Galatians 4:21-23 — FREEDOM!

READ THIS: Galatians 4:21-23

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
 
WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Let's go back to Abraham! Remember, we spoke about him at the beginning of this month? As a reminder, God promised Abraham that he would have more descendants than he could ever try to count, but he was already very old. After 10 years of waiting for God to deliver him a son, he and his wife, Sarah, grew impatient. So, without talking with God about it, Sarah and Abraham agreed to let Abraham have a child with one of their servants, Hagar... not a wise choice. This led to jealousy, broken hearts, and Hagar (and her new son, Ishmael) fleeing the land in fear. Not long after that, Abraham ended up having a son with Sarah after all (his name was Isaac, and he would become the father of Jacob/Israel).

But... what on earth does this have to do with our passage?

We've been learning throughout chapter 4 about how we were living one way, but now we are living in a new way (thanks, Jesus!). Paul is saying that if we want to live the old way, following the law or the world rather than Jesus, we will be trapped and enslaved to the world, to sin, and to the consequences they give us. So what's the alternative? Living for Jesus. When we choose to believe and trust in Jesus, we experience freedom and new life instead!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Have you ever made a big decision without asking God first, and it ended up going very poorly? What helps you remember to ask God for help when making big choices?

2. What would it look like for you to live in a new way today? What is something you've been doing that you can let go of, and what is something new you try to start doing?
 
TRY THIS:

Check out this song that ALWAYS makes me think of the freedom we have in Jesus! It's a bit long... just a warning.

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