But, as he who was
born according
to the flesh then
persecuted him
who was born
according to the Spirit,
even so it is now.
Nevertheless what
does the Scripture say?
"Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
for the son of the bondwoman shall not be
the heir with the son of the freewoman."
So then, brethren, we
are not children
of the bondwoman of
the free.
Galatians 4: 29 -- 31
A belated
happy Thanksgiving! I trust that the
turkey was not the only thing stuffed.
But you had a good time with family and friends, and even a phone, you
were thankful for the one most important thing: Jesus Christ came and died to
give you eternal life and that can never be taken away from you, therefore, be
thankful.
Paul has
given us this allegory in regards to Sarah and Hagar, most things in regards to
be Mount Sinai in the deserts that were bordering Arabia, and tell us how the
Jews were persecuted him for his stand on Christianity. From Mount Sinai the law was given to the
Hebrew people as well as a covenant relating to it and its ratification. How do they ratify this law? By agreeing and keeping the law given to
Moses and all the laws in regards to life:
"Then the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the
LORD said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they
have spoken to you. They are right in
all that they have spoken. Oh, that
they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My
commandments, that it might be well with them and with her children for
ever" (Deuteronomy 5: 28 -- 29)!
God would have the Israelite people to consider what was written and
that those who desire to be under the law should hear what the law says to
them, and teach them to flee from the law and to the Gospel.
The two sons of
Abraham, Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, and Isaac the son of the free
woman, one born after the flesh, that is why the ordinary course of nature, and
the other by promise especially when there was no reason to expect due to her
aid that Sarah could have a child. Paul
and using these events and people were done so by allegory, yes there was a
natural course of events in history, a little happening, but more than that in
this allegory of a sense of the word, the Spirit of God then would signify
something further to us. God uses a
natural things to reveal himself and his will to us: therefore, why are people
running about seeking the supernatural when it is not there to be found. If God wishes to be found He will reveal
Himself and furthermore he has revealed Himself in Scripture. Hagar and Sarah contained within their
events of life to be an emblem to perfect the two different dispensation
of the covenant. Mount Sinai, from
which the law had been given, corresponds to Jerusalem and its inhabitants, as
outward worshipers of God, and in the first it was the ordinances performed at
the temple. As long as they remained
under this law is Sinai covenant, when they had rejected Jesus Christ and the
Gospel, they were enslaved and influenced by the spirit of bondage and did not
act as children of God. One cannot be
under a legal system, legalism, influenced by those who would demand works for
some sort of outward display to show your righteousness and say that you are
acting as a child of God. Sarah
represents the heavenly Jerusalem, the true Church, and is represented by the
fact that Sarah was a free woman and her children are free, children of
promise. As we have explained this
history we can see that the children of Isaac are the children of promise. Christians to accept Christ, rely on Him,
and look for justification and salvation by Him alone. Christians become the spiritual, though not
the natural seed of Abraham. Christians
are entitled to the promise given to Abraham, that is the promised inheritance,
and are to be interested in its blessings.
When we are not following after Jesus Christ and are following another
type of Gospel outside of Scripture that we are not submitting to the commands and
precepts laid out for us in Scripture as revealed by God through the
inspiration to the writers of the Bible.
In some sense nothing more is being done in persecution to Jesus Christ
for after having been born by the Holy Spirit you are expected to act like you
are born by the Holy Spirit and setting should be something far removed from
your life. The Judaizers hated
Christians and persecute them yet in the end Judaism would think, and be cast
out of the church, and true Christianity would flourish and last forever. If you as a Christian P. Pan for your
justification on some sort of work, baptism, or any personal obedience, or
creed, however scriptural and as I said before being members of a particular
church are really only citizens of the earthly Jerusalem and are under
condemnation. But if not then you are
born of the Spirit and the three children under the promise of God to Abraham,
and no matter whether these carnal Ishmael mock and persecute you, as it has
been in the past, and so will it be now and in the future until Jesus Christ
comes to take His church home, then let us be in cheerful obedience, especially
at this time to be thankful for what Jesus Christ has done for us. We are free! We are children of God!
We will walk at liberty, and our conversations and treasures are indeed
laid up in heaven. You have so much to
be thankful for, therefore, live for God, and live your life.
Therefore you shall
be careful
to do as the LORD your God
has commanded you;
you shall not turn aside
to the right hand or to the left.
You shall walk in
all the ways which the LORD your God
has commanded you, that you may live
and that it may
be well with you,
and that you may prolong your deities
in the land which you shall possess.
Deuteronomy 5: 32 -- 33
Place the commands
of God in your heart
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