A Fresh Start For A New Year Series

• Whether within Judaism or Christianity, legalists have always been persecutors. Those who trust in God have always been persecuted by those who trust in themselves. It is the false religious system of Revelation 17:6 that is “drunk with the blood of the saints.”

Being a spiritual Isaac, a redeemed child of promise through Sarah. 1) Will bring resentment and 2) The spiritual children of Sarah and Isaac will receive an inheritance that the spiritual children of Hagar and Ishmael will not. Paul states in Galatians 4:30, “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." Paul here cites the words of Sarah in Gen. 21:10 to illustrate that those who are attempting to be justified on the basis of keeping the law will be cast out of God’s presence forever (Matt. 8:12; 22:12, 13; 25:30; Luke 13:28; 2 Thess. 1:9). The command to “Cast out the slave woman and her son “is an AORIST ACTIVE IMPERATIVE meaning to “drive off the slave girl” and in the context of Galatians would mean “kick the Judaizers out!”( Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul’s First Letters: Galatians and I & II Thessalonians (Vol. Volume 11, p. 50). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)

Please turn to Matthew 7

As Sarah had Hagar and Ishmael cast out of Abraham’s household (Gen. 21:10–14). so will their unbelieving descendants, those who live by works of the flesh, be cast out of God’s household. For those who think that they are basically good people trying their best to do good things and will try to stand before God on the Day of Judgement relying on this, Jesus gives this chilling warning:

Matthew 7:22-23 [22] On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' [23] And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (ESV) (cf. Matt. 25:41).

Being a spiritual Isaac, a redeemed child of promise through Sarah. 1) Will bring resentment and 2) They will receive an inheritance and finally 3) Third, Galatians 4:31 specifies: although believers are brothers in Jesus Christ and therefore not children of a slave, but of the free woman, they are nevertheless under obligation to live faithfully for their Lord. In all of this, Galatians 4:21-31 presents a very particular picture on obedience. People expect to get to heaven by being good people—Muslims by obeying the Qur’an, Some Catholics by going to mass, Freemasons by being on the square, theological liberals by just existing. The evangelical Christian must never give the impression that we are all saying the same thing. ‘Draw the line in the sand,’ says Paul. ‘Make clear the differences.’ Hear Augustus Toplady: “How vast the benefits divine Which we in Christ possess! We are redeemed from sin and shame, And called to holiness. ’Tis not for works that we have done, These all to him we owe; But he of his electing love Salvation doth bestow”.( Barnes, P. (2006). A Study Commentary on Galatians (p. 219). Darlington, England; Webster, New York: Evangelical Press.)

(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (1996, c1987). Galatians. Includes indexes. (121). Chicago: Moody Press.)