Galatians 4:28-31 28 Brothers and sisters, you are children of the promise like Isaac. 29 But just as it was then, so it is now also: the one who was conceived the normal way harassed the one who was conceived by the Spirit. 30 But what does the scripture say? Throw out the slave woman and her son, because the slave woman’s son won’t share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we aren’t the slave woman’s children, but we are the free woman’s children.
Upon first reading this, we may think it is a little harsh. After all, Paul is using the same phrase that Sarah said to Abraham to get rid of Hagar and her son Ishmael. Sarah was jealous and fuming that Ishmael would receive, even a part of the inheritance, so she had them thrown out of the safety of the camp. Isaac, after all, was the child God promised would come.
As I have been reflecting on this passage for today, one thing keeps standing out. “Throw out the slave…the slave won’t share the inheritance.” If we think about this in context to our lives, what do we need to “throw out” that would keep us from living in the grace God gives? I think there are things in our lives (things we are holding on to) that we should let go of. Pride. Envy. Jealousy. Hypocricy. Trying to impress other people. Allowing things to control our lives. Whatever it is, this could be something we are doing to ourselves and actually making us “slaves.”
How can we break out of the hold? “Throw out” whatever it is. I have found that if we are able to find at least one person we can communicate with, we can have people supporting and “fighting” with us to be free from whatever it is that’s holding us back. Actively living in the grace of God is incredible. By no means am I perfect or even have everything put together in my life perfectly. But I do know and have experienced pieces and time frames in life that can help us see what life with God is like.
We do not need to be bound by the Law. We are free because of Jesus Christ. We do not have to let things and attitudes define us, except for the love of God working through us. Because of Jesus Christ, we are free! And we can live free and experience grace daily.
Tomorrow we begin Galatians chapter 5. 🙂
#LiveFreeInChrist
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