Well, I woke up before 5 a.m. one morning this week with the television still on.
I sometimes will keep it on as I'm having trouble falling asleep,
and it just helps me to kind of zone out.
This infomercial was on for LifeLock.
Identity theft prevention and this company who will restore people
who've had their identities stolen.
We know that it can, maybe some of you experience this,
where you've had money or private information taken from somebody.
Your identity has been stolen.
Well, in a similar way, the Christians in Galatia are under attack,
and the threat for their Christian identity in Christ is threatening to be stolen.
These Judaizers are claiming to be the true people of God
and calling these Gentile Christians to come underneath the law
so that you too may be true people of God and find salvation.
And the Galatian Christians are buying it hook, line, and sinker.
In fact, they're compelled to listen to these Judaizers,
and they're persuaded by their thieving opponents.
Paul recognizes this.
He recognizes what's at stake,
and he comes writing this letter saying that salvation in Jesus Christ alone,
through faith alone, is at stake, church.
And so, as we've been seeing for the last few weeks,
starting in chapter 3,
Paul's laying this rebuke down on the Galatian church
because they're in danger of abandoning the freedom in Christ
only through the gospel
to become slaves underneath the law.
And he's been doing so with the spiritual life lock,
the gospel.
So that's where we find ourselves today in our passage.
Paul's continuing to sharply rebuke and correct the Galatian Christians
by reminding them of their true identity and freedom in Jesus,
and by exposing the identity of these Judaizing thieves
for who they really are, slaves.
So Paul's going to build his argument
throughout the final 11 verses of chapter 4
and then reveal his purpose in chapter 5, verse 1.
So that's how we're going to walk through the passage.
We're going to look at three kind of increasing contrasts
and conclude with the command of 5, verse 1.
So three contrasts and the command.
The first contrast we see is found in verses 21 to 23.
And Paul's going to use this history lesson
to present this contrast.
So remember where we left off last week.
The last thing that Paul says in verse 20 of chapter 4 is,
I'm perplexed about you, Galatians.
And so what we're going to do in our passage is he's going to say,
here's why I'm perplexed.
Essentially, it's because they're surrendering their freedom.
It's only found in Christ for slavery to the law,
for this man-made sort of our own strength righteousness
that provides nothing but slavery.
Paul begins in verse 21 with a question.
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law,
do you not listen to the law?
Now, as Paul often does, this isn't really a question.
He's actually kind of continuing this rebuke
through a rhetorical question.
You're actually not listening to the law
because if you were, you wouldn't be doing what you're doing.
And this is started back in chapter 3, verse 1,
where he says,
O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?
And his reasoning is found as we keep kind of tracing his argument
a couple more spots.
3, verse 10, Paul says,
Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse.
And in chapter 3, 21 and 22,
Paul continues by saying,
If a law had been given that could give life,
then righteousness would indeed be through the law.
But the Scriptures imprisoned everything
until Jesus, the promised offspring of Abraham, would come.
And in 4, verse 9, Paul says,
How can you turn back
to the weak and worthless things of the world
whose slaves you want to be once more?
So you see, this isn't really a question in verse 21.
It means you're not listening to the law, Galatians,
or you wouldn't be headed down this path of no return into slavery.
And it's interesting what he calls them.
You who desire to be under the law.
And this is a really loaded term.
And what he means by it is saying,
You folks are trying to justify yourselves.
You're trying to create this man-made,
flesh-sustaining righteousness.
And there is no such thing.
The law was not given for this purpose.
And the question that Paul raises
then leads into this history lesson
in verses 22 and 23.
It says, Abraham, you know him well,
he had two sons.
Now the overarching purpose
of Paul's history lesson here is this.
He wants to start this contrast.
And in the history lesson,
he's going to contrast two sons.
In the middle section of the passage,
he's going to contrast two cities.
In the final portion of the passage,
he's going to contrast two groups of people.
So the contrast is getting more and more defined as he goes.
Essentially, he's getting to the question,
he's getting to the root of the issue.
Whose gospel is legitimate?
Is Paul's gospel the one true gospel,
or is it the Judaizer's gospel?
Who are the true inheritors
of God's rich inheritance?
