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Well, good morning, everyone. 
It's good to see you all here today. I send greetings from 
Surrey Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for all your prayers 
for Jessica and I and little Lucy. She is such a little doll 
and I love her very much. So thank you for all your prayers. 
But we'll turn our attention to God's word. You can turn with 
me in your Bibles to Galatians chapter 4, verse 21. We just finished a series at 
Surrey in Galatians. So I'll look at the text this 
morning from there. Galatians 4 verse 21. We're going 
to look at verses 21 through 31 this morning, but I will read 
into 5.1 just for a little bit of context for us. So Galatians 
4, begin reading at verse 21. Tell me, you who desire to be 
under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that 
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman, the other by 
a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman 
was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through 
promise, which things are symbolic. For these are two covenants, 
the one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, which 
is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai 
in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is and is 
in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, 
which is the mother of us all. For it is written, rejoice, O 
barren, you who do not bear. Break forth and shout, you who 
are not in labor. For the desolate has many more 
children than she who has a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, 
are children of promise. 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 heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, 
we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast, 
therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. 
Amen. Well, let us pray. Dear Heavenly 
Father, we thank you, O God, that you are our God. We're thankful, 
O God, for the freedoms that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
how our sins are forgiven. We are free from the guilt of 
sin, O God. Christ delivered us from the 
curse that is found in the law, and we're thankful that he is 
that one who hung on a tree on behalf of us, bearing the curse 
and sin and wrath upon him. We give you thanks, O God, for 
the Lord Jesus and what he has done. We give you praise and 
honor that we gather together here today for many as we have 
believed on him because of your grace. We're thankful for your 
mercy. We're thankful for your grace. And we're thankful for 
the fact that we are free. We are adopted. We are sons and 
daughters of the true and living God because of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. But we know, O God, sometimes we can waver. Sometimes we doubt. 
And we know that we need to be reminded of your truth, reminded 
of your gospel, reminded of free and sovereign grace often, O 
Lord. So God, we do pray, as we study your word today, that 
you would send forth your Spirit. For, O God, we do need your Spirit 
to understand divine things. We are a feeble people, but we 
need divine aid. So we pray that your Spirit would 
go forth, that your Spirit would be pleased to bless the preaching 
and the teaching, O God. For any here today who are Christ's, 
we pray that you would strengthen them, that you would aid them 
this day. If they need to be comforted, comfort them, O Lord. 
If they need to be convicted, convict them, O Lord. O God, 
if there are any here today who do not know you, we pray that 
you would save them in Christ, that you would change them, that 
you would work in them, that you would cause them to come 
to saving knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ. But O God, in all 
things that we do, we pray that you would be glorified, for you 
are the God who is mighty, and you are the God who is good, 
and we give you praise and honor for who you are and what you've 
done. We pray that you'd be with us now, we pray in the name of 
Christ. Amen. Well, Paul is writing to the 
churches at Galatia concerning the doctrine of justification. 
Paul planted some churches in Acts chapter 13 and 14 in Galatia. He taught them the truth. He 
taught them salvation by grace. But he left and some other men 
came in and began to teach a false gospel. They taught salvation 
is faith plus a little bit of works. To be right with God, 
you have to believe on Jesus, but you have to add some other 
things to that as well. Whether it's your own working, 
whether it's being under the law, and specifically with Galatia, 
it's being circumcised. In order to be saved, you had 
to be circumcised. And included with that is going 
back under the law and keeping the dietary laws. So Paul writes 
back vehemently to the churches at Galatia because the believers 
were being duped by what was being said. And so he's got some 
concerns for them. And he writes with vehemence, 
saying, if anyone preaches the gospel other than the one that 
you received, let them be anathema. And he spends most of his letters 
seeking to defend this blessed doctrine of righteousness in 
Christ, of justification by faith, forgiveness found in another, 
not in someone's own keeping. And he does this in many ways 
throughout the book of Galatians. He appeals to his own conversion. 
He appeals to their own experience of the Spirit. He appeals to 
the scriptures. He says, the law is not of faith. The one who does them must live 
by them. He even appeals to their freedom. 
He says, if you believed on Christ, then you are free in Christ. 
