WUM Galatians 5

Forced slavery is a horrific situation to find oneself in, however, willful slavery is worse.  Find out what counsel Paul has for the Galatian church as he addresses this crucial issue.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

That kind of feedback. Well, good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, whatever time it is that you may be listening. Welcome to W U M. I'm Butch.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

And I'm Rod, and we're back for another exciting adventure of O on to me. How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_00 0:20

I'm doing really well, brother. How about you?

SPEAKER_03 0:22

Doing all right. Actually, better than I deserved today.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

As always, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

Butch and I have had a just a great uh time just catching up and just just talking uh before we started recording and just really encouraging each other and talking about the word and what God is doing in our lives. And um, this is so encouraging. Um wish you could have been here, but um next time. Find y'all next time.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Yep, it is it is interesting how he does this sometimes. Like we we try really, really hard not to talk about the scriptures that we're gonna talk about here. We want it to be live and feel fresh and real. Um, and we didn't talk about Galatians 4 at all, which we're going there today. Right. Um, but it was it was really good. We just hopefully encouraged each other. Yes. Um it felt super encouraging to me too.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Amen. Amen. There were even tears that flowed, so it was really good. God is God is in the mix. Um, but yeah, so we are in uh Galatians chapter four, and I know it's been a while since uh since our last episode, where um, if you remember, Paul is uh writing to some to Jews who have decided to to go back to the law. And they've got they've had these Judaizers encourage them to go back to the law and to follow the law. And Paul has has been preaching to them uh to get away from the law and to follow Jesus Christ and to keep their eyes on on Jesus. And in chapter four, we we we get a lot of Paul's encouragement, we get a lot of Paul's admonishments uh concerning the law and and the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ. Um so why don't we just pick up? Um I just want I want to back up to Galatians chapter three, uh verse 28, where we left off, where uh where Paul says there is there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no female, there is no male or female, excuse me, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. And then he says this in verse one. He says, Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave. Although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. And I think this is a this is a great reminder for for the church at Galatia of just who they are. They are heirs of the kingdom. They have this promise in in heaven. Um, but I love how Paul Paul compares them in in verse one. He says, he says that the heir is a child, but he doesn't differ at all from a slave, even though he is owner of everything. And at a certain point in a child's life, they go from being uh down where the slave is and not owning anything to suddenly they're in they're in charge. They they they reach a point in their life where they are no longer like the slave. They they I guess the word I'm looking for is they they then take control.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Yeah, verse 2 is so interesting, right? Because he says, like they're under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

So they're subject to their father, just like slaves are, right? Yes. Completely under their father's control until their father passes the airship, if you will, yes. To them.

SPEAKER_03 4:36

Yeah, and then and then they walk in a in a new light, in a new life that's different than the old.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Yeah, this is so amazing because he set this all up so beautifully in chapter three.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Right? So in here's the warning that Paul's starting to give. How interesting that we are freed from the law of sin and death, uh-huh. And we're called heirs, fellow heirs with Christ himself. Right. But yet we are so dumb sometimes we choose to put ourselves back under the yoke of slavery of the law.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

And that's the issue.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

And he's he's telling Jews, wait, you have Christ. And they're like, Yeah, yeah, we have Christ. Yeah, but we have Christ and his freedom. But yeah, let's add the law to that again. Right. You're like, wait, you got out of the yoke of slavery to the law.

SPEAKER_03 5:31

To go back into the slavery to the law.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

You're gonna put it back on again.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

And if you put it back on, it does you no eternal good.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

No, because you got to keep all of it perfectly.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

All of it. Which means you can't, because your life prior, you've already blown it, so you're you're done.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Done. Done. You're going back to nothing. Yeah. That's what he, the writer of Hebrews, is warning about. Like, if you're gonna make the blood of Jesus null and void, there's nowhere else to go.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

There's no more repentance, there's there's no more repentance.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

No other sacrifice. This is a very scary proposition.

