Illustrating the Failure of Legalism (Galatians 4:21-31) | Rewind Wednesdays

"Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written,

'Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.'

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? 'Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.' So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman." - Galatians 4:21-31

Pastor Jon takes us through what many consider to be the most difficult passage in Galatians.

Inside of us, there is an inner lawyer that is constantly subverting grace in our lives. There is a constant pressure to base our salvation and our relationship with God on our good works and not on the finished work of Jesus.

In Christ, we’re free. Christians are not children of the slave. This means that we are not the result of trying to help God out, supplement Jesus’ work on the cross, or earn our salvation by good works. That’s a fool’s errand. There’s no backing in the Bible for it.

You cannot earn your salvation.

We are children of the free woman, meaning we are the result of faith in God. He delivers on His promises. We are the result of the work of Jesus who does every single thing we need to be saved. We trust in God’s grace, not in our good works.


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