And he even gives a personal appeal as well. He says, was 
I not with you? Were you not kind to me in my 
difficulties? And then finally, in 421, he 
comes to a picture in order to appeal to this doctrine of justification 
by faith. He's beginning to transition 
to that application section in chapter 5, verse 1, and he comes 
to this climax with this picture. And really, for many of us, a 
picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it? And a picture sometimes 
drives things home for us, and this is what he's trying to do 
here in Galatians 4.21-31. And he uses an Old Testament 
illustration. He uses the contrasts between 
Hagar and between Sarah. Because you see, that's the problem 
in the book of Galatians. There are two contrasting realities. 
You're either saved by grace, or you're saved by works. The 
air quotes are in there because you're not really saved by works. 
You're either righteous before God because of your own keeping, 
or you're righteous before God because of someone else's keeping. 
One is bondage. One is sin. One is corruption. One is death. The other is freedom. The other is life. The other 
is everlasting peace. And so these are the two realities 
he's seeking to show forth with these two women. And that's an 
important question, even as we go through, we have to ask this 
question ourselves. To which woman do you belong? Or to which reality do you belong? Are you part of the woman of 
death or the woman of life? Are you part of salvation by 
works or salvation by grace? And we'll seek to look at this 
under three headings this morning. First of all, an Old Testament 
illustration described in verses 21 through 23. Secondly, an Old 
Testament illustration explained in verses 24 through 27. And 
then lastly, an Old Testament illustration applied in verses 
28 through 31. So described, explained, and 
applied. Let's first look then at an Old 
Testament illustration described in verses 21 through 23. And 
he starts with a question. Tell me, you who desire to be 
under the law, do you not hear the law? You see, these Judaizers 
claim to be the teachers of the law. They claim to know their 
Bibles pretty well. They claim to have read it and 
studied it and have known and had a good understanding of what's 
said in it. But what's he saying? You who 
want to be under the law, do you not read it? Do you not hear 
what it actually says? Have you not actually read what 
the law actually says? You see, isn't this what you 
want to be under the law? Isn't this what you want to go 
under there? You want some tangible Christianity? We're kind of all 
like that a little bit, aren't we? We want something tangible 
in our Christian life, right? Sometimes we want boxes to check 
as we walk our way towards the celestial city. But you see, 
what makes us a Christian aren't those boxes that we tick. It's 
Christ, right? And so what's he saying? Do you 
not hear the law? Do you not hear what it actually 
says? For if you actually understood the law, you would know what 
it's actually saying. And so he begins to enter into 
the argument with on their own terms. Have you not read it? 
Do you not hear it? And he's going to actually expound 
for us Genesis 12 through 22. What's interesting today, even 
sometimes, Christians haven't really read their Bibles, have 
they? Perhaps you could ask a question. Have you read the Gospels? Have 
you read the New Testament? Have you read the entire Bible? 
You see, it's kind of a travesty today that we have so much technology, 
we have so many Bibles on our shelves at our disposal, yet 
we don't know the scriptures or read them or understand them 
well. And sometimes even pastors, I'm 
sure I've done it as well, perhaps I've said something from the 
pulpit and you go, have you read the Bible? And perhaps one of 
those specific things I've heard a lot from various pastors is 
with respect to the parables. People say Jesus uses parables 
that people will understand. And then you're kind of like, 
yes, it's true, parables are analogies, and they seek to draw 
on normal everyday life. But what does Matthew 13 actually 
say concerning the parables? Jesus describes, or even the 
disciples say in Matthew 13, why are you using parables? And 
what does Jesus say? It's for you to know the kingdom 
of God, but not for them. And then he quotes Isaiah chapter 
6 with Isaiah's ministry. Isaiah's ministry was one of 
bringing forth judgment and hardening the hearts of the people. Because 
you see, pictures in the scriptures are seeking to drive something 
home. And usually when we see pictures arise in the scriptures, 
especially with the prophets, and especially with Revelation, 
and even with Jesus in Matthew chapter 13, what does he say? He who has ears, let him hear. And doesn't John not say this, 
or Jesus say this in Revelation as well? Because the pictures 
are supposed to do two things. One, shock the lethargic believers 
out of their sedated state. That's one thing it's supposed 
to do, right? The other thing it's supposed to do is supposed 
to actually harden hearts. So Paul, he's appealed to many 
different things in his letter. Now he comes to this picture 
and he's driving it home. Either the believers will be 
shocked out of their states or they will be hardened. And so 
he's about, he's doing this for that specific purpose. And so 
he appeals to these two sons. Verse 22. For it is written that 
Abraham had two sons. We're talking about Ishmael and 
Isaac. The one of a bondwoman and the 
other of a free woman. And even then, it's contrasting 
statuses, right? Hagar was a maidservant. Hagar 
was a slave. But Sarah was a free woman. So 
he says there are two sons. One was born of a bondwoman, 
the other of a free woman. And then he highlights in verse 
23 the significance of these realities. But he who was of 
the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the free 
woman through the promise. Think back with me for a moment 
to Genesis 12 through 22. God gives a promise to Abraham 
that in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 
Doesn't say how that's going to happen. Fast forward to Genesis 
15. He says, in you all the family 
seeds of the earth shall be blessed. Your seed shall inherit this 
land. And your seed shall be as numerous as the stars of the 
heavens. But even then, God doesn't explain how that's going to happen. 