SPEAKER_03 6:09

It is, and I think that's why Paul is so serious. Look at verse 3. So we also, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, under the law, so that, purpose statement, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. This is what Jesus did for you, O foolish Galatians.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Adopted us.

SPEAKER_03 6:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

God went out of his way to choose us as his sons and daughters.

SPEAKER_03 6:56

Yes. Yes. When the fullness of time, at the right time, God sent forth his son, human, born of a woman, and born under the law, so that he could keep the law. So that he could keep all of the law. So that he would redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive the adoption as sons.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

And heirs.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

He didn't do a thing to get it?

SPEAKER_01 7:33

No.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

To earn it? To keep it right?

SPEAKER_01 7:37

This is what Jesus has done.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

He adopted us.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Yeah. Why do you want to go back to slavery?

SPEAKER_03 7:43

Why do you want to put that weight on the wheel of the water?

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Go back to fault to keeping 663 laws in the Old Testament.

SPEAKER_03 7:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Why would you want to go back and keep something you you know we can't keep?

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Only if you're deceived.

SPEAKER_03 8:00

Right?

SPEAKER_00 8:01

To thinking that this is gonna please the Father.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

But Paul's warning us.

SPEAKER_03 8:07

See how crafty the devil is? These Judaicers have come in. And well, if you really want to be spiritual, if you really want to follow Christ, you gotta keep the law. You gotta go back to the law. You gotta have Jesus in.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Jesus plus.

SPEAKER_03 8:20

And Paul is like, no. Jesus freed you from all of that foolishness.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

It's Jesus plus nothing.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Zero.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Yes. It is him and him alone. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Yeah, and he he goes on, because again, we're so fooled sometimes. And he goes, but wait, if you receive the adoption as sons, and because you're sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So he puts the Spirit of God within us so that we can call him our daddy, Father.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

There's a relationship there that's now that's now real and it's present and it's alive with God the Father.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

This is not just Yahweh.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Yeah. And it's not hypothetical.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

It is Yahweh, but it's also the tender, heavenly father that he's saying, crying Abba Father.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Yeah, like I said, there's a relationship.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

It's not just scared, horrified, oh my gosh, I can't even say the word Yahweh. Yeah, there's this He's gonna strike me down.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

This sense of familiar relationship. Like you said, dad is the dad is his term of endearment. It's not just father, no, it's dad.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

And he says it in verse 7, right? You're no longer a slave, but a son.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

And if a son, then you're an heir through God.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

Yes. And Paul even he even makes it plain back, just going back to verse 6. He says, Because you are sons. And he reminds them, you are a son of God. Because you are sons, God has sent forth his spirit. The spirit of his son in our hearts, crying out the Father. Therefore, because of that, you were no longer a slave, but a son. And he reiterates it. And if the son, you're an heir through God. God has done so much for you. You've got an inheritance in heaven.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Wow. Yeah, you think about this when this Old Testament scripture said that you know God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, which really means he owns all of the cattle. Right. Um, there wasn't a great way to explain numbers then a thousand hills.

SPEAKER_03 10:46

And he owns the hills that the cattle are on.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

And we're an heir to it all. Yes, we are. That's why he asks us to take dominion over this earth. Yeah. Because this is our inheritance, part of our inheritance. That we would rule and reign with him on the earth. And one day we will. So maybe we should take better care of what he's entrusted to us. Our hearts and minds, all that he's created here.

SPEAKER_03 11:18

Right?

SPEAKER_00 11:18

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 11:19

That's the second time. Because we're heir to this.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

Is it really?

SPEAKER_03 11:22

Yeah, or this week, rather, yeah. About taking care of what God has entrusted us with. Second time this week. And it's just Tuesday.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Take notice, brother. That's God saying something to you. Like how's this apply? I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 11:39

Right? But God, God, Paul, he goes out of his way to see you have a relationship with God the Father. You have an inheritance from God the Father. God, you are a son of God. Because of what Jesus Christ has already done. You're there. And there's nothing else you need to get you there. Jesus got you there. You don't need anything. You've arrived.