The Judaizers who are saying,
you must keep this law,
you must be circumcised,
you must enjoy and benefit from the Jewish calendar,
or is it Paul saying,
Christ alone through faith alone?
Who truly are God's people?
That's what's at stake.
So we remember the story of Abraham
back in Genesis chapter 12.
God called a man named Abram,
leave your country,
and I will show you this new land
where I'm going to take you.
And the reason that I'm asking you to leave
is because I'm going to make you this great nation.
And a little while later in this story,
God says,
through your offspring,
I'm going to bless all the nations.
Well, the only problem with that is Sarah,
Abraham's wife, is barren.
She's not able to give Abraham a child.
So this promise that God has made
seems to be in danger of never coming to pass.
No offspring, no great nation.
No offspring, no blessing to the nations.
So Abraham and Sarah,
they get this really great idea.
Well, you know,
when we went down to Egypt
during that famine,
we got this Egyptian slave girl, Hagar,
and we brought her back.
And Abraham,
why don't you go sleep with Hagar?
And she can get pregnant
and she can birth the son
that God promised to us.
So as the story goes,
that's what they do.
And Hagar conceives
and Ishmael is born.
But of course we know
that this was not God's plan
to fulfill the promise
He made to Abraham.
So God says,
no, no, no, no, no.
Abraham, you don't get it.
Sarah, you don't get it.
Sarah will bear you a son.
And this is both hilarious
and inconceivable.
By this point,
these two are getting up in years.
Sarah's never been able to conceive.
But God works a miracle.
At 90 years old,
Sarah gives birth to Isaac,
the child of promise.
This is a story
that Paul is calling to mind
in Galatians chapter 4.
Notice the contrast.
Verse 22,
the contrast is,
one son was from a slave woman.
The other was born by a free woman.
And he heightens the contrast
a little bit in verse 23.
And this is really where he's driving.
One was born according to the flesh.
The other was born through a promise.
This contrast is extremely important
to Paul's argument
through this whole passage.
So it's worth taking
a little bit of time
to think it through.
What exactly does Paul mean
when he says,
in verse 23,
according to the flesh?
Well, in one sense,
this just means
the very natural way
that children are born.
Right?
We don't have to get
into the details of that.
People are able
to naturally become parents,
typically,
without any outside
additional effort.
This is man's effort.
But that's kind of
what's hinting
at this deeper spiritual
and theological reality
for Paul.
Saying,
see,
we can accomplish this
in most situations
by our own strength.
Human wisdom
and a fertile Hagar
equals Ishmael.
There's no more need.
This is human strength.
Right?
We know.
We know that we default
to this kind of thinking
spiritually all the time.
Right?
This is our default thinking.
By my good works
and my self-effort,
I will justify myself
before God.
I will stand before God
one day,
completely approved of Him
because I did it.
And Paul's saying,
no.
In fact,
all along,
he's been telling
the Galatians
over and over,
it's much better news
the gospel brings.
Listen to verses 4 and 5
of chapter 4.
But when the fullness
of time had come,
God sent forth His Son
born of woman,
born under the law
to redeem those
who were under the law
so that we might receive
adoption as sons
and as daughters.
See, the point Paul's been
making all along
is that it's God
who freely gives
righteousness
to those who trust
in Jesus Christ,
the one who lived
a perfect life
under the law,
the one who died
in the place of sinners
for our sin,
and the one who was raised
in victory
over sin and death.
Paul's argument is,
look,
we measure up
only because Jesus
measures up for us
and we are in Him.
So that's Paul's
ultimate purpose
in the history lesson
and he's going to
drive it home
as we keep going.
But he's contrasting
man's effort
with God's promise
and power
to fulfill
His promise.
It has everything
to do with salvation,
doesn't it?
Self-effort
is never ever
going to save us.
Just how self-effort
was never ever
going to get Abraham
and Sarah a child
through a barren
old woman.
Only God's power
in Christ
can make us righteous.
So that's the first
contrast between
these two sons.
Now we move
to the second contrast
found in verses
24 to 27.
Paul's going to
contrast two cities
but he gets a little bit
technical and tricky.
But essentially,
here's what Paul
wants to do.
He wants to repurpose
the story
from Genesis 12
to 21
to say,
let me tell you
who else
is a slave.
And let me tell you
who else
is giving birth
to free people.
So in verse 24
we see Paul write
this interesting word.
This may be
interpreted allegorically.
There's been a lot
of argument
about what this
means but
let me try and
illustrate my best
understanding of it.
There's one fall
a few years ago
it was really windy
and we came home
from running errands
back into our driveway
and here
lays this blue
plastic
kiddie pool
sitting in our
front yard.
I didn't think
much of it.
I kind of just
well it's got to
get out of the yard
so I threw it
in our shed.
A couple years
later
another fall
we're raking
leaves
from our
half acre
property
that's lined
with these
big oak trees.
I think
we've got to
get the leaves
from the far
back corner
of our property
up to the
front curb
so the village
can bring by
their vacuum
trucks and get
rid of these
leaves.
And I think
aha
I'm going to
repurpose
this blue
kiddie pool
to be a
leaf transport
vessel.
And I did
and it worked.
The next year
I even added
a tow rope
so I didn't
have to stoop
down and kind
of bend
awkwardly.
I could just
walk like I
was plowing a
field like an
ox would.
And it works
great.
It's still a
swimming pool
but I've
repurposed it
for a different
task.
And that's
what Paul's
doing by
referring now
to the
allegory of
this story.
And like I
was saying
he's going
to move
through talking
about the
two moms
associating
them with
sort of two
different
covenants
and ultimately
associating them
with two
different
Jerusalems.
Those are the
two cities
that he wants
to get us
and our eyes
and our minds
around.
There's a here
and now
Jerusalem.
He's saying
to the Galatians
you guys can
find it on a
map.
You can go
visit.
You can get
the tinker
toy tourist
things and
bring them
home.
And then
there's this
heavenly Jerusalem
this above
Jerusalem.
You can't
go visit
that.
There's no
bus that
takes you
there.
So notice
the contrast.
First in
verses 24
and 25
look what
Paul is
going to
assign to
Hagar.
Remember
she's the
slave
sort of
wife of
Abraham
who gives
birth to
the slave
son Ishmael.
He says
Hagar
is
Mount
Sinai.
She's
bearing
children
for slavery
and she
corresponds
to present
day
Jerusalem.
This is
the center
of the
Israelite
religion.
Giving
birth
to
slaves.
His argument
is this.
Hagar
birthed
the slave
son according
to the
flesh.
Present
Jerusalem
is
birthing
slave
children
according
to the
flesh.
Because
they're
trying to
get people
to submit
to a
law
that
cannot
save.
In
verse 26
then Paul
moves from
the first
woman
covenant
city
to the
second.
He skips
over the
kind of
comparisons
of Sarah
and this
and that
and the
other thing
and just
goes straight
to the
Jerusalem
above
is free.
She
is our
mother.
Paul's
argument is
very similar
in this
one.
See Sarah
birthed
free Isaac
through God's
promise and
his power
to fulfill
that promise.
The
Jerusalem
above
aka heaven
is birthing
free sons
and daughters
of the
father
through that
same promise
and the
same power
of God.
Why would
Paul be
doing this?
If we
remember from
the
gospels
and you
may have
even read
it in your
bulletin
this morning
there's
always been
this claim
from the
Jewish folks
that we're
offspring of
Abraham.
We're
children of
the promise
all of this
belongs to
us.
And this
certainly would
be part of
the Judaizers
claim.
See we're
children of
Abraham.
We have
the authority
to call you
to submit
to this
law.
And Paul
is saying
you've got
the wrong
mom.
You're
children of
the slave
woman.
Who's still
giving birth
to slaves.
You see the
contrast here.
The flesh
versus the
promise.
Slavery
versus free.
Present
Jerusalem
versus the
above
Jerusalem.
Paul's
saying DNA
human effort
doesn't make
you a son
of Abraham.
Your biology
and family
tree don't
make you a
son of
Abraham.
Promise
makes you
children of
Abraham.
Paul says
as much at
the end of
chapter 3
in verse
29.
If you look
at that and
listen to it.
And if you
are Christ's
then you are
Abraham's
offspring.
Heirs
according to
promise.
See the only
way that you
truly become
Abraham's
offspring is if
you are in
Christ.
