SCRIPTURE: GALATIANS 4
BIBLE VERSES:
“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4:6-7)
“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. ” (Galatians 4:18)
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:31)
“When you are a child of God through faith in Christ, you are also an heir of all of Christ’s riches. A child must wait until the age of maturity to inherit the family’s wealth but God’s children can have his wealth now. A child of God enjoys freedom. He is no longer a slave under tHe law but he enjoys freedom in Christ. He can become like Him as he yields to the Spirit. His citizenship is secure in heaven because he is a child of promise.
PAUL’S CONCERN FOR THE GALATIANS (vs. 8-20)
The Galatians believers had already the gospel of salvation through faith. But they were going back to bondage under the Law. Paul was telling them to leave the rules and rituals of the law and enjoy the full inheritance that they had in Christ.
As a concern spiritual father addressing his spiritual children, Paul appealed to them to beware of false teachers. They had the impure and selfish motives to alienate the believers from Paul. He urged them to listen to the truth.
HAGAR AND SARAH (vs. 21-31)
Paul; used the sons of Hagar and Sarah to share that the new covenant of grace has superseded the old covenant of law. He illustrated the contrast between the old covenant of the law and the new covenant of grace.
THE OLD COVENANT OF LAW:
- Symbolized by Hagar, the slave girl
- Ismael – son born after the flesh
- Represents Jerusalem still under spiritual and political bondage.
THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE:
- Symbolized by Sarah, the free woman
- Isaac – son born with a promise
- Represents the heavenly Jerusalem which is free and glorious.
THOUGHTS:
- There is nothing wrong with church traditions that conform to Scripture. However, we must be careful not to mix law with grace. Let us hold fast to God’s simple grace.
- Paul had deep concern for his spiritual children. Likewise, spiritual leaders must have intense care for his children to mature spiritually. They should stand by them and help them grow.
- We should be able to discover false teachers. They have persuasive speech but their teachings were wrong. The Bible should be the church basis in spiritual matters.