FREEDOM’S MEASURE-part 2—Galatians 4:19—5:6
OR...CAST OFF THE YOKE
Paul exhorted the Galatian Christians to prioritize their freedom in Christ.
Christians should measure their freedom in Christ.
But if you do not know what freedom is then you cannot prioritize it!...So...
How can Christians measure their freedom?
5 measures of personal freedom.
We had discovered previously that Freedom is measured by your...
1. FORMATION(:19-20)
2—Freedom is measured by your...
PROMISE(:21-28)
Explanation:(:21-28) Covenant
:21—“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?”
There are within the church those who have succumbed to the spell of “law” to the exclusion of their accepted freedom in Christ. It is to the advantage of such brothers in Christ, that they actually “hear” what “the law” speaks & thus comprehend what it does.
It is very easy to spout doctrine without knowing(or even desiring to know) the reach & fullness of it’s implications & ramifications. In this such venture into the realm of ‘creedalism’ full bore. Something Southern Baptists have wrestled with for many years is refining & proffering their Baptist Faith & Message(1925, 1963, 2000), wanting to separate ourselves doctrinally(from false doctrine) yet at the same time abhorring & avoiding creedalism.
This scenario is engaged so that relationship to God in Christ takes precedence, being directly tied to reliance upon Scripture as God’s inerrant & canonized word, as opposed to prioritizing ad hoc adherence to behaviors & appearances divorced from relationship with Jesus. Which the reality of behaviors & appearances will manifest themselves upon one’s devotion to God in Christ & bolstered thru His word.
Js. 1:22-25—“But be doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word & not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, & immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty & continues in it, & is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Those who are specifically “under the law” would reference Jews, who received their objective law from God Himself by the mediation of angels to the man Moses.
Gal. 3:23-25—“But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
However Gentiles may also live under “the law” but only in the sense that their “law” though subjectively derived—though some was & is actually received from demonic influence & command—is still a standardized set of guidelines by which they live. In such Gentiles made & make determinations of right & wrong. Their law being subjective bypasses & denies God’s will & righteousness.
“Desire” either keeps us enslaved or frees us.
“Desire”(See :20—“Like to”)—yelw—Present Active Participle—To will, have in mind, intend.
“Under”—upo—Preposition—1) By, under. Strong—a primary preposition; under, i.e. (with the genitive case) of place--Beneath, or with verbs (the agency or means)--Through); (with the accusative case) of place whither--Underneath or where--Below or time when--At).
“Law”—nomov—
“Hear”—akouw—1)To be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; 2)To hear; 3)To hear something. Strong—a primary verb; To hear(in various senses).
:22—“For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.”
The Scripture records the events to which Paul makes reference. The events described are found in Gen. chapters 16-18, & 21. Particularly 16:1-3; 17:15-21; 18:9-15; 21:1-7, 8-14.
Abraham’s first son Ishmael was born of Sarai’s ‘handmaid’ at Sarai’s request. Sarai, seeing she was barren, yet knowing God’s promise of children thru whom the world would be blessed(Gen. 15:1-21), gave Hagar to her own husband Abram as “a wife”(Gen. 15:3). Thus both Abram & Sarai surrendered to flesh(subjective “law”) in attempting to bring about(interpret) God’s will. This they did without trust in God to see the fulfillment of His promise to them.
[See :23, “according to the flesh”]
“Bondwoman”—Hagar—Egyptian maid bore Ishmael
“Freewoman”—Sarai(Sarah)—Abraham’s wife bore Isaac
“Bondwoman/Bondmaid/Maid servant/Slave”(See :23)—paidiskh—1)A young girl, a damsel; 2)A maidservant, a young female slave. Strong—A girl, i.e. specifically--A female slave or servant. RWP—Feminine diminutive of paiv, boy or slave. Common word for damsel which came to be used for female slave or maidservant (Lk. 12:45) or doorkeeper. Used 13X.
“Freewoman/Free woman”(See :26)—eleuyerov—1) Freeborn—1a) in a civil sense--One who is not a slave, 1b) Of one who ceases to be a slave, freed, manumitted; 2) Free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation; 3) in an ethical sense--Free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law. Strong—Unrestrained(to go at pleasure), i.e. (as a citizen)Not a slave (whether freeborn or manumitted), or (genitive case)--Exempt(from obligation or liability).