So what happens? Sarah and Abraham take matters 
into their own hands. And so what do they do? They 
grab Hagar and say, Hagar, you know what? Sarah says, Hagar, 
make me a son with Abraham. That doesn't go so well, does 
it? You read Genesis 16, bad things happen when we take things 
into our own hands, and that was the case with Hagar as well. You see, Abraham and Sarah didn't 
trust in the promises of God, but brought in this one of natural 
descent. this one named Ishmael, this 
one who was born according to the flesh. So one is born according 
to the flesh, but the other is born according to the promise. 
It's really not till Genesis 17 where we get a very clear 
picture that next year Sarah shall bear your son, right? Think about that for a moment. 
Abraham was 75 when he comes into the land of Canaan. He doesn't 
get a very clear picture until he's 99. 24 years later, we just 
pass through those chapters so quickly, we forget that. They 
waited 25 years before the promises were actually fulfilled. And 
so we see those promises in Genesis 17, 18, and finally in Genesis 
21, that Isaac is born according to the promise. And clearly, 
because of 23 and the rest of the section, it shows that they 
are contrasting realities. And as Ronald Fung says, in the 
scriptural record of the birth of these two sons of Abraham, 
Paul recognizes the same opposition between reliance on self, according 
to the flesh, and reliance on God through promise, as exists 
between those who would be justified by legal works and those who 
are justified by faith. If you want to be justified by 
works, you rely on yourself. If you're justified by faith, 
you rely on God. And so that's what he's saying. 
He's saying, here's the scriptures, hear what they actually say. 
He's basically saying to them, have you not read the scriptures? 
Here's what it says. And I think one clear application 
for us is we must be biblically minded, right? You must be biblically 
minded. You must know your scriptures. 
You must study it. Even if you think you might not 
have time on your hands, you all drive, right, at some point. 
You can pop on the Bible app that reads it for you. And you 
hear different things as you read it, or listen to it, because 
it was meant to be read out loud. You actually catch things. So 
I would encourage you, continue to be in your Bible, study your 
scriptures, because a Christian who's not in the Bible is like 
a sick person without their medicine. So be biblically minded, brethren. 
Be in the Word. So that's an Old Testament illustration 
described. Let's then look secondly at an 
Old Testament illustration explained in verses 24 through 27. And he says very clearly in verse 
24, these things are symbolic. That is, they represent something. 
It's actually the term allegory. Don't freak out when I say that. 
We can actually use that term well. It just highlights using 
analogy or likeness to express something. It's not devoiding 
it of any historical record. Paul's not saying, this didn't 
actually happen. I'm just drawing out the spiritual 
meaning. That's not what he's saying. He's just drawing out 
what they signify and represent. They represent these two contrasting 
realities, and we shouldn't freak out when we hear the word allegory, 
because there's one blessed allegory that we all love, right? Pilgrim's 
progress. Isn't that an allegory that describes 
spiritual truth and reality, and when we read it, we think 
about our Christian walk as well? You see, it's a wonderful term 
we can use, and Paul is using it in a very applicable biblical 
sense, without taking it out of its historical context. So 
he says, these things are symbolic. And they represent two covenants. 
Reformed theologians are all about covenant theology, right? 
