Galatians 4
What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come,God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Hagar and Sarah
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:
“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
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Slavery vs. Freedom
Abraham's two children are born in different ways. Ishmael is born because Abraham and Sarah had some doubts about God's promise and tried to create a Plan B to have a heir. Abraham slept with Hagar, Sarah's handmaid. This did not please God. He didn't want Abraham and Sarah to make it happen, he wanted them to trust Him.
Later, after God reiterated His promise, Abraham and Sarah eventually have the child who would bring blessing to all peoples as his line would ultimately lead to Christ. His name was Isaac.
These two serve as good examples for Paul to use as he wishes to encourage the Galatians not to rely on themselves and their own works to "achieve" God's promises (of which Ishmael stands as an example) but rather to trust in God alone (which we see in Isaac).
In a take-charge world, often we feel that "God helps them who help themselves." That is, we start to think that we are blessed because of our own faithfulness, our hard work, our ingenuity. But in the end, our confidence should be built on God alone. It is through His Son Jesus that we are made right with Him, and He guides and leads us not because of what we do, but because of His mercy.
The prosperity Gospel is very prominent today. It suggests that God blesses us "because" of our participation with Him. This is a deception and encourages us to focus too much on us and too little on Him.
May the Holy Spirit help us fix our eyes on Jesus -- Always.
When you speak of the prosperity Gospel suggesting that God blesses us because of our participation with Him, you are talking about blessings beyond our salvation and the promise of eternity in Heaven, correct? Like the earthly blessings of financial security, good health, etc... ? Assuming that is correct, what do you make of these two passages:
ReplyDelete“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” -Deuteronomy 5:16
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” -Ephesians 6:1-3
I was thinking that maybe promises of blessings based on our actions were confined to the Jewish people in Old Testament times, but St. Paul (?) in Ephesians 6 brings it up again and even points out explicitly that it is a commandment with a promise attached to it. I know the prosperity Gospel teachings take things way too far, but is there maybe some truth in the thinking that some of our earthly blessings could come from obeying God’s commandments as Ephesians 6:1-3 suggests?
I don't think that these Scripture passages are making the absolute promise that God will always bless people according to the measure of their faithfulness. If that were so, how would we deal with the shortened lives of some of the faithful apostles and prophets who served the Lord with integrity (and probably honored their parents too) but who's lives were cut short because of human sin and pride (think John the Baptist for instance).
ReplyDeleteI think these passages speak in general terms to the truth that if you follow God's ways rather than living according to the flesh and its desires, that life will go better for you. Since God is the Designer and has set up our bodies and our surroundings so that they work according to His plