Galatians 4
Galations 3:26-29
“26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [are] Christ then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galations 4:1-3
“1 Now I say [that] the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.”
People live under the idea that we get what we deserve; when we are good we deserve to receive good and when we are bad we deserve to receive bad.
Under grace God does not deal with us on the basis of what we deserve. Our good cannot justify us under grace; our bad does not condemn us. God’s blessing and favor is given on a principle completely apart from the elementary principle of the world.
He does not deal with us on the principle of earning and deserving.
When we live on the principle of earning and deserving before God, we live in bondage under the elements of the world.
Galations 4:4-5
“4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Jesus came to redeem us out of bondage and to adopt us in as sons and daughters.
This adoption gives us equal privileges in the family and equal status as heirs.
Galations 4:6-7
“6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
We have access to the same intimacy with God the Father that God the Son, Jesus Christ had. Jesus addressed God the Father as “Daddy” when He prayed, Abba, Father as recorded in Mark 14:36.
Religion wants you to think you earn your access to God.
Under grace, we have access to the father through Jesus.
Sons are never slaves and slaves are never sons in their father’s house.
Galations 4:6-7
“8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how [is it that] you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.”
They were turning back to a works relationship with God.
“If you were a slave and are now a son, if you did not know God but have now come to know Him and to be known by Him, how can you turn back again to the old slavery? How can you allow yourself to be enslaved by the very elemental spirits from whom Jesus Christ has rescued you?”
Legalism caters to and recognizes our flesh by putting the focus on what we achieve for God, not on what Jesus did for us.
Jesus gives us status as sons and a rich inheritance, but it won’t cater to
our flesh.
Galations 4:12
“Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I [became] like you. You have not injured me at all.”
He simply wanted them to follow him as he followed Jesus.
Paul knew the Galation Christians should imitate his consistency.
Consistency in Christ is invaluable.
Galations 4:12
“13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you [enjoyed]? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”
Galations 4:17-18
“17 They zealously court you, [but] for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.”
Bondage and legalism will always try to divide or separate us from the freedom Christ provided.
Paul agreed that it is good to be zealous — but only in a good thing always.
Zeal in the service of a lie is a dangerous thing.
Galations 4:19-20
“19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.”
Paul knew that his work of forming Christ in them was not complete until they stayed in a place of trusting Jesus.
This was Paul’s entire goal. To create disciples of Jesus.
Galations 4:21
“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?”
Under the law = it is what you do for God that makes you right before Him.
Under the grace of God = it is what God has done for us in Jesus Christ that makes us right before Him.
Under the law the = focus is on my performance.
Under the grace of God = the focus is on who Jesus is and what He has done.
Under the law = we find fig leaves to cover our nakedness.
Under the grace of God = We receive the covering won through sacrifice that God provides.
Galations 4:22-23
“22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,”
Faith says, “I believe in God and I know He will make a way”
Unbelief says, “I will do it my way”
Legalism is living according to the flesh. It denies God’s promise and tries to make your own way to God
Galations 4:24-27
“24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar-- 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-- 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 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.”
It is all about what we must do for God to be accepted by Him; it doesn’t set us free. It puts us on a perpetual treadmill of having to prove ourselves and earn our way before God.
This was the way most Jewish people in Paul’s day tried to be right with God — by trusting in their ability to please God by keeping the law
The Jerusalem above is free.
This covenant brings freedom — it is free. It is free because it recognizes
that Jesus paid the price, and we don’t have to pay it ourselves.
Galations 4:28-31
“28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac [was], are children of promise. 29 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. 30 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.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”
As Christians, we don’t identify with Ishmael. We identify with Isaac, as children of a promise that was received through Jesus. Through being adopted in.
We are heirs of God through the principle of grace, not works.
