Day 1

Galatians 4

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

 

Legalism verses Grace is a debate that never dies from one generation to the other and you can understand why. Grace is what God has offered so that we get born again on the basis of only trusting in God. His grace is the one that would do accomplish our salvation. All you need is you are sinner and so trust that he has offered that grace and commit yourself to that forgiving grace.

Unfortunately, some people claim to have experienced that grace, yet they live rotten lives. Therefore, you start asking, wait a minute! If you truly have experienced God’s grace, how come you live like that? In reaction to that the church then moves from an emphasis of grace to an emphasis of works which is what we are calling legalism. You can see it is prompted by people who claim to have grace but are not living in the fullness for what Christ has died for them to become. They are also reciting to the term grace people like to use once saved always saved. In other words, you hear them say when I was in form three, I received the Lord!. You then ask them why are you being immoral? Why are you sleeping with people you are not married to?  they reply once saved, always saved? I can live anyhow and still go to heaven

Thus, as a reaction to that the church starts putting rules. Rules to do with the days, and months, and rules to do with the length of your dress, the colour of your hair, the fashion that you can use and not use, what you cannot eat, etc. All those are rules which you must follow to be a Christian. Sometimes there is even some kind of soft way of saying, unless you have those rules, you are not born again! And that way we are back to legalism. Both above extremes are wrong.

 

Day 2

Galatians 4

²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman

 

Paul dealing with this in Galatians 4, compared the issue to Hagar and Sarah. That you can either make a choice to be like Hagar’s product or like Sarah’s product. Look at the book of Galatians chapter 4:21, it says,

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 in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

 

He continues to say in verse 24,

These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: T: 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, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labour pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

 

You can see the comparison between the two- products of Sarah and products of the concubine. She was Sarah’s servant but finally became a concubine of Sarah’s husband. and so, you compare people who want to live by the flesh-Hagar and people who want to live by the spirit-Sarah. You choose either to be people who want legalism or people who want to enjoy the grace of God. As you look at verse 21 and 22 first, tell me, you who want to be under the law? Are you not aware of what the law says? You have chosen the way of legalism! That Christianity becomes dos and don’ts? Do you understand what the Bible says about the law? See verse 22,

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 in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

 

What are we learning? Hagar and her children are the example of people who follow the law. The other thing you learn is that if you follow that way, you will be enslaved just like Hagar was a slave. So, the people that choose legalism, are choosing the way of slavery. In slavery you will not achieve anything as emphasized in Galatians.. You will be a permanent struggle; you will never achieve it righteousness.

However, that is to be contrasted with the children of promise, the children of Sarah. Remember Sarah is a free woman, so her children also are free! Free to claim Abraham’s inheritance. That is something that would be important to know for any of us.

 

Day 3

Galatians 4

²³ 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

 

Therefore, whose child, are you? A product of the Hagar system or of the Sarah system? Abraham started that challenge because she had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac; and that means he got two tribes, the Ishmaelite and the Israelites. Verse 23 says,

His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

 

Therefore, you need to ask yourself, how did you come to God, was it an ordinary birth? or did you experience the spiritual path? if you were just baptized, or was confirmed and you have never submitted yourself to the Lordship of Christ, but you follow dos and don’ts that make you think you are a Christian, then, you have Mt. Sinai covenant which is full of dos and don’ts.

However, there is the other one! This is child of miraculous birth, a woman who is too old to ever bear a child, miraculously gives birth to a child, as a result of God’s holy intervention. Therefore, the children that come out of that miracle are of the heavenly covenant. Just like the Sinai beget slave children, which is send by Jerusalem and its emphasis of the law; the people of the promise do not rely on dos and don’ts if they are miraculously born again, God is in them. They do not have a place they call mecca on earth, because their destination is heaven! That is why Muslims will go to Meccah for pilgrimage; Christians have no place on earth that they need to go to as pilgrimage to fulfil any requirement because we are children of heaven, not even of Jerusalem.

Of course, there is nothing wrong in doing tourism and going to Jerusalem, but do not think you are now spiritually at a higher level than those who have never been interested in or cannot afford going there. The children of the promise do not gain any spiritual advantage on the basis of things they have seen or done. It is by a miracle of God; they are born of the spirit of God. This is what I hear the emphasis of this passage is.

 

Day 4

Galatians 4

²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively: T: the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: T: this is Hagar.

 

Therefore, you have a choice to make! Do you want to be a child of the promise, who has to be born miraculously or one born the natural way? I think that is something that you need choose.

just look at verse 24,

These things may be taken figuratively,

 

In other words we are not saying you are a child of Hagar. By figuratively he means, by your behaviour we can tell you are of Hagar. The two women represent two covenants. There was a covenant that requires dos and don’ts, and a covenant that require a commitment to Jesus Christ, and a spiritual birth. so, one covenant is from Mt. Sinai, and bear children who are to be slaves, that is the Hagar one, because the only way you can keep that relationship is by dos and don’ts. That is really what the law is all about. So, Hagar stands from Mt. Sinai in Arabia, which is of course now represented by Jerusalem that was teaching Judaism to the Jews.