SPEAKER_00 12:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

So to speak.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Yeah, because it because sometimes when we think air, right? At least I do, you think like, okay, well, now my dad requires this of me, right? Sometimes gaining your dad's fortune is you gotta go to school. Right. You may have to go to university and get a degree. He may even say go get a master's or a PhD, or or you're gonna learn the family business and you're gonna master all this before I give you this. But this is, no, you're you are sons. Yeah. God already sent the spirit of his son into our hearts.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

We've already received the adoption and the airship, if you want to call it that.

unknown 12:54

Right.

SPEAKER_03 12:54

Right, right. And we already, and we cry, Ah, but Father, because of the spirit that he put in us. Yeah. You've you're already there. You've got the relationship. Jesus has done it for you, and he's provided this for you.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Wait, what did I do? What did I do?

SPEAKER_03 13:10

You did absolutely nothing. Wasn't about you. It was about God and his purpose, and he has saved you and placed his spirit within you and calls you sons and gives you an inheritance. Enjoy him. Now we we want to go back under the thumb of the law and slavery.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Can you please go back to figure out all of the crazy laws and rules and formalities of how to come to him?

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Yeah, and Paul is like, he's like, he's trying to wrap. What is it? I don't you guys are just you.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

It's kind of hard to wrap my mind around how frustrated Paul must be. He spent most of his life following all of these ceremonial laws, laws of purification and presentation and the amount and the specific things for each one, and oops, this sin required that, and that sin required. I mean, trying to keep all of that, and then he hears the freedom that there is in Christ. Yes. And his fellow Jews that he loves so desperately, to think that they want to go back to that has to be like, I don't need explained that here verse 2.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

He's just like, I just I don't get it.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

Because he does like say, right, verse 8, he starts hinting at it.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Right.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Wait, formerly, when you didn't know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. Like they're enslaved to all these other people trying to follow the law. They're not God, but you're enslaved to them with all their rules and tricks. And but now that you've come to know God, or rather, here's another interesting thing.

SPEAKER_03 14:59

Yeah, to be known.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

To be known by God. Right? Because we love to be fooled by this. Oh, I know God. Right. Oh, you're known by God.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

Right? What do we often hear from the pulpit? Um, you might say that you know God, but does God know you?

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Right? Because that is the that's the indictment at the great white throne judgment.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

Yeah, God didn't I? Lord, didn't we? And we did this.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

I don't know you.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

Yeah. Depart from me.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

So Paul's like, hey, look, you haven't really come to know God, but rather to be known. So how can you then turn your back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world? Whose slaves you want to be once more? When we try to add something to what Jesus did on the cross, you actually then enslave yourself again.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Oh, absolutely.

unknown 15:57

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

You go back under that bondage.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

That bondage that leads to destruction. That bondage that leads to nowhere.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

I see why he dies. Because we're called sheep. Right? Because we're we can be so dumb sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Yes. That's why that's why Jesus calls us sheep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

I know I can. I'm I'm not hoping you guys don't hear us coming from a place of judgment. Rod and I are coming from a place of, oh man, we we can be fooled by this too.

SPEAKER_03 16:28

We're all there. And we're all we're we're all susceptible. Which is why we gotta stay in God's word. We've got to stay close to Jesus and keep our eyes on him. It is him and him alone that has brought us into the kingdom.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Yeah, and it is easy to be tricked by this, right? Because he he goes on to say, you observe days and months and seasons and years, right? Because sometimes we can even overemphasize our own seasons, like over-emphasizing Christmas, overemphasizing Easter. And it's not that those are not super important, because they are that Jesus is born is really important. He had to be born of a woman in the flesh.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Right.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

He had to rise again, right? Those are all super important.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