The way in which God condescends and speaks to, or the way God 
interacts with his people. It's how God interacts with the 
world, right? It's the way in which we have 
relationship with God by way of covenant. And there are two 
covenants we must ask, we must think through, and ask which 
one we are under. Are you under the covenant of 
works? By earning your way, are you under the covenant of grace 
found in Christ, a works outside of yourself purchased by the 
Lord Jesus. And so he says, one is of the 
covenant of works, the one for Mount Sinai, which gives birth 
to bondage, which is Hagar. I don't know what's the clear 
text in the showing forth that Mount Sinai, The Old Covenant 
is a covenant of works, not a covenant of grace. And the reason I say 
that is because our dear Pado-Baptist brothers like to say that the 
Old Covenant is a covenant of grace. It is so clear in that 
covenant, do these things to live by them. Paul even says 
in chapter three, verse 10, curses everyone who does not continue 
in all the things which are written in the book of the law to do 
them. Or verse 12, yet the law is not 
of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them. And so back in verse 24 of chapter 
four, he's saying Sinai is this covenant of works that brings 
forth bondage. Why go back, Galatians, under 
that covenant? Why go back to these bulls and 
goats that do not offer sacrifice for sins? Why go back? You see, 
again, we're very visual people. The Hebrews had a problem with 
this in the book of Hebrews. They wanted to go back. You know, 
I can actually see the blood spilling out of that goat. I 
can actually smell it as it goes up. You see, there's something 
very tangible in that sense, and they wanted to go back. But 
Paul's saying, and the writer of the Hebrews says, don't go 
back, for you're under a better covenant. So the one from Mount 
Sinai which gives birth to bondage, this is Hagar. And even Sinai itself is outside 
of the promised land. It is a covenant of works, and 
it does not lead to righteousness. For Paul says in 321 of Galatians, 
For if there had been a law given, which could have given life, 
truly righteousness would have been by the law. But there is 
no righteousness that comes by the law except for Christ. And 
so he goes on to say in verse 25, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai 
in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is and is 
in bondage with her children. The Jerusalem that now is, according 
to the flesh, is just another way of saying this present evil 
age. Paul even says that in Galatians 
1.4. He says, Christ who gave himself for our sins, that he 
might deliver us from this present evil age. And this present evil 
age will pass away. This present evil age will die. And anyone who is in that present 
evil age will pass with it. And anyone who seeks to have 
righteousness by their own covenant keeping will die with this present 
evil age. They are part of bondage. They 
are part of corruption. They are helpless and self-reliant. 
And they are part of the Jerusalem which now is. And it is a spiritual 
bondage that they are in. So Jerusalem now is versus the 
Jerusalem that is above in verse 26. Even though it doesn't say 
Sarah's name, it's clearly referring to Sarah. But the Jerusalem above 
is free. Jerusalem above is that age to 
come in the Lord Jesus even the right of the Hebrews in Hebrews 
12 Speaks of a heavenly Jerusalem that we come to when we even 
worship Hebrews 12 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to 
the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable 
company of angels to the General Assembly and Church of the firstborn 
who are registered in heaven to God the judge of all to the 
spirits of just men made perfect to Jesus, the mediator of the 
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better 
things than that of Abel. So we are part of the Jerusalem 
above that is free. He's kind of saying again to 
the Galatians, don't go back, but be part of this place that 
is above. Be part of this covenant that 
is above. For this covenant that is above 
is freedom. And he says that a lot throughout 
the book. You know, sometimes the writers 
repeat things just to get into our heads, because let's be honest, 
sometimes we're pretty thick and we're forgetful of certain 
things. So he says, freedom, freedom, freedom in Christ. That's what he wants them to 
understand. Why go back to bondage when you're 
free already? It's almost like common, should 
be common sense, right? If you were a slave and in chains 
for a long time and you were released from that chain, why 
go back to that chain? If you were in prison for a long 
period of time and you were in bondage or you're confined and 
you're released, why go back to those things? That's what 
he's saying here with respect to this Jerusalem that is above. And notice he goes on to say, 
which is the mother of us all, all those who have believed, 
regardless of distinctions, regardless of ethnic distinction, regardless 
of status, and regardless of gender, for she is the mother 
of all those who believe. And thankfully, Paul gives us 
an Old Testament support for this in verse 27. This comes 
from Isaiah 54. For it is written, you who do not 
bear, break forth and shout. You who are not in labor, for 
the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband. You 
can turn with me to Isaiah 54. Perhaps at first glance, it might 
not seem there's a lot of connections between Isaiah 54 and what's 
going on in Genesis 3, aside from the fact, aside from the 
barrenness aspect. But when we think about the broader 
context of what's going on in Isaiah, we should look back to 
Isaiah 51. What's interesting is, Sarah's 
only mentioned one time in the Old Testament outside of Genesis, 
and that's Isaiah 51. And notice in Isaiah 51, Isaiah 
speaking as he speaks about the messianic age, he says, the Lord 
is speaking comfort to Zion. Listen to me, you who follow 
after righteousness, you who seek the Lord. Look to the rock 
from which you were hewn and to the hole of the pit from which 
you were dug. Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who 
bore you. For I called him alone, and blessed 
him, and increased him. For the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste 
places. So what's going on even in here 
in Isaiah 51? It's not talking about physical descent, but those 
who come by way of faith, those who follow after righteousness. 
