.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
In what ways are you relying on your flesh to carry you through each day? The Spirit?
These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.
Persecution
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.
Most translations use the English word “mocking.” But, the ESV, probably has the closest translation with “laughing.”
צחק - To laugh, joke
יִצְחָק - Isaac
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’
Christians are the single greatest persecuted group of people in all of history.
“The persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near "genocide.” Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (UK, 2019)
“indisputably…the most persecuted religious body on the planet.” - John Allen, The Global War on Christianity
“Christian persecution has captured the imagination of the media, mostly because of the tragedy occurring in the Middle East. Stories of struggling Christians have been highlighted in The Economist, the Boston Globe, The Republic, and the BBC.
We estimate that more than 70 million Christians have been martyred over the last two millennia, more than half of which died in the 20th century under fascist and communist regimes.
We also estimate that 1 million Christians were killed between 2001 and 2010 and about 900,000 were killed from 2011 to 2020.” - Gordon Conwell University (2019)
But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Be Free in Christ
Do you understand the disparity between those of the Flesh and those of the Spirit?
The Flesh is in bondage and has been cast out. Those who are of the Spirit are Free for eternity.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
How might your life transform if you fully embraced the freedom you have in Christ, and how could that change the way you love others to help them understand that same love?