But if the observation of those days and months and seasons and years have become some idolatry, he's like, I'm afraid I may have labored over labored over you in vain.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Yeah, and think about the Jewish mindset where you've got this holy day and that holy day. Oh, and we've we've got this celebration and this one and then that festival. Feast of boost, and feast of yeah, and then it's it's it's it's harvest, and then it's time to plant, and yada yada, and all of these, all of these other things that it become idols. And part of the law in Christ. And Paul is like, just he says, I fear, verse 11, I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain, that I have poured my my heart and my sweat and my tears into you, and I fear it's all been for naught. Yeah, right. Um he just does something to you. He says, I beg of you. Don't don't miss it. He says, I beg of you. Paul entreats the church in Galatians, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. I am I'm one of you. You've done me no wrong. But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you for the first time. So there is something that happened to the apostle Paul, perhaps all in Galatia, that caused him to spend a large amount of time there, and they they were taking care of him. And while they're taking care of him, he is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Even the sovereign hand of God in this, right? Paul gets some kind of sickness that they get the privilege of hearing the gospel from him.

SPEAKER_03 19:22

Yeah. Yeah. And so what's that say that sometimes it reminds me of Pastor Ron falls, hurts, hurts himself, is in the hospital, and what's he doing? He's preaching to the he's sharing Christ with the nurses.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

When he's got to be in an excruciating pain. But he's like, wait, I'm here for a reason. And then people are being sent to him, like, you should go talk to Pastor Ron. That guy's talk guy's talking about Jesus. Like, what?

SPEAKER_03 19:51

I'm so encouraged by that to know that just make the most of every opportunity. Um, verse 14 says, and that which is that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus Himself. The idea is that you took care of me, and I wasn't burdensome to you, and you your Christ-like character shone through as you loved me and helped me get better, and and you you reflected Christ to me during those difficult times as I was healing and recovering. I love that. Think of verse 15.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

This is interesting, right? Right. What then has become of your blessedness?

SPEAKER_01 20:46

Yeah, what what happened?

SPEAKER_00 20:48

What wait, what what happened here? You you received me this way and didn't scorn me. And I testify to you that if possible, you would have gouged out your own eyes and given them to me.

unknown 21:00

Right?

SPEAKER_00 21:01

It's like, wow. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

SPEAKER_03 21:12

This really helps me to see how these Judaizers have really twisted the thinking of these Jews into you gotta go back to the law. They are so crafty. So they're these these these tricksters that have so duped them. And Paul is like, but wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

When I was here healing and you were taking care of me, like it's you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. That's how much you loved me.

SPEAKER_03 21:40

That's how much that's that was the character of Christ that was in you, and it was evident.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Now you're letting something come in between us, yeah. And you uh think that I'm like an enemy of the truth here. Like, what happened?

SPEAKER_03 21:56

What happened is the question. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? In Lucas 17, he says, they, talking about these Judaizers, they eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that purpose statements, so that you will seek them. It's for their glory and for their benefit that they're trying to draw you after themselves.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

Yeah, and then he clarifies in the 18. It's always good to be made much of for a good purpose. Yes. Right? If people want to encourage you and make you feel good about something you're doing for the right reasons, not just for flattery reasons. Yes. And not only when I'm present with you, but my little children. I love the way he says this. It's very similar to John writing in 1 John when he says, My little children. It's like dear ones, not meant to be degrading like you're dumb, immature people. It's a term of endearment. Yeah of a dear one. For whom I am I again in the anguish of childbirth unto Christ, until Christ is formed in you. Right? He's saying, like, you're acting like little babies that need to grow and be encouraged. And I'm I'm not giving up here because I want you to be complete in Christ. Right.

SPEAKER_03 23:33

I'm striving with you, I'm laboring with you to help you once again form Jesus Christ in you.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

And he's seeing it's not. You're going back to things that you should know better.

SPEAKER_03 23:46

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

And he's like, I don't know why you guys are acting like babies that don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 23:52

Which is why he says at the verse, at the end of verse 20, for I am perplexed about you. I'm trying to figure this out. And it just doesn't make sense. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

And he wants to be there, right? I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone. He wants to change his tone because he's so perplexed.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

Yeah. I just wait. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_00 24:15

You acted like you would gouge your own eyes out for me if I needed them. And then now you're rejecting the truth of the gospel that I shared with you. And you were so eager to accept it.