So keep that in mind when we look back or look forward to 
Isaiah 54. And when he says, Sing, O barren 
woman, you who have not born. Bring forth into singing and 
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. There's even a historical backdrop 
to that with Sarah and Hagar, right? She cried out for 25 years 
because she wanted a child. Then finally, God answers that 
prayer after many years in Genesis 21, and she does rejoice with 
God. So when someone comes to believe 
on Christ, even at the return of exile, perhaps this could 
be in mind in Isaiah 54, they're singing about the return of the 
people of God in the mother of us all, namely Sarah. And what's interesting as well, 
when Isaiah goes on to talk about the covenant of peace in verses 
3 and 5, he talks about the nations who will come in, not just Israel, 
but the nations. For you shall expand to the right 
and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations and 
make the desolate cities inhabited. And then verse 5, 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. And it comes forth from this 
barren woman. And even God's promise to Abraham, 
in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed. And what's 
beautiful is that Paul brings that out in Galatians chapter 
3. All those who believe by faith 
are considered sons and daughters of Abraham, and are considered 
sons and daughters of Sarah. But what's also interesting as 
well is Isaiah 54 comes on the heels of Isaiah 53. Duh, we can 
count. But clearly with what's going 
on here, we see Isaiah 53 is that suffering servant song, 
isn't it? And usually after the suffering 
servant songs, there's an element of comfort afterwards. So Isaiah 
54 is that comfort that comes from the suffering servant in 
Isaiah 53, especially verse 10. And it pleased the Lord to bruise 
him. Even as we think back with what Paul says in Galatians 3, 
how he became a curse for us. He bruised 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 and 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 born, because of this One who has come, because of this 
One who has saved, because of this One who justifies many in 
Himself. So the Jerusalem that is above 
is not tied to any physical place or any earthly place. It's in 
Surrey, it's in Chilliwack, it's in Vancouver, it's in China, 
it's in Afghanistan. Those who believe on Christ is 
where the church universal gathers together and those who believed 
are part of the Jerusalem that is above. You see, what's interesting 
here, Paul is wanting to remind these Galatians of the true gospel, 
right? Even for Christians and professing 
believers, we need to be reminded of the gospel and always have 
it before us. Even as we sang in that one hymn, 
the Lord strengthens us along our way, right? The Lord strengthens 
us as we go through. We know that Christ is with us 
and we must always have our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Even when we waver and when we sin, we have dark moments and 
sin overtakes us. Sometimes that happens, right? 
Sometimes we sin and do silly things that we do not wish we 
want to do. But that doesn't mean we don't turn back to Christ. 
We're supposed to turn back to the Lord Jesus in the gospel. He's our freedom, our hope, and 
our life is in Him. All our sins, past, present, 
and future, are forgiven in Him. Listen to the words of Martin 
Luther. A Christian man, then, though terrified by the law, 
showing him his sin, despaireth not. For he believeth in Jesus 
Christ, being baptized in him, and cleansed by his blood, he 
hath remission of all his sins. Brethren, if you sin, turn back 
to the Lord Jesus, for there is a fountain filled with blood 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's an Old Testament illustration 
explained. Let's then look thirdly and finally 
at an Old Testament illustration applied in verses 28 through 
31. He says in verse 28, Now we, 
brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise. And 
we are the children of the promise by faith. Very similar to what 
he does in Romans chapter 9 when he talks about the promise and 
flesh and that sort of thing in verse 6 of Romans 9. But it 
is not the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all 
Israel who are of Israel. Nor are they all children, because 
they are the seed of Abraham. But in Isaac your seed shall 
be called. That is, those who are the children 
of the flesh, these are not the children of God. But the children 
of the promise are counted as the seed. If you believed on 
Christ, you are counted as the seed. And he goes on to say in 
verse 29, 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. He's talking about remaining 
conflict, right? Flesh versus the spirit. And 
you notice he changes what he says there. Throughout he said 
flesh and promise, but here he says flesh and spirit. You see, 
those who are of the promise are born of the spirit. And what 
I think he's doing is setting the stage for chapter five, verse 
16. We talked about walking in the 
spirit and versus walking in the flesh. The spirit and the 
flesh battle with one another, right? You see, there's two sides 
to that. There's the internal battle. 