Remember the people who came, from Jerusalem and came to spoil the party for the Galatians, were representing this Hagar system.

Paul goes on to say in verse 26,

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

 

Therefore, our connection is not with the earthly Jerusalem, our connection is with heaven. We have been born again, the spirit of God is in us, and gives a guarantee assuring us we are children of heaven, not children of earth. You do not get any spiritual benefit by keeping to the law, or keeping ancestral spirits requirements that you know your ancestry , I am so and so, the son of son and who was so and so of so and so clan. That is not where we get our joy. Our joy comes from knowing our destination. That is irrespective of our past, who our ancestors were, we now are born again, and have become the children of heaven. That is pretty important.

 

Day 5

Galatians 4

²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ 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 labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband”

 

Look at verse 27 that quote the Old Testament above.

Here we are talking about miracles children. What we are learning is that the natural birth is easier and happens on time before menopause. Therefore, the children of the law, children of Hagar, are the first to be born because for it is easy! Here is a woman, who has grown old without getting a child, but all Abraham does is, sleep with Hagar automatically a child is conceived. It sounds like the children of the law, the natural ones, seem to come easily; they do not require a miracle. And initially even Abraham is happy that he now finally has a son.

It is important to understand in the process,  that if you are natural you will not become a very big nation. That is really what happened with the Ishmaelites. But if only you had child of promise, you are assured that heaven is your home. Therefore, it does not bother you that you have discomfort of earth for you are assured of heaven. It means you may go through challenges like Sarah went through a time of barrenness, that way teaching you to simply wait on God. So, when it happens, you know you cannot give anybody else glory, for it has to be God who has done it.

I have you noted that many famous people in the Bible, not all, they were born from barrenness. Whether we talk about Joseph son of Jacob, Rachel was barren for long! It required a miracle for Joseph to be born. Talk about Isaac, who we are now discussing, the mother was past childbearing age. Talk about John the Baptist, the mother was beyond childbearing age. It sounds like the children that are miraculously born end up doing great things, becoming memorable and being remembered. The process of getting them may not be automatic, may not actually be easy but they become special. Therefore, when Christ is calling you to trust in him, it does not mean that things will be easier, but it means you are assured they will happen because God is the one that will make it happen.

The children of promise may come through barrenness, challenges, difficulties, but he is saying that although at the same way, you may be desolate like a woman without a husband, but when the miracle finally happens, you result with birth of many children, who become a big nation.

That is product of God’s intervention. He is saying the children that come naturally may end up not becoming the miracle you wanted. Wait on God and in his time, he will do the miracle where the desolate woman becomes the blessed woman. History now bears witness that the one who was barren, is doing well. Remember Samuel? Prophet and Judge? The mother is barren for a long time, and she is crying. The priest Eli cannot understand her prayers, but Samuel ended up making a big difference in Israel.

Maybe we should learn one or two lessons out of this. That becoming Christian does not mean we will not get challenges, but it means you are assured of God’s blessings. You are assured of his victory. Do not pick the way of the world to do things the natural way. What your traditions had required of you. How the ancestors had said it should be done. That route may make things look easy initially, but finally when you look long term, you realize you are better off being a child of faith and a child of promise.

look at verse 28,

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

 

He turns round to say, let us be clear, we Christians, and Galatians are some of us, we do not go the route of Hagar, for we are a child of God’s promise. God himself intervened for you to be born again!

 

Day 6

Galatians 4

²⁸ Now you, brothers, and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ 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

 

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

So, if you choose the way of the slave woman, the way of do’s and don’ts, you have chosen to be like Ishmael. You have chosen to be thrown out of home like by Abraham did. The way of Ishmael is the way of a persecutor; remember his children wanted to persecute the Israelites. That is what you need to understand. Whereas the way of the people of faith is they are persecuted, but they do not persecute others. So, you feel like you would rather go to the persecutor? But it will be important to understand Ishmael born in an ordinary way could not inherit God’s promises. Isaac born miraculously ended up being the inheritor of Abraham promise. So, it would be important to understand that if you really want God’s promises, then you must not go the way of the law. That is what Paul is trying to convince the Gentiles, giving them arguments as to why they should not bother with the law.

I think it will be important to ask whether that is true of you. Do I allow myself to be persecuted or I am a persecutor? Do I go for being born in the spirit rather than the natural ways? Or I am emphasizing my background or my prestige rather than trusting in the completed work of Jesus on the cross? You know verse 30 is continuing with the same argument,

But what does the 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.”

