Sons of the Free – Galatians 4

Why are we so sure that God receives sinners by simply repenting and believing and not by keeping religious rules?  The answer is in Christ’s lineage, His family tree.  God first promised Abraham that through his descendants, all the world be blessed by God, to know Him.  Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.  Abraham had Ishmael through a servant woman, a woman under the bondage of slavery in Abraham’s house.  But the promise God gave to Abraham was that Sarah, Abraham’s wife, would have a son, even though she was barren and unable to have children.  Sarah was Abraham’s wife, and not at all considered to be a servant, but a free woman in Abraham’s house. Sarah miraculously gave birth to Isaac, and to ensure the inheritance would go to Isaac, the slave woman and her son Ishmael were dismissed from Abraham’s house.   Over a thousand years later through the descendants of Isaac, our Lord Christ was born.  The promise God made to Abraham was fulfilled in Christ.  Those who try to earn God’s favor through good works and keeping religious rules will not receive the “inheritance” or the promise God gave Abraham, because the inheritance was reserved for Jesus Christ, just like the inheritance was reserved for free Isaac, and not slave born Ishmael. Those who repent and believe in Christ are the adopted sons and daughters of God. (Galatians 4:5)

Therefore we have the rights of sons born in God’s house, and we have access to the privileges far beyond what servants may enjoy.  Servants are bound by rules, and are evaluated by their performance, however God’s children are accepted not on the basis of their performance, but are received already because their status as God’s beloved children.  As servants, we fall short unable to keep the high and holy standards of God Almighty, but as sons, we are accepted already because Jesus paid the high price for redeeming sinners to the adoption of sons and daughters.  Without Christ, we are Ishamels of this world, enslaved to the curse of the Law that we cannot fulfill, but through the offer we have believing Christ, we become Isaac’s and fellow heirs of God’s promise. Jesus is the key, and He decides who will be made free. Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” If you are in Christ you are free, start living like it.

Let a mighty sound of thankfulness to The Lord for accepting us as free sons, rather than slaves of the law.