Children Of The Free

Temple Baptist Church - 8-19-2009

Galatians 4:19-31

Introduction:

A. In verse 24, the Holy Spirit sets forth an allegory: Allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.

B. He gives a literal story in the Old Testament in order to convey a spiritual truth in the New Testament. Here is a short narrative concerning of the promised seed, Isaac.

1. God gave promise to Abraham of the coming of the Seed. This promise was through Sarah.

2. Genesis 12, God promised that through Abraham, He would bring forth a great nation. At the time of the promise, Abraham was 75 years old.

3. Genesis 15, Abraham told God he had no seed and that the seed of one of his servants was an heir. God again promised the Seed.

4. Genesis 16, Sarah and Abraham try to help God out by giving to Abraham her handmaid, Hagar the Egyptian. She bare unto him Ishmael..

5. Genesis 17, Abraham is now 99 and God once again prophesies the Seed through Sarah. Abraham questioned God by saying, “Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” Abraham was circumcised along with Ishmael, being 13 years old.

6. Genesis 18, The three angels appeared to Abraham on the way to destroy Sodom. They reiterated the promise and Sarah laughed. The next year, Isaac was born.

7. Genesis 21, the Lord visited Sarah and she conceived. At the feast when Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking and told Abraham to cast out this bondwoman. God promised Hagar that He would make a great nation out Ishmael and they dwelt in the wilderness.

C. Ishmael is a type of the son of the bondwoman (the Law) while Isaac is a type of Christ, the promised—miracle Seed (Christ or Grace). The Birth of Ishmael was no supernatural birth, God neither aided nor condoned that doings of Abraham.

D. Verse 21, “Do ye not hear the Law?” The Law brought guilt. The Law brought bondage. The Law brought death. The Law was never meant to bring about peace, liberty, or life. It was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ! Chapter 3:12 says, “The man that doeth them shall live in them!” *** It takes a miracle to change a person, but no miracle to punish a person!

E. Let’s notice some things quickly tonight about this allegory.

1. We are children of promise. Verses 21-23

a. God promised salvation through the Seed - Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (This is the promise of a Coming Messiah. Note, there is no promise of a coming Law!)

b. The coming of the Law did not do away with the promise - Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

2. We are children of freedom. Verses 24-26

a. Faith in Christ brings about freedom - John 8:32 - “ ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:36 - “the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Romans 8:2 - “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

b. Law brings about bondage - Galatians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (We are free tonight in Christ! Once again, not under a dead set of regulations, but from within our hearts, we want to serve Him and do His bidding!)

3. We are children of Rejoicing! Verse 27

a. Salvation brings rejoicing - Psalm 9:2 - “I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”

Psalm 20:5 - “We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.”

Philippians 4:4 - “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

b. Law brings fear - Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (We should rejoice in the great salvation our Lord has provided for us!)

4. We are children of conflict. verses 28,29

a. Conflict with the flesh - Romans 7:21-23 - “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

b. Conflict with the foes of salvation - Romans 3:8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

5. We are children of acceptance. Verses 30-31

a. The power of acceptance - John 1:12 - “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

b. The position of acceptance - Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Conclusion: God promised us some things that are unattainable under the Law!