 

Hagar’s children finally would be forced out of God’s area of favour whereas those who are children of Sarah by faith will inherit eternity. That is what they are being promised, irrespective of the challenges they face on earth. They are assured of a life in eternity. That is something important. But if you choose the way of the law, it may give you a good name temporarily, it may give you some joy initially, but you will have to spend eternity in hell. This is because; nobody can fully fulfil the law. Thus, you better go the way of faith which does not depend on what you do and don’t do.It depends on God’s promises, God’s forgiveness, and your surrender to him.

What do you want to inherit? The earth or heaven? You know the Christians, people of the promise, are heirs of an eternal kingdom, not just earthly matters. Yet they are assured of God being with them on earth. If they are persecuted God will be with them in that persecution, but more importantly, they are heirs of heaven. They are assured of spending their time in eternity with God in heaven. That is not true of the children of Hagar. This is because they are natural; they will end up naturally here. They are not children of promise.

Do you want easy things? If you do this is the result ending in hell? Or do you want to walk by the mysterious way of faith? The things that Jesus is promising may not be visible but you are supposed to continue trusting. But you say no, no, no! I just want what I can feel, what I can control.

Becoming a Christian is, leaving the control of your life to God. He can do what he wants to do with you, when he wants to do it, and you are willing to accept whatever it is he does and when he does it, because he is the one now in control.

That is really what we are learning about the two children: children of promise or children of the law and legalism. So, what he is emphasizing here is that if you choose the way of the promise, you are assured of destiny in heaven. If you choose the way of Hagar, there will be some excitement about certain things you are doing but that is only is initially, for they will not last long, and heaven may not be your home.

 

Day 7

Galatians 4

³⁰ 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.”^[f^] 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman

 

In other words, Paul is saying, let it then be clear, very, very clear, that we are not children of bondage. The law is bondage. The people who opt for dos and don’ts are opting for slavery like I said earlier. You continue doing the things in order to meet the standard, but you will not meet the standard. I like comparing it with the game of high jump, and I call it the game of failures because high jump, even at the Olympics, will continue jumping, until the best fails. You do not know how long it will take because it will keep going on until all of them who entered the game fail, so it is a game of failures. However, the one who is the last to fail will make the whole field go wild with joy! That he is a failure but the latest failure.

Legalism is like that game of high jump. If you think you will please God by the things you do, what you need to understand is that that will not be possible. It will not be possible to actually do those things as the standard requires and achieve the pleasing of God. The only way you can please God is by submitting yourself to Christ, for his righteous blood is what purchases for you peace with the father. You therefore become children of freedom, children of promise who enjoy the grace of God, who enjoy God’s fellowship, all the time. You get this simply by trusting what Christ achieved at the cross.

Therefore, Paul is telling the Galatians, please understand, we are not children of the slave woman, we should not be trying to fulfil Jewish laws and customs in order to please God. That route is a route of bondage. But we are children of a free woman, who get whatever he does because he is part and parcel of the promise. That is really one of the things that you need to ask yourself, are you not a child of the promise? and you can tell what you trust. What matters to you? Do you trust your ability, your denomination, and your gifts? How much you have tithed, how many people you have helped?Is that what gives you audacity before God, you are the type of person who goes before God to say, God, you know how much I have served you, you know how much I have done for you, heal my child! How can my child be sick and yet I have done so much for you! That way you are trusting your works.

How about going to God and saying, I am a sinner, forgive me, for what you did on the cross, forgive me. That way you have no entitlement mentality. You have nothing to claim, you just trust yourself in God’s hands. The people of promise have no entitlement, they trust God’s goodness and even when they go to prayer, they finish their prayer like their Lord did at gethsemane , God give me this, I pray for this, yet not my will, but yours be done. What happens? Look at your testimony, look back and you can see God’s intervention time and time again since you put your trust in him. But each time, not in reward for the things you have done, but because what Christ achieved for you on the cross of Jesus Christ.

So, Paul is really pleading with the Galatians, do not go Hagar route, the route of trying to keep Jewish customs. They themselves have not been able to keep them. They will continue struggling. It is a way of bondage, permanent bondage. It is like a game of high jump, game of failures. Everybody will finally fail anyway.

However, the one of promise, your righteousness is in Christ! and he has already achieved it. So why do not you hide under what Christ has achieved.

But I want to emphasize that  does not mean you will not live righteously. But you will know you are not living righteously in order to get saved. You are living righteously because you are already saved. Why are you saved? Because Christ has accomplished all by paying the penalty for your sin on the cross, and then number two, you have trusted in him. You have surrendered to him, you asked him to lead you and guide you, and direct you and he is doing so and helps you to remain righteous. If you sin and you do not even feel guilty to repent it shows you have not yet tasted his grace. The spirit in you cannot give you peace in sin.

 

 

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