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Who Are You?Galatians 4:21-31

Know Your Stuff (v.21)

“You who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?” *The Judaizers were coming after Paul with something he knew a lot about *Philippians 3:5-6“Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” *They thought they knew the OT, but misunderstood it *Know your stuff

A Look at Genesis 12-21*Age 75 Abraham is called to go to Canaan and promised many descendants*Age 85 the promised son hasn’t arrived, they become impatient, and take matters into their own hands*Age 86 Hagar gets pregnant, Sarah gets jealous, and Ishmael is born*Age 99 God promises, again that he will have a son by Sarah. His name will be Isaac.*At 100 Isaac is born. Ishmael is 14. Up to this point Ishmael has been his father’s pride and joy*At 103 Issac is 3 and weaned. He’s playing with Ishmael and being mocked. Sarah has Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away

Are you Ishmael or Isaac? (v.22-23)

Ishmael:*The son of Hagar (the slave woman)*Hagar was an Egyptian slave of Sarah*Ishmael was born the ordinary way -Not referring to the type of birth -Referring to the way he was conceived -He was conceived by human effort*Ishmael represents man’s way, the way of the flesh, or those born only physically*The way of the flesh seeks to attain righteousness on their own, by works*The way of the flesh rejects God’s grace*Are you Ishmael?

Are You Ishmael or Isaac (v.22-23)Isaac:*The son of Sarah (the free woman)*Was born as a result of the promise -This doesn’t mean that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, like Jesus -It means that his conception came about supernaturally -Abraham and Sarah were past child bearing age and Sarah was barren -God waited until they were “as good as dead” to provide His promise*Isaac represents the way of the promise/the way of the Spirit*This way seeks to attain righteousness by grace through faith*Are you Isaac?

Are You Hagar or Sarah (v.24-26)

Hagar:*Represents the Old Covenant*This Covenant was given through Moses on Mount Sinai*It required that God’s people keep all of His commands*The law can’t bring about righteousness and holiness*Its humanly impossible to keep*It was intended to help us see a need for salvation, since it couldn’t be attained this way.

Are You Hagar or Sarah (v.24-26)Hagar:*Trying to attain righteousness through the law, apart from God, would actually keep them in bondage* “They’d be bound by a master they could never escape.” ~Wiersbe~*Anyone who attempts to satisfy God, apart from grace is spiritually in bondage.*Hagar corresponds to the present Jerusalem (the earthly)*Those like her (born of the flesh) only have a mind for earthly things. This life is what matters most*Are you Hagar?

Are You Hagar or Sarah (v.24-26)Sarah:*Represents the New Covenant*This Covenant is of grace and faith*2Corinthians 3:7-17“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory...will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious will the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory...We are not like Moses who put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away...But whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Are You Hagar or Sarah (v.24-26)Sarah:*Corresponds to the Jerusalem above*By faith, those who are like her (under grace) look forward to their inheritance*Paul says in the book of Philippians that our citizenship is in heaven*Peter says that we have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Its kept in heaven for us“They are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking about the country they left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were looking for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He had prepared a city for them.” ~Hebrews 11:14-16~

Have You Received God’s Grace (v.27)

Verse 27:*Is a reference to Isaiah 54:1*Its a prophecy of hope and grace for the Israelites in Babylonian captivity*Its applied to Sarah as a source of hope and grace for her*Its applied to the Galatian Christians -You’ve been beaten, you’ve been polluted, and you might feel inferior -But be glad because My salvation is for you*It applies to us

The Application (v.28-31)

Isaac illustrates the believer:“You, brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise.”*We have been born by God’s power -John 3:1-7 -Isaac came into the world through Abraham (faith) and Sarah (grace) - “We are saved by grace, through faith.”

The Application (v.28-31)

Isaac illustrates the believer:*He grew and was weaned -Salvation is the start of our relationship with Christ, not the end -After we are born again we must grow: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” -We must also be weaned -We must lay aside childish/former ways

The Application (v.28-31)

Isaac illustrates the believer:*We will be persecuted just like Isaac was mocked by his brother -Christians will always be persecuted by unbelievers*We still wrestle with the flesh

“For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members...So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” ~Romans 7:22-25~

The Application (v.28-31)

Isaac illustrates the believer:*We need to cast out the sin -Let it not enslaved us -Let’s not live in it

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” ~Romans 6:11-14~

Message:If you’re free, live free

Key Take Aways:1. Are you trying to get right with God apart from His grace?2. Are you still holding on to some of your former ways?3. Do you feel like you’ve been drifting?4. Turn to Jesus - for forgiveness and strength to follow Him