The Father had an appointed time to brings many sons to himself. His appointed time brought us our salvation and freedom! The Father's heart is for you!
Galatians 4:1 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.
Are we servants or children? Are we still kept under the tutelage of the law or has the appointed time come that the Father appointed for our freedom and liberty?
Galatians 4:4 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 on the Father’s time table. Jesus was born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. Jesus came that we might know the adoption as sons! The heartbeat of the Father is indeed our blessing, our acceptance, our adoption and liberty.
Galatians 4:6 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.
At faith in Jesus the Father sends forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba Father!”. It is the baptism into Christ! He that confesses Jesus is the Christ God dwells in him, and he in God. We become children of the kingdom. We are no longer slaves but we are sons who abide in the house forever; joint heirs with Christ.
Galatians 4:8 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?
There is a great distinction between those who belong in the family and those who don’t. There is changing of lifestyle when one had been given the Spirit of adoption. There is a new creation that longs for God and the things that God loves. Paul once again is rebuking the Galatians church. Now that you are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire to be in bondage to?
Galatians 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
The beggarly elements were the keeping of the law of Moses. The Galatians were observing days months and seasons and years. They were starting to practice Judaism to some degree. Rather it is recognizing Jewish feast holidays, or being drawn into being good Sabbath keeper, Paul was concerned. Paul had labored bringing the grace message which included freedom from the practices of the law. The practice of the law, the traditions of men, or trusting in your own good works gives sin strength.
Galatians 4:12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 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.
Paul was pleading with the church to live as Paul lived under the grace and truth found exclusively in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 4:15 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?
Paul declared they accepted the grace message he taught, even when he had come and preached in his own weakness. Now that he was strongly defending the gospel of the good news he asked, have I become your enemy?
Galatians 4:17 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.
There was a group who were very zealous for Gentile believers to practice Judaism.
Galatians 4:19 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 had labored and brought the grace message that Christ might be formed in every believer. The practice of the law of Moses or traditions of men can bring to naught the work of grace. “Christ in me” is the call of the victorious believer.
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
So many men want to know the formula or rules to live by. However this life of faith is lived by sweet relationship with Jesus. Surrendering to the working of the Holy Spirit in our life brings freedom and liberty. Returning to the law will bring, at the least, bondage and, at the worst, death. Paul begins to compare and contrast; living under the law as bondage or living under the gospel of grace as liberty. Abraham had a son of bondage and a son of liberty. Where shall we live?
Galatians 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar;
The son of bondage was born according to the flesh and the son of freedom was born to through the freewoman through promise. Mount Sinai is where the law came from and it gives birth to bondage which is Hagar. If one tries to go back to the law of Moses to serve, it presently give birth to bondage.
Galatians 4:25 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.
Mount Sinai corresponds to Jerusalem and the Jewish people who rejected Jesus as the Messiah. The earthly Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children. The Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. Hebrews 12 says we have been brought to Mount Zion the heavenly Jerusalem .
Galatians 4:27 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."
The children of bondage are many more that the children of the free. Jesus spoke of those who would say Lord, Lord we have done many marvelous works in your name. Jesus is going to say depart from me… Children of the free must be born from the free woman! It is the covenant of grace and truth.
Galatians 4:28 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.
We who have put the object of our faith in Jesus Christ are the children of promise. The children of the flesh still persecute those who have been born of the Spirit.
Galatians 4:30 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."
Grace and truth can not be mixed. We have been called to cast out the bondwoman and her son. The son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. In Christ alone I place my trust and there is no other place.
Galatians 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
We are not children of the bondwoman (the law of Moses) but of the free (covenant of grace and truth.).
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