That you've
put your
faith and
your trust
in him
for salvation.
That's how
you become
children of
promise.
It's through
Jesus.
There's one
more step
that Paul
takes in
this repurposing
section and
it's verse
27.
Essentially
he's answering
the question
well Paul
you know
okay so
you're saying
this stuff
but where
does the
law promise
us anything.
And he
goes to
Isaiah
54 verse
1.
He's wanting
to convince
the Galatians
who their
mother is.
And in
verse 27
quoting from
Isaiah
Paul quotes
a verse
that gives
us this
picture of
Israel
in exile.
Israel is
seen as the
barren one
who does
not bear
children.
And the
interesting thing
right is that
we know why
Israel is in
exile.
Because Israel
couldn't keep
the law.
God judged
Israel for
their fleshly
efforts to
keep the law
which fell
way short.
They slipped
into idolatry
they disobeyed
and they're in
exile and yet
look what God
says he is
going to do.
Again he issues
a promise
and says
I will give
you more
children
than she
who has
a husband.
And it's
not going to
be because
you all of a
sudden start
measuring up
to my
standard.
All along
it's meant
to show
that God's
promise
is how
he births
children
of Abraham
and Jesus.
God's going
to intervene
and restore
Israel but
not just
Israel right?
Because
Paul's
talking to
the Galatians
and saying
look at
verse 28
you brothers
like Isaac
are children
of promise.
This was
never just
meant for
Israel but
for the
nations right?
Going all
the way back
to Abraham
it's through
your offspring
all the
nations of
the world
shall be
blessed.
And Paul
looks
he pens
this
joy
brothers
your
children
promise.
This leads
us to the
third kind
of contrast
of what
Paul's
getting at
in verses
28 to
31.
It's a
contrast of
identities.
He wants
the Galatians
to be
crystal clear
that they
are children
of promise
and that
as children
of promise
they are
free.
See he
says that
in 28
and he
compares
them to
Isaac.
Isaac of
course was
the original
offspring of
promise.
The one
not produced
by human
effort but
the one
supernaturally
produced by
the power
of God.
Paul says
so too
are you
Galatian
Christians
so too
are you
church
you didn't
measure up
Christ
measured up
for you.
It was
God's
promise
that
redeemed
your life.
And
Abraham
was
promised
this
offspring
would
bless
all the
nations.
Jesus
has come
and fulfilled
that promise.
As his
name and
his word
go out
more and
more people
from around
this globe
put their
faith and
trust in
him.
and become
children of
promise.
Isaac was
the original
child of
promise but
he is
followed by
countless
others like
us.
We're free
from the
law's curse
and condemnation.
We're born
from above
not by
human effort.
We're saved
by God's
gospel and
not man-made
righteousness.
Paul repeats
this idea in
verse 31
with a little
bit different
language.
Again
contrasting the
mothers.
So brothers
we are not
children of
the slave
but of the
free woman.
Children of
promise.
Children born
free.
Children born
from above
through promise
not through
effort.
And in
between these
kind of
bookend
here's who
you are
Paul sets a
further contrast
in verses
29 and 30.
He returns
once more to
our story from
Genesis.
He says look
the slave son
Ishmael he
persecuted the
free son
Isaac.
So too
today.
Right?
I almost
hear Jesus'
words ringing
behind what
Paul is
saying.
Do not be
surprised if
the world
hates you
for it
hated me
first.
Paul himself
bears witness
in 511
which we'll
hear from
Billy next
week about.
Paul says
that it's
the offense
of the
cross.
It's the
reason why
he's taken
so much
flack.
He's telling
these folks
that you're
slaves and
you need
to wake
up and
you need
to repent
and you
need to
trust in
Christ or
you will
remain
slaves.
The slave
will always
resent and
resist the
free.
Paul is
saying don't
cave Galatians.
Don't let
this heat of
persecution
overwhelm you.
There's a
loud and
demanding voice
that's pulling
you into a
prison and
it's claiming
to be setting
you free.
Don't buy
it for a
moment.
Your
children of
promise.
You're
already
free.
Verse 30
Paul quotes
the words of
Sarah to
her husband
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.
God agreed
with Sarah.
The slave
will not
inherit along
with the
children of
promise.
Along with
the free.
Here's
essentially the
two voices
speaking in
each side of
the Galatians
ears.
First the
Judaizers are
saying to the
Galatians,
we're the
heirs.
We have the
riches and
promises of
God.
The inheritance
is ours and
until you join
us under the
law, you
don't have any
share in that.
Paul flips it
on its head.
They are the
cast out
slaves with
empty pockets.
You are the
heirs according
to promise.
They can't
offer you
anything.
And you
stand to
lose everything
if you listen
to them.
You're already
free because
Jesus has set
you free.
free.
So stand
firm in
your freedom.
That's where
Paul has been
going this whole
time to 5
verse 1.
For freedom
Christ has set
you free.
Stand firm
therefore and
do not submit
again to a
yoke of
slavery.
Stand firm
in the
freedom Christ
alone provides
for you,
church.
God has
done what
religion could
never do.
What the law
has no hope
of accomplishing
and what human
effort just
simply cannot
accomplish.
A promise
made to
Abraham results
in a supernatural
birth.
A heavenly
Jerusalem is
continuing day
after day
after day to
birth many
children of
promise as
people put
their faith
and hope
and trust
in Jesus
alone.
So stand
firm in the
freedom you
have in
Jesus.
Don't turn
back to weak
and worthless
things thinking
that you're
somehow going
to justify
yourself or
somehow going
to sustain
your salvation
in your own
strength.
That's slavery
and it leads
only to death.
Christ sets
us free
so that we
can remain
free.
Children of
God and
heirs with
Christ.
Not because
we earned
it but
because we
believe God's
promise.
Sinners can
be made sons
and daughters
through faith
in Jesus
due to no
merit of our
own.
We're no
longer slaves.
This is why
Paul is so
perplexed with
the Galatians
and why he's
dropping this
harsh rebuke on
their heads
like a hammer.
Because
spiritually
speaking they
were acting
like slaves.
Imagine if
Isaac came
up to mom
and dad
and said
mommy
dearest
dad
would you
please cast
me out
with Hagar
and with
Ishmael?
I know
that I'm
this special
kid that
God's
promised to
use to be a
blessing to
all the
nations.
I know
that this
beautiful
inheritance
has been
secured for
me and
for my
family.
And yet
I really
like Hagar's
mac and
cheese.
Ishmael
just got
that new
call of
duty for
Xbox.
Are you
kidding me?
To abandon
the freedom
in Christ
to become
a slave
to something
that will
only lead
to your
demise?
No way!
Stand
firm in
the freedom
you have
in Christ
Paul says.
Don't
return to
slavery.
The law
cracks a
whip.
Christ
unlocks
our chains.
Stand
firm
in the
freedom you
have in
Christ.
So I want
us to
consider three
questions as
we close
this morning.
first question
are you
free?
Has your
inability to
measure up
led you to
the cross of
Jesus?
To trust in
his work on
your behalf to
save you and
set you free?
Or are you
still trying to
make yourself
presentable to
a holy and
righteous God?
you?
This passage
today calls
you don't
remain a
slave.
Christ can
set you
free.
That's why
he shed his
blood.
That's why
God raised him
from the dead
to offer a
salvation free
of charge.
You'll never
deserve it.
Just receive it
by faith.
Second
question.
Are you
standing firm
in your
freedom?
If you're a
Christian in the
room, are you
standing firm
in your
freedom?
Or are you
a child of
God who's
kind of
living like
a slave?
I want us
to think about
standing firm a
certain way this
morning.
Have you
ever kind of
seen a
football coach
who's got
kind of this
blocking pad,
right?
It's this kind
of big pad
that he holds
and he keeps
in front of
him so
linemen and
other people
will kind of
practice the
technique of
kind of running
into it.
You imagine
that football
coach needs
to stand a
certain way
to not get
bowled over
by the people
working on
their tackling
technique or
their blocking
technique.
He needs
to get in
a stance
that's going
to allow
him to
stand firm.
Sometimes I
think we can
kind of just
sort of just
coast through
this life as
Christians not
knowing that
there's voices
all around us
and within us
that are seeking
to knock us
off our feet
and ruin the
freedom we
have in
Christ.
