Your Choice: Guilt or Grace

Galatians 4:21–31 NKJV

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.” Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Aren’t you glad that your salvation is not based on the actions of this week? Maybe some of you are burdened over some things you may sense you should of done or didn’t do. Maybe over some things you did you wish you didn’t do. Maybe you feel guilty for the amount of time you have been out of church lately or the not giving of your tithes, etc. The great thing that you can have utter confidence in is that none of those things have a bearing on your salvation. Your salvation is totally based in the finish work of Jesus Christ. Amen? I make that statement tonight because we need to know that great assurance as we continue in our study of Galatians.

You will remember that the Galatians had it right. They understood the blood bought gift of salvation that Jesus offered up for their sins. They had accepted that salvation full and freely and were living in the abundant, free life in Christ. Yet, a group, called Judaizers infiltrated the church and basically said, “yes, Jesus died that you may have life. He sure did. We love Jesus, but in order to enjoy true righteousness found in Christ you must also obey the OT Law, become circumcised, and recognize all the religious festival days. Then, you will be whole, you will be found righteous before God. Paul has been making argument defending the gospel for four chapters and He comes to the place we find ourselves this evening. He chooses to use allegory to get his point across.

Paul basically shares a story with a subliminal or deeper meaning to get the message across. Let’s look at that story this evening.

Genesis 16:1–16 NKJV

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.” So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” And the Angel of the Lord said to her: “Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Genesis 21:1–16 NKJV

And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

Live Life as a Slave or live life as free.v. 22

Let’s think about what we know about slavery from the Bible. When Joseph died and a new Pharaoh was in leadership beginning in Exodus 1, what do you remember about the story?

The New King James Version Chapter 1

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph

-they feared the growth of the people of Israel. More people live in enslavement. More people feel a sense they must do something to feel worthy.

Exodus 1:14 NKJV

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

The more they did. the more the demands grew on them. Under the law, there is never any relief in sight.

Do you remember the behavior in the wilderness for forty years? Was their solidarity, upward movement, growth, and continued blessings in a life under the law? There is hill and dale, ups and downs, good and bad, on again, off again. The people were never satisfied. And, you will never live a life sinless and satisfied when you are trying to perform for salvation.

Born Free-Isaac was born to a free woman. He was born to a mother of 90 years old. She could not have a child by natural means.

Let’s compare the injustices we have in life living under the law. Ishmael was the older son, he had the birthright, he should have had the blessings when we think of the norm of Jewish life. You remember the story of Esau and Jacob. Again, unfairness in life. Folks, under the sin we are all born under, life is unfair. Yet, look at what we have in the freedom in Christ. Christ can overcome every unfairness ever offered.

You have no control over the flesh you are born to, you have no control over your upbringing or your linage. Yet, in Christ all things are possible.

Look at all the cases where God broke the mold of normal to make men super in Christ. Jacob was the caboose, Isaac was the caboose, Joseph was the caboose, David was the caboose. Yet, they are the heroes of God’s Word. Why? They were born under promise. They believed and it was accounted for righteousness.

Was Abraham blameless, was Isaac blameless, was King David blameless? No, but there belief overcame very blemish their lives ever incurred.

2. Born of the Flesh, born supernaturally. v. 23

IN Chapter 16, the idea came to Sarah to take matters into their own hands and help the Lord along. Since we have not been able to have children, I know the Lord \’s promise is solid, but we will let you lay with my maidservant Hagar and have a child and I will take the child and that will stand for your linage.

Again, many people do that today. They attempt to live life above the natural means of birth and their flesh and every generation attempts to top their parents and rise above their parents. And in the natural, people feel like they can be good enough if they educate enough, then society will see me as “good”. If I send my children to the right schools and involve them in the right circles. Maybe, if I’m civic some and help my fellow man then I will be see as “good” and God will look down on me and give me a pass.

Ill. Capone’s in Millbrook.

Think just a moment about Isaac in the reality outside of the Bible for just a moment. Isaac’s day is 100 years old and his mother is 90. Imagine going to Jewish school for the first time and your mother walks in to the school all stooped over with a cain and barely able to walk to meet the teachers. Think about the age gap in his parents. How relational were they as teaching him to be relational with his generation. Think how they dressed him comparative to parents that were in their 20’s or 30’s and sending him out in public. Did any of those factors have any bearing on his life with the Lord? Did it stop Isaac from having a happy, blessed fulfilled life in the Lord?

Listen dearly beloved, when you truly accept the finished work of Jesus Christ and you accept Him freely in that salvation, “ all things become new.”

3. Living Under the Law or Under the Lord v. 24

IN verse 24, Paul reminds of the two covenants and ties them to two mountains.

Mt. Sinai-the place the giving of the law.

Jerusalem above-the giving of the Lord.

Galatians 4:24–26 NKJV

which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

As many of you know, the Jews were not satisfied with the laws, but had to make more laws outside the Pentateuch. You have both the Talmud and Mishnah which are supplemental materials to this day to the writing of the Torah as named by the Jews of the 1st 5 books of the Bible (OT).

The Torah is the first part of the Jewish bible. It is the central and most important document of Judaism and has been used by Jews through the ages. Torah refers to the five books of Moses which are known in Hebrew as Chameesha Choomshey Torah. ... They believe that the Torah shows how God wants Jews to live.

Listen dearly beloved, the Abrahamic Covenant came before the Mosaic Law. Abraham came in Genesis. Moses came in the Exodus. They were told of a promise to come of a seed in the linage of Abraham that would save His people. The Law was to remind the people of the great need of a savior. Jesus was that promised Messiah that came in the linage of Abraham.

The Law represents bondage. “Thou shall”

And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

IN Job, Satan, what are you doing going to and fro over the earth.

Job 1:7 NKJV

And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Going to and fro is a sign of dissatisfaction. Can’t find answers, peace.

Surgery-nervous legs. Can’t find rest.

Satan can’t find rest since his disruption with his relationship with God.

Life under the law of never measuring up, working harder to attain, striving, but can’t quite get there is disconcerting.

Dearly beloved, when we miss church, I hope you feel something because the Lord commands it, when you do not give your tithe to the Lord, I hope you feel something over it because He commands it. We do it out of our love for Him. We want to please. But in no way can you mess it up royally this week and fall out of grace with God. You will never stoop so low that God doesn’t love you, for give you , heal you and redeem you.

The 2nd Covenant-”I did” is all about what Christ did. His finished work of grace loving down on you to save you. The only requirement of us is to believe upon Him.