:23—“But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, & he of the freewoman through promise,”
cf.—Gen. 15:4; 17:17-21: & 21:1-7
Gen. 15:4—“And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Later God gave to Abram(Abraham—‘Father of a Multitude’) & Sarai(‘Noblewoman’) name changes which reflected more exactly what was divulged in Gen. 17:16, 19—
“And I will bless her & also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, & she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”.....“Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, & you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, & with his descendants after him.”
“According to the flesh”—
Gen. 16:1-4, 15—“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, & gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, & she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.”.....“So Hagar bore Abram a son; & Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
“Thru Promise”—
Gen. 17:21—“But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”
Gen. 18:10-11, 14—“And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, & behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham & Sarah were old, well advanced in age; & Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.”....“Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, & Sarah shall have a son.”
“Bondwoman/Bondmaid/Maid servant/Slave”(See :22)—paidiskh—
“Born”(See :24)—gennaw— Perfect Passive Indicative—1) of men who fathered children—1a) To be born, 1b) To be begotten—1b1) Of women giving birth to children; 2) metaph.—2a) To engender, cause to arise, excite, 2b) in a Jewish sense--Of one who brings others over to his way of life, to convert someone, 2c) Of God making Christ his son, 2d) Of God making men his sons through faith in Christ's work. Strong—To procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively--To regenerate. RWP—Perfect passive indicative of gennaw, stand on record so.
“Flesh”—sarx—1) Flesh(the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body—2a) The body of a man, 2b) Used of natural or physical origin, generation or relationship, 2c) The sensuous nature of man, "the animal nature”; 3) A living creature(because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast, 4) the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh(as stripped of the skin), i.e. strictly--The meat of an animal(as food), or by extension--The body(as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or by implication--Human nature(with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or specifically--A human being(as such).
“Promise”(See :28)—epaggelia—1)Announcement; 2)Promise. Strong—from epi & the base of aggelov[To announce upon (reflexively)]; An announcement(for information, assent or pledge; especially--A divine assurance of good).
:24—“which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar--”
The incident thru Hagar resulting in Ishmael’s birth is compared to that thru Sarah resulting in Isaac’s birth. Such a comparison speaks to their resultant “two covenants.” The “Hagar” incident speaks to “Mount Sinai”(the giving of the law) which obviously conforms itself to & gives birth to, produces, or gives rise to “bondage” as its offspring. Thus in clinging to the bondwoman one is separated from & placed in direct opposition to that path which God chooses. Thus in “Hagar” & “Mount Sinai” there is found only the “covenant” of “bondage,” to which the Galatians have made themselves party in their choosing law over faith(3:1-3ff).
“Two Covenants”—
1)Mosaic Covenant—Law of Moses—Works(Religion/ Philosophy/ Good deeds/ Morality/ Philanthropy...)
“Gives birth to bondage”—Destined for slavery
2)New Covenant(Jer. 31:31-34)—Grace—Thru Christ
“Symbolic/Allegory/Allegorically speaking/Taken figuratively”—allhgorew—To speak allegorically or in a figure. Strong—To allegorize. Used 1X.
“Covenants”—diayhkh—1) A disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid, the last disposition which one makes of his earthly possessions after his death, a testament or will; 2) A compact, a covenant, a testament. Strong—properly,--A disposition, i.e. specially--A contract(especially--A devisory will).
“Mount Sinai”—Sina—of Hebrew origin ynyo See-nah'-ee—Sinai=“Thorny”—1) the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown. Strong—1) A mountain or rather a mountainous region in the peninsula of Arabia Petraea, made famous by the giving of the Mosaic law.
“Gives birth”(See :23)—gennaw—Present Active Participle—
“Bondage”(See 5:1; :25—douleuw)—douleia—1) Slavery, bondage, the condition of a slave. Strong—Slavery(ceremonially or figuratively). Used 5X.