So are you
standing firm
in your
freedom?
Here's kind
of a
diagnostic.
Do your own
thoughts tend
to puff you
up and give
off the
impression that
you have
earned or are
earning God's
approval?
people.
Like during
the weeks or
the longer
periods of
your life when
you're feeling
pretty good and
you haven't
really messed
up too badly
in a while and
you haven't
gotten really
angry, you
haven't done
anything really
blatantly offensive
to God, you
start thinking
that you're
earning something
in that moment.
Paul says that's
slave thinking.
You're not
earning anything.
Christ has
freed you from
that kind of
thinking, of
thinking that you
have to submit
to the law to
find your
salvation because
Christ has
set you free.
Repent of that
thinking, slave
thinking.
On the
underbelly of
that, are
you, maybe
you're hiding
sin in the
dark, thinking
that it's just
a matter of
time before God
kind of casts
you out.
You're not
feeling good
about your
self-events,
you're feeling
terrible about
them.
I don't measure
up.
I never
will.
I don't
know why God
would ever have
anything to do
with me.
And you're just
kind of sulking
in this despair
and this
Christian
depression.
You too are
living like a
slave.
To stand
firm in the
freedom that
Christ has
accomplished for
you is to
humbly admit
your sin,
your failure,
and your
weaknesses.
Bring it into
the light.
Because we
don't maintain
our freedom.
freedom.
And if we
don't maintain
it, it means
that we can't
mess up so
bad to lose
it as long
as we are
seeking to
remain in
it.
Don't hide
in the dark.
Don't live
defeated and
shackled.
Step into
your freedom
and stand
firm in it
by faith.
We know
too, right,
that there's
outside voices.
We have
enough sort
of internal
struggle that
wants to get
us to forget
all this,
but there's
voices outside
of us too.
Stronger and
powerful and
more convincing
probably than
ourselves at
points.
We know
Satan would
like nothing
better than
to enslave
us under
some false
gospel.
We know
the voice of
the world
too.
Those Jesus
people are
intolerant,
they're bigoted,
they're hate
filled.
Paul's
saying these
are slave
voices.
This is not
the voice of
freedom.
Only Christ
speaks freedom.
Stand firm.
Are you
standing firm
in your
freedom?
Third
question,
are you
helping others
stand firm
in their
freedom?
It's going
to look a
couple different
ways.
If we're
speaking
of non-believers
who are
outside of
the church,
who are
not currently
free in
Christ,
it means,
as we
kind of
mentioned
earlier,
it means
bringing them
face to
face with
the offense
of the
cross.
Letting
people realize
that they're
in slavery.
And until
they stop
trying to
measure up,
until they
stop trying
to ignore
God's laws
and repent
and put
their faith
in Christ,
they'll remain
a slave.
whether they're
a rule
keeper or
a rule
breaker,
we point
to them
that,
look,
you're
enslaved
to sin.
You can't
free yourself.
You need
Christ to
set you
free.
That's how
we can help
others move
into the
freedom that
Christ alone
offers.
But then
for one
another,
for the
brothers and
sisters of
the church,
we need to
be reminding
each other
of this
freedom.
We need to
be exhorting
and warning
each other
that we can
lose out on
this freedom
and we can
live in ways
that deny
this freedom.
And sometimes
even like
Paul to the
Galatian church,
we need to
rebuke one
another when
we see that
we're abandoning
this freedom.
How could we
do that?
Why would we
want to go
back to slavery?
It can't
save us.
Return to
the freedom
of the
gospel,
Jesus.
Church,
we must do
this.
We must be
helping one
another to
stand firm
in this
freedom that
Christ has
purchased for
us.
But isn't
it good
news?
Christ has
unlocked your
chains.
Stand firm
in your
freedom.
Let's pray.
Father, thank
you in the
fullness of
time, you
sent your
son Jesus
to redeem
us out from
under the
things of
our own
effort that
could not
save us.
God, thank
you Jesus
for the
freedom that
you have
secured for
us through
your own
life, death,
and resurrection.
Father, help
us to live in
this by your
spirit day by
day.
All for your
glory.
We rejoice
together in the
salvation that
you have
promised and
accomplished for
us in Christ.
we pray through
him.
Amen.