SPEAKER_03 24:29

Right. Right? It's just like, I just, it doesn't make sense. He says, tell me. Verse 21. You who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a bondwoman, and one by the free woman. But the son of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son of the free woman through the promise. Verse 24. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants. One proceeding from Mount Sinai, bearing children. What's so significant about Mount Sinai?

SPEAKER_00 25:17

Mount Sinai.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai. Sinai, Sinai.

SPEAKER_00 25:23

What came off of where the law came down. Where the law came down. It took me a minute to go, oh yeah, the law came down. But if he's saying it's allegorical and there are two covenants, right? You're like, wait, wait, wait, so the law is coming down, which bears children for slavery.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:46

The law brings slavery.

SPEAKER_03 25:49

Slavery to the law.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

And she is Hagar.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

Talking about Hagar, whom Sarah said, you know, you can have a child through my handmaiden, so you go into Hagar, and we're going to help you. Every child with this promise. We're going to bring that. And God is like, no.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

She didn't believe that God was going to put the air through her.

SPEAKER_03 26:09

Yeah, because they were both old, and she's like, I'm old and you old, and I don't know how this is going to work. And it's like, trust God. But yeah, but the child through Hagar was born, was a child of slavery. And he says, uh, verse 25, now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the president of Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. And this is where you want to be. You want to go back to the slavery of the law.

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Yeah, and Mount Sinai.

SPEAKER_03 26:53

Yeah, is that where you want to go?

SPEAKER_00 26:54

Really?

SPEAKER_03 26:55

Back under that. Right?

SPEAKER_00 26:57

And so he's like, but hey, verse 26, but the Jerusalem above is free. And she is our mother.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

No slavery.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 27:09

Freedom. Freedom.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

The other covenant.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

In Christ. Yeah. Right? The covenant of grace.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

The new covenant that I bring to you that Jesus talked about. Yes. Right. And it's written before rejoice, O barren one who does not bear. Break forth and cry aloud, you are not in labor. For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.

unknown 27:41

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 27:42

So the children who were born into slavery under the law will be more than those who were not born under the law.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

And the significance of this being Isaiah 54, that is right after Isaiah 53.

SPEAKER_02 27:59

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

The whole prophecy about Jesus Christ coming?

SPEAKER_02 28:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Paul's tying it in together because they're used to seeing and reading the law.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

So he's and the prophets. So he's like, he points to the prophets, which that's what Jesus did. When he, after he rose, and he's on the road to Emmaus with the two disciples. How does he explain himself?

SPEAKER_01 28:26

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:26

Through the law and the prophets.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Yeah. Through the Old Testament. Speaks of me.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

So he goes on, verse 28. Now you brothers like Isaac are children of promise.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

Stop. Read that again.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

You brothers like Isaac are children of promise.

SPEAKER_03 28:46

He tells the church, look, you guys are not like the children born to Hagar on Mount Sinai. You are like Isaac. You were a child of the promise. This is who you are.

unknown 28:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

It makes you wonder. Isn't it interesting though? He even goes back to Isaac before the law was given.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

Yeah. Yeah. This is the child to promise.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

We miss this a lot, right? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Belief has always been where the promise is. It is not in the law, it's not in the keeping of the law.

SPEAKER_03 29:31

It's not through works. No. But you guys want to be go back to that slavery under Hagar, but you are ready.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

Free, like Isaac. You're children.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

You are children, I promise. Yeah, gosh. And he keeps make it even more clear if we if we're confused. But just as at that time he was born according to the flesh, persecuted him who was born according to the spirit. So also it is now.

SPEAKER_03 30:10

So you've got these folks just like Ishmael persecuted Isaac. You've got these folks who are persecuting you.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Just like it is now.

SPEAKER_03 30:20

Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_00 30:22

One's born according to the flesh, one's born according to the spirit. But what does the scripture say?