In this life, we still have the remnants of the old man in us, 
and we have to fight that daily. So there's an internal battle. 
But there's also an external battle as well, between those 
who are not of Christ, but are of their father, the devil, which 
Christ says there's going to be a battle between the spirit 
and the flesh in that sense. And this is what he draws out. 
He draws even back to Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael mocked Isaac. Ishmael bothered Isaac. Ishmael 
lorded over Isaac and laughed at Isaac. And there's wordplay 
going on there because Isaac's name means laugh, and Ishmael's 
laughing and mocking at him. And so what happens is Sarah 
says in verse 30, 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. There's an exclusive promise, 
and it's not for Ishmael. It's for Isaac. I know that seems 
kind of harsh. When we look back at what's going 
on there, what God is saying, God's promises are for His special 
people. And sadly, there's going to be 
a persecution, even from the seed of the serpent, against 
the seed of the woman. You see, there's still that tension 
going on throughout, and there will be that tension throughout 
until Christ comes back. And there's that tension, especially 
in Genesis. See the woman, see the serpent. 
We see that throughout, don't we? Cain and Abel, Jacob and 
Esau, Ishmael and Isaac, and further on and so forth. And 
so there's going to be this tension, and the children of the serpent 
will persecute the children of the woman. It's going to happen. It's a reality for Christians, 
and sometimes it's persecution that separates true believers 
from temporary believers. Listen to Philip Rykin. One of 
the distinguishing marks of real Christians is that they are willing 
to suffer persecution for their faith and even die for it. I'm 
not saying we have to be masochists and just love pain and go find 
it. That's not what I'm saying. But if the government cracks 
down and says you get the death penalty for being a Christian, 
you need to be ready to die for the faith, right? That's what 
it is. Certainly live your life, love 
the temporal blessings God gives you, but if those things come, 
we must be ready to die for the faith. And many brethren around 
the world demonstrate this daily. They witness to the Lord Jesus 
Christ. They witness to the professing 
believers around the world that they'll stand fast on Christ 
in the midst of death because they believed on Christ and there 
is nothing greater than Him. Is this for you as well? Is Christ 
your great reward and your great pearl? Is He the one that you 
lean upon, that you would give up everything for, not saying 
you have to do that necessarily now, but if it does come to that, 
will you? Because without Christ, there 
is no life and hope. Without Christ, there is no freedom. And so then, brethren, verse 
31, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Judaism and Christianity are 
not compatible with one another. There is no Christianity Plus 
or Christianity 2.0. It's just faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Now, brethren, when we think 
about the doctrine of justification, there is an important application 
we must take away and beware of. We must be careful ourselves 
not to add anything to justification. You see, sometimes that happens, 
and usually you see it in history, and it will be the case until 
Christ comes back. It's theological ping pong. You 
see, what happens is people get super rigid and super legalistic. In order to be right with God, 
you have to add some things to be a Christian. What happens? 
People see that, and they respond, and they go the other way, and 
they say, no, you don't have to do anything. You don't have to do any works. 
It's an antinomian kind of way of thinking. And then the legalists 
see that and go, no, we have to add something to Christianity. 
And it's just a mess back and forth. Just be in the middle. 
You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. But those 
who are justified by God's free grace, but those who are justified 
will be sanctified, right? Those who are justified will 
grow in grace and knowledge, not perfectly, but there'll still 
be some growth. You see, sometimes we can be 
impatient with Christians who are at different stages in our 
sanctification, right? You might be in the stratosphere 
in your sanctification, but for the rest of us earthlings, we're 
still slogging along here. You know? You know, I say that, 
you know. But that's kind of what life 
is. Sometimes people grow slower than others. Cut them some slack. Pray for them. Help them along 
the way. Because if they believed on Jesus, 
they say, I profess Jesus, I'm still struggling. That's good. 
