No Longer Slaves

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.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

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.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

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

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

Isaiah 54:1

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.

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.

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.

Amen.