Galatians 4:21-31
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Today's Passage: Galatians 4:21-31
Paul likes analogies, and sometimes they make much more sense than others. The one in today’s reading makes it a bit harder to fathom at surface level, so let’s give a simple synopsis and rejoice in what Paul means.
Keep in mind, this entire letter is a call to freedom in Christ, away from the slavery to sin and the law. As we’ve seen, he is using the freedom/slavery analogy to show us our identity: in Christ we are free; apart from Christ we are slaves.
Think of verses 21-31 this way: God has called us to freedom, not slavery. Abraham and Sarah devised a plan to “speed up” God’s promise to give him a son (Ishmael), but that only resulted in further slavery. HINT: we can’t do it on our own. Rather, waiting for God’s promise to come through God Himself, Isaac is born and through him, freedom from spiritual slavery though His ultimate descendant, Jesus Christ.
I’ll say it like this: when we try to do it ourselves it leads to slavery. When we do it God’s way, it leads to freedom.
So, have we been living like Hagar rather than Sarah? Have we tried to “earn” God’s promise rather than just receive God’s promise? If you find yourself today working toward being good enough to earn God’s love and salvation, you’re living like Hagar; trying to force it to happen as if God can be manipulated or fooled.
Instead, live like Sarah, fully resting in God’s promise to provide freedom though a better son, Jesus Christ. Only by Him are our sins eliminated and forgiven. Only by Him can we walk in a bondage-free life because sin has been conquered. May we find ourselves resting in what Christ has already done rather than burning ourselves out trying to earn it for ourselves and falling deeper into slavery.
Written By: Drew Dukes
Today's Passage: Galatians 4:21-31
Paul likes analogies, and sometimes they make much more sense than others. The one in today’s reading makes it a bit harder to fathom at surface level, so let’s give a simple synopsis and rejoice in what Paul means.
Keep in mind, this entire letter is a call to freedom in Christ, away from the slavery to sin and the law. As we’ve seen, he is using the freedom/slavery analogy to show us our identity: in Christ we are free; apart from Christ we are slaves.
Think of verses 21-31 this way: God has called us to freedom, not slavery. Abraham and Sarah devised a plan to “speed up” God’s promise to give him a son (Ishmael), but that only resulted in further slavery. HINT: we can’t do it on our own. Rather, waiting for God’s promise to come through God Himself, Isaac is born and through him, freedom from spiritual slavery though His ultimate descendant, Jesus Christ.
I’ll say it like this: when we try to do it ourselves it leads to slavery. When we do it God’s way, it leads to freedom.
So, have we been living like Hagar rather than Sarah? Have we tried to “earn” God’s promise rather than just receive God’s promise? If you find yourself today working toward being good enough to earn God’s love and salvation, you’re living like Hagar; trying to force it to happen as if God can be manipulated or fooled.
Instead, live like Sarah, fully resting in God’s promise to provide freedom though a better son, Jesus Christ. Only by Him are our sins eliminated and forgiven. Only by Him can we walk in a bondage-free life because sin has been conquered. May we find ourselves resting in what Christ has already done rather than burning ourselves out trying to earn it for ourselves and falling deeper into slavery.
Written By: Drew Dukes
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