SPEAKER_03 30:32

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. Get this through your thick heads, you Galatians. You are children of the free woman. You are children of the promise. You are heirs and children of God already. You have nothing else to do. You've arrived, you're there. You don't need to add anything else to it. You're there because of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_00 31:10

Trust in the freedom of Christ Himself.

SPEAKER_01 31:13

Yeah, don't go back to the slavery.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Hello. We need a Bible lesson. Here it is. We can go all the way back to these two women and the allegory that he says here. These are the two covenants. We're seeing a picture of it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:32

Man.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

Yeah. The incredible encouragement he's giving them about what does the scripture say?

SPEAKER_03 31:39

Yeah. And you know, this reminds me of Romans 6. If we want to pull this forward to the 21st century, where Jesus has freed us from the slavery of sin. We are indeed free from sin. But oftentimes we we want to go back under that yoke of slavery to sin for whatever reason. And Paul keeps reminding the church look, you're you're free. You're now slaves of righteousness, you're no longer slaves of sin. Why would you want to go back to that to that that bondage? You're free in Christ.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Yeah, you at first I'm like, where are you going with this from John or Romans 6? But then I'm like, wow, I hopped over there and the Lord just put verse 22 on my mind. But now that you've been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and to its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

SPEAKER_03 32:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

And so we wrestle the exact thing today.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Why did we go back to say? Well, it feels good and I want it and I desire it.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

And it was comfortable. Yeah. Right? Maybe we just if it it's it's easy because we did this before. Instead of the freedom that can be a little scary. Yeah, God has set you free. You can say no. Wait, what?

SPEAKER_03 33:13

You no longer have to go along with sin and its whims. You can say no. Because of the power that lies within you. Because of the Holy Spirit. That spirit that cries out, but Father that God has placed in us.

SPEAKER_00 33:27

Yeah, maybe that yoke feels familiar. That's what I think. I've gotten the feeling that way when I think of the pet sins that sometimes I go back to. I'm like, I think it's because that yoke feels normal. Yeah. But it's a yoke he doesn't want us to have anymore. Like I took that yoke off. I gave you a much easier yoke.

SPEAKER_03 33:52

Right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

What?

SPEAKER_03 33:54

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

You're so slow, butch. Get with the programming. That's all of us.

SPEAKER_03 34:01

That's all of us. And I'm not I'm not down on the Galatians, but because we all we all go through this at one point in time in our life, um, where we deal with this. And I just love Paul's encouragement. You're already there just because of what Christ has done. You've made it. You don't have to do anything else. You are a son. Yeah. You are a daughter of the king because of what Jesus has done. He adopted us.

SPEAKER_00 34:28

And that adoption is permanent.

SPEAKER_02 34:30

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

He's never giving us back.

SPEAKER_03 34:33

No, never is. It's done. It's done deal. And we can't undo it because he did it. So praise the Lord for that.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

SPEAKER_03 34:45

Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

Well, I'm super encouraged. I sure hope that whoever's listening is encouraged. Because if they're not, I don't know what else could do it.

SPEAKER_02 34:55

Right?

SPEAKER_00 34:56

Right. These are the words of eternal life. Yes, they do. Like the apostle said when Jesus said, Are you guys going to leave too?

SPEAKER_03 35:03

And they're like, John 6, where are we going to go? You got the words of eternal life.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

At that point, yeah, at that point, they were really smart and we're like, Yeah, there's nowhere to go.

SPEAKER_03 35:13

Right? Amen. Amen. So we we hope this has been an encouragement to you as we've trekked through uh Galatians chapter 4. And hey, we would really like to hear from you your thoughts, if this has been impactful to you. Whatever comment you might have, please drop us a line. And you can do that by by sending us an email. Our email address is wemthenumbertguise at yahoo.com. Again, wumthenumber2guys at yahoo.com. We'd like to hear from you and see what you say and see what your thoughts are on this.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

Well, amen. Thank you all so much. Until next time, Lord bless you and keep you.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

Have a great rest of your day, and we'll see you soon.