But as at
that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit,
so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE
BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH
THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN." So then, brethren, we are not children of a
bondwoman, but of the free woman.
Here we see Paul point the readers of his letter back to
the story of Sarah and Hagar. In Genesis chapter 21, we read that after
fulfilling His promise to Abraham and Sarah through the birth of Isaac, while
Abraham and Sarah were overjoyed with the birth of Isaac, Ishmael did not share
their enthusiasm. Ishmael did not share
their enthusiasm because Ishmael knew that he had just lost out on the
inheritance and the privileges had previously been coming to him. And Ishmael
responded to this situation and to his loss by mocking and attempting to abuse
Isaac. And like any mom, Sarah is very upset at this turn of events. We see
Sarah and God’s response recorded for us in Genesis 21:10-12:
Therefore
she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this
maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac."The matter distressed Abraham
greatly because of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed
because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for
through Isaac your descendants shall be named. "
Paul quotes the story to reveal the reality that, just as
it was for the children Isaac and Ishmael, it is for those in Paul’s day and
throughout history. Just like Ishmael and Isaac, those who are enslaved in a
religious centered lifestyle will often harass and even be abusive to those who
embrace a gospel centered lifestyle. And the harassment and abuse that gospel
centered people receive from religious centered people can cause us to question
how we are voting when it comes to living a life as a religious centered person
or as a gospel centered person.
However, Paul points to this story to reveal the reality
that the religion of legalism and the message of the gospel cannot coexist. In
other words, you cannot live a gospel centered life and a religious centered
life. In addition, God does not divide His blessings between those who live
religious centered lives and those who live gospel centered lives.
God accepts those who live gospel centered lives that are
driven to respond to what God has done for us through Jesus by placing our
confident trust in Jesus and following His message and teachings by faith. And
God rejects those who live religious centered lives that place their confident
trust in what they do for God by keeping a list of religious rules for
God. Paul then concludes this section
with a command that reveals for us another timeless reason why we are to vote
no on religion:
It was for freedom that Christ set us free;
therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Now this command, if
communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded
something like this: Since Christ came to set you free from the slavery that
came about from attempting to do things for God by keeping a list of religious
rules for God, remain firmly committed to live gospel centered lives that are
driven by a confident trust in Jesus and that strives to following His message
and teachings by faith. Do not allow yourself to become enslaved in a religious
centered life that keeps you separated from God.
And it is here that we see Paul
reveal for us another timeless reason why we are to vote no on religion. And
that timeless reason that we are
to vote no on religion because relying on religion results in slavery. Paul used
the story of Sarah and Hagar as an analogy to express the timeless truth that
religion enslaves us. Paul wanted the members of the churches of Galatia, and
humanity throughout history to clearly understand that when we choose to live a
religious centered life that attempts to do things for God in order to be in a
right relationship with God by keeping a list of religious rules for God, we
become enslaved by the religion of legalism. And the slavery that results from
attempting to do things for God in order to be right with God instead of
trusting in God and the promises of God only reveals the selfishness and
rebellion that separates us from God.
Because, as we previously
discovered, God’s standard has been clear from the beginning and has not
changed. To be in a right relationship with a perfect God requires perfection.
And because nobody is perfect, religion can only reveal that they have a huge
problem with God because every human being on the planet ends up breaking a
rule on their religion’s list. Only God’s message of rescue through the claims
of Christ and the message of the gospel provide us the opportunity to be freed
from the slavery of the religion of legalism so that we can experience the
forgiveness and freedom that comes when we live in the relationship with God
that we were created for as a part of the family of God.
So how have you been casting
your ballot? How have you been voting? Have you been casting your ballot and
choosing to vote to live a religious centered life that attempts to do things
for God in order to be in a right relationship with God by keeping a list of
religious rules for God? Because, as we have seen, a religious centered
life based on keeping a list of rules for God enslaves us into the religion of
legalism.
Or have you been casting your
ballot to vote for a gospel centered life that free from the slavery of the
religion of legalism so that we can experience the forgiveness and freedom that
comes when we live in the relationship with God that we were created for as a
part of the family of God?
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