Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Paul now poses a question to the Galatians because they have drifted form his original teaching and wants to know if they want to be under the law. He used the example of Abraham having two sons, one by a bond woman and another by a free woman. We see in this a very good argument for not going back to the law. We have discussed in a previous lesson how the law symbolized the flesh, and grace symbolized the Spirit. The law brought bondage to them. Grace had brought freedom. Ishmael’s birth was motivated by Abraham and Sarah’s lack of faith in God’s promise and fulfilled by sinful human means, but Isaac’s birth was by promise, in other words, as the result of divine promise. The comparison here is that the bond woman’s child was the natural birth of the nation of Israel and the law. This was a religion of works of the law. The free woman was the mother of the son the promise who would be the redeemer. We have shown over and over in these lessons how the seed spoken of in the promise to Abraham was Jesus, and through Him His followers. Which would you rather live under the law or the redeeming grace of our Savior?
Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Here Paul is letting the people know that the Judaizers were trying to put them back under the law which would make the fact that Jesus came to fulfill the void. If they did not want to believe the Judaisers they would shun them. Next Paul is saying that it is a good thing to work hard for things that are right. The main thing is that they need to be strong in their belief, whether he is with them or not. Because he cannot be with them all the time he wants them to grow up strong in the Lord so they walk the Christian walk even when he is not there. He calls them little children, because they had not grown up in the Lord. They were still feeding on milk and honey. He wants Christ to be so fully in their lives that they will not get off the Truth again.Paul is concerned that they have gone back into the teaching of the law. He believes if he were there, speaking directly to them, they would be stronger in the Truth. How often do we see when a person is away from sound teaching they start to slip from the truth. We need to remember we need to get as much of the Word of God as possible embedded in our hearts as often as possible.
Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Paul goes on to tell us here that even though he had a physical ailment they accepted him to preach the gospel to them as a ministering spirit from the lord.He goes on to question them as to why would they turn from the original teachings he gave them when at first they would do anything for him that he might ask of them. Because Paul mentions they would even pluck out their eyes and give them to him that his infirmity could have had something to do with his eyes. Finally we see that he questions them again because they treating him like an enemy.While Paul was away the enemy crept in and destroyed what he preached to them that gave them great joy. This helps us to see that if we let someone stray from the truth too long they are not going to want to listen to us when we try to correct them for believing a lie.
Galatians 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Paul here is just asking the Galatians to remember where he came from and how he came to righteousness and even through some percussion of the Jews. He is just wanting them to continue to believe in what he preached to them even though they have seen how the Jews act toward them. He is letting them know this has not hurt him in any way. He reminds them how when he first preached to them he was not well but he knew they needed to here the message he had for them. This can help us see that even though we may be criticized for how we help someone come to Christ we need to stay true in the Word of God as we teach people about His Word. Also to continue to lift them up in there growing in Christ so no pulls them in the wrong direction. Please attend church today and see how God can fill your life with hope.
Galatians 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Many of the Galatians had been heathen people, before they received Christ as their Savior. They truly had not known what, or whom to worship, until they received the Truth through Jesus Christ. They only worshiped things they could see and feel and these things were not God.We will never know God in the fullest sense, until we are in heaven with Him. He knows us though. How can they even think of turning away from the freedom they know in Christianity and go back to the bondage of the law? The people back then wanted to continue to worship the the traditions of the law and still be Christians. This is one of the reasons the Christians celebrate Sunday instead of Saturday for their holy day. The Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The others are living in the law. Because of this Paul feels he has wasted his time because it seems they have forgotten everything they had been taught. This lets us know we need to stay in the true wood of God daily so as not to go back to the things of this world.
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Every child of God was divinely given the Holy Spirit the moment he was adopted by God. The Spirit gives us an awareness that God is our Father. Only Jesus and Jesus’ followers can call the Father Abba. It is actually the Spirit of Jesus within us that cries out Abba. The Holy Spirit within us reveals the fact to us of our sonship. This Spirit of the Risen Christ within us opens our understanding to this. Our inheritance is in Christ and we are His inheritance as well. Paul is trying to remind us here about the benefits of grace of God over the law and that we receive sonship through the Spirit of Christ within us.
Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
This is telling us that before we became a christian we were like a child not knowing how to do everything but only what we learned as we grew. This could also apply to the adults that had grown up under the law that is all they knew. Being under bondage to the law was like a child under bondage to a guardian. Then when it was time God sent His Son By a woman who was under the law, but knew what her son was there for. The last verse lets us know that Jesus was sent to redeem all from the and be adopted into the kingdom of God. The reason that all must be redeemed from the law is the fact that by the law all are condemned to die. The law brings death. Every Christian has been redeemed by Jesus Christ with His precious blood and been adopted into the family of God. We are the adopted sons of the Father, if we accept Jesus as our Savior Redeemer.
Galatians 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
We see in this, a small child will inherit his father’s fortune, if the father dies. When he is small, he is not capable of handling the affairs. In a case such as this, the trusted servant would care for the inheritance for the child, until he became of age. It may all belong to him, but he cannot take possession, until he is more mature.The child must be in obedience to his father the same as the servant, until he is of age.A brand new Christian cannot really handle his own affairs, until he is schooled in God’s ways. It is really not for us to decide when we are ready to be released from training. Only God knows when we can begin to teach, instead of being taught.
Galatians 3;27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
True baptism for a believer is being buried in the watery grave and rising to new life in Him. We were clothed in sin, before we became a Christian, but after we receive Him, He takes our sin and clothes us in His righteousness. This expresses the logical outcome of the Galatians’ having put on Christ and, hence, being the sons of God. God views them all the same , as His sons. There being no ethnic, social, or sexual distinctions.The real me, is not the flesh you see with your eyes, but is the spirit which dwells within this body of flesh.All believers are heirs of the spiritual blessing that accompanied the Abrahamic Covenant, justification by faith. The seed of Abraham is Jesus. We inherit the promises, because we belong to Jesus. Do not let even one more hour pass, before you give yourself completely to Jesus.
Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
After one’s conversion to Christ, he is no longer under the curse of the law, as it has fulfilled its divinely intended purpose. Jesus said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. His commandments are written on the fleshly part of every believer’s heart. We no longer need a schoolmaster; we just follow Jesus in our heart. While God is the Father of all people in a general sense because He created them, only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are God’s true spiritual children. Look at what happens just because we believe in Jesus.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:” If you have not put your faith in Jesus, today being the first day of a new year, it is a good day to start a new life with Jesus at the center.
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." I John 5:7