“Hagar”—Agar—of Hebrew origin rghHaw-gawr'; Hagar=“Flight”—1) Sarah's Egyptian slave girl, Abraham's concubine, Ishmael's mother. Strong—of uncertain(perhaps foreign) derivation.
:25—“for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, & corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, & is in bondage with her children--”
Bound to Law(my ability) for salvation!....
....Rather than Grace for salvation
“Jerusalem” is at times referred to in deprecative terms due to their infidelity in relation to God. Harlot/Whore(Isa. 1:21), Adulteress(Jer. 13:27), More Corrupt than her sister Samaria(Ezek. 23:11), Forsaken(Isa. 62:4), Desolate(Isa. 62:4), Sodom(Isa. 1:10, Rev. 11:8), Gomorrah(Isa. 1:10), Egypt(Rev. 11:8).
To the day of Paul’s writing to the Galatians, “Jerusalem” has remained as a whole, “in bondage” along “with her children.” That is, those aligned with Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery—Not accepting Jesus(God’s anointed Messiah) as their Savior & Lord—are in “bondage” to law. All “Jerusalem’s” progeny(“her children”)—those adhering to a disregard for the things of God in His Christ—remain “in bondage” to this day.
Rom. 11:28-29—“Concerning the gospel they[all Israel] are enemies for your sake[Christians], but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts & the calling of God are irrevocable.”
Mat. 23:15—“Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land & sea to win one proselyte, & when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
2Chron. 36:14-16—“Moreover all the leaders of the priests & the people transgressed more & more, according to all the abominations of the nations, & defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early & sending them, because He had compassion on His people & on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, & scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.”
Mat. 23:33-39—“Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, & scribes: some of them you will kill & crucify, & some of them you will scourge in your synagogues & persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple & the altar. “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets & stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! “See! Your house is left to you desolate; “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”
“Arabia”—Arabia—Strong—of Hebrew origin [bre Ar-awb’—from bre in the figurative sense of sterility; Arab(i.e. Arabia), a country East of Palestine]—Arabia=“desert or barren”—1) A well known peninsula of Asia lying towards Africa, & bounded by Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, the Gulf of Arabia, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea & the Indian Ocean.
“Corresponds to/Answereth to/”—sustoicew—1) To stand or march in the same row(file) with—1a) of soldiers, 1b) to stand over against, be parallel with, 1c) to answer to, resemble—1c1) so once of a type in the OT which answers to the antitype in the NT. Strong—To file together(as soldiers in ranks), i.e. figuratively--To correspond to. Used 1X.
From —sun—a primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than meta or para), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.—& —stoicew—To march in (military)rank (keep step), i.e. figuratively--To conform to virtue & piety.
“Now”(See :29; :28—de)—nun—Adverb—
“Bondage”(See :23, 5:1—douleia)—douleuw—1)To be a slave, serve, do service; 2)metaph.—To obey, submit to—2a) in a good sense--To yield obedience, 2b) in a bad sense--Of those who become slaves to some base power, to yield to, give one's self up to.
“Children”(See :27, 28)—teknon—1) Offspring, children. Teknon gives prominence to physical & outward aspects of parentage. Teknon & uiov both point to parentage. Teknon, ....emphasizes the idea of descent, giving prominence to the physical & outward aspects; while uiov emphasizes the idea of relationship, & considers especially the inward, ethical, & legal aspects. Strong—A child(as produced).
:26—“but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”
In contrast to the covenant of law/flesh involving both Hagar, Mount Sinai, & the current “Jerusalem” with their offspring(:24-25), there is another “Jerusalem” which is “above.” That “Jerusalem” is “free.” Thus that heavenly “Jerusalem” stands in total opposition to that which is the mother of bondage—flesh, Hagar, Mount Sinai & her children of their one covenant.
The “Jerusalem above,”—not the one below— is the “mother” of those who abide in God by the promise(by faith) being free from the flesh.
Rev. 21:1-4ff.—“Now I saw a new heaven & a new earth, for the first heaven & the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, & He will dwell with them, & they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them & be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
“Above”—anw—Adverb—1) Up, upwards, above, on high; 2) Of the quarters of the heaven, northward; 3) Of countries, inland, up from the coast; 4) Of time, formerly. Strong—Upward or on the top. Used 9X.
“Free”—“Freewoman”(See :22)—eleuyerov—1) Freeborn—1a) in a civil sense--One who is not a slave, 1b) Of one who ceases to be a slave, freed, manumitted; 2) Free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation; 3) in an ethical sense--Free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law. Strong—Unrestrained(to go at pleasure), i.e. (as a citizen)Not a slave (whether freeborn or manumitted), or (genitive case)--Exempt(from obligation or liability).
“Mother”—mhthr—1)A mother; 2)Metaph. the source of something, the motherland. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “mother”(literally or figuratively, immediate or remote).
:27—“For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth & shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
From Isa. 54:1
Sarai(Sarah) barren & had only 1 son @ 90yrs.—Isaac!
Paul highlights & bolsters his offer of the above truths with Scripture demonstrating such. He pulls from Isa. 54:1 which directly follows Isa. 53’s description of the Messiah’s volitional substitutional sacrifice of Himself in man’s stead.
Isa. 53:10-12—54:1-5—“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, & be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.” ““Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, & cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD. “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right & to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.”
Those who are seemingly unable to “bear” children, are the very ones who are blessed with “children” seeing as they are born of grace thru faith in Christ rather than thru Judaic proselytizing(conversion to mere religion).
The “barren” are those(nations/peoples/individuals) aside from the sons of Israel(Jacob) whom He did not favor as His own treasured/peculiar/special people. Those who would arise from faith rather than physical birth would surpass those chosen thru blood & nationality. Those of born of blood(cf. Jn. 1:13) ironically end up being the very one’s who are without Messiah, strangers from the covenants of promise, & without God in the world!(Eph. 2:11-12).
Jn. 1:13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Eph. 2:11-12—“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world.”
The formerly “desolate” do not “labor” in formative stages in God ministering to their national status, as He did with Israel. these never sought Him in that sense. Yet these now “rejoice & “shout” as their supposed(in the Jew’s opinion) “desolation” yields marriage with its abundance!
:28—“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.”
“As Isaac”—Son of Abraham(90) & Sarah(100)
“Isaac” born of Sarah & Abraham directly was the child thru whom the “promise” of God would emanate. And thus we—the true church— are indeed children(“brethren”)(:25) of our God, as His “promise” is dispensed from faith to faith in Christ Jesus our Lord(Rom. 1:17)!
“Now”—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, &, etc. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, &, etc.
“Isaac”—Isaak—of Hebrew origin [qxuy]—Isaac = “To laugh” or —Strong—Laughter(i.e. mockery).
“Children”(See :25, 27)—teknon—
“Promise”(See :23)—epaggelia—
Argumentation:
Heb. 9:15—“And for this reason He[Jesus] is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
2Pet. 1:2-4—“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life & godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory & virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
1Jn. 2:24-28—“Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son & in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, & you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, & is true, & is not a lie, & just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence & not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Heb. 6:17-20—“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure & steadfast, & which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Illustration:
Lumber industry/Renewable resource/Plant your unused acres in pines/Holds promise for your future/PROMISE
Building a bridge to St. George Island from Eastpoint, FL/Job guaranteed to lowest bidder/No frivialities-cushion built into bid/Political ‘pork’ discovered=Loss of PROMISE
Carrabelle’s former mullet industry(ca. 1950-60?)/At that time mullet were everywhere/Large seining enterprises were employed/However because of the overabundance & lack of regulation, the mullet industry has fallen to nothing/Mullet now have to be sought out diligently!/The former promise of wealth has fallen short!/PROMISE
Application:
?Your PROMISE in Christ set you free from the world?
?You have what it takes to be free? You living free in Christ?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Freedom is measured by your...
2. PROMISE(:21-28)
1. FORMATION(:19-20)
Pt. 2 only Presented 07/12/15am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(Ave A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-4 Presented 06/03/05am to:
Richland Baptist Church
40510 Stewart Rd.
Zephyrhills, FL 33540
Pts. 1-4 Presented 06/30/2002am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 39897
For Independence Day—2002, 2004, 2015