They're battling with their sins. So just chill out for a moment. 
I feel like our generation is one of the most wound up generations 
on the planet ever. We get so, yeah, just bothered 
by nitpicking little things. But you see, that's like the 
Pharisees, isn't it? And there's all some sense we're 
all sort of sometimes recovering Pharisees. As Rykin says, he 
says, be careful. He says, we often do the same 
thing. We forget that Christianity is a form of liberty, not slavery. We reduce faith in Christ to 
a list of rules or traditions. We evaluate our spiritual standing 
by what we do for God, rather than by what God has done for 
us in Jesus Christ. In truth, we are all recovering 
Pharisees in constant danger of forgetting to live only by 
faith and choosing instead to go back under the law. You see, you're not a Christian 
because you read the Bible. You read the Bible because you 
are a Christian. You're not a Christian because 
you do these good works. You do those works to please 
God because you are a Christian. You aren't a Christian because 
you come to church, but you come to church because you are a Christian. 
Do you see the order there? If you believed on Jesus, you 
are right with Him, and you do the things that Jesus loves in 
your sanctification. And it's nothing in your hands 
that you bring, but only to that cross do you cling. But brethren, beware. Beware 
of adding anything. And usually when we add something 
to it, it's usually our own preferences rather than the law of God, isn't 
it? We get so, again, wound up. We're 
nitpicking this little preference that I have. That person has 
to believe everything I say rather than what God's law actually 
says. Repent if you do that. Chill 
out for a moment. If it's not found in the Word 
of God and it's an adiaphora that is a thing indifferent, 
just relax. Okay? People are growing. People 
are, you know, growing in their faith. You know what? You would cut yourself a lot 
more slack than you do other people. But we have to beware. 
We are Christians because we believed on Jesus Christ. And that faith isn't some fuzzy, 
warm feeling inside of me. Sometimes the most faithful people 
never have assurance, right? And what do they do when they 
lack assurance? They go on their knees to God in faith! That is faith! Calling out to 
their God in their trials and difficulties. You see, true faith 
is believing the truth concerning Christ Jesus. So that's an important 
question we have to ask. Do you believe on Jesus? Do you 
believe that He is the true and living God? Because if you confess 
with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your 
heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you are a believer 
in Christ Jesus. You see, that's where freedom 
is found. So which reality do you belong? Hagar, Bondage. Jerusalem of 
the now is. Righteousness by your own self-reliance. Death. Or we could say the law. 
Or are you part of Sarah? Freedom. Jerusalem above. Righteousness 
by faith. Life. And the gospel. If so, 
stand fast in your freedom. And if not, believe on Christ 
and you shall be free as well. Well, let us pray. Dear Heavenly 
Father, we thank you, O God, for freedoms found in Christ 
Jesus. We know that our Christian liberty is found only in the 
Lord. We are free from the curse of 
the law, we are free from the guilt of sin, and we know it 
is because of Christ's work. We know, O God, that he was the 
perfect one who lived, died, and rose again, and died as that 
perfect sacrifice for his people. We know, O God, that salvation 
is of you. It's not by our works and by 
our covenant-keeping, but by your great grace and your great 
mercy and your power and your law-keeping, O God. We know that 
we need to lean upon you. Forgive us, O God, when we begin 
to add things to your faith and add things to our faith. We know 
that is not right. We know, O God, that those who 
are yours will seek to do that which pleases you, not to be 
saved, but because we are saved. So, God, we do pray that we would 
love you. We do pray that we would be biblically-minded. We 
do pray that we would love your gospel. We do pray, O God, that 
we would be gracious and merciful and kind to others. Thank you 
for your grace and mercy to us, your patience and long-suffering. 
We pray again for the saints today that you would strengthen 
us and aid us, O God, as we walk out, as we go into the world. 
We also pray for those who do not know you. We pray that you 
would change them, that you would make them believers, help them 
to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. And oh God, in all things we 
do pray that you'd be glorified. And we pray these things in the 
name of Christ. Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation, then I will come up and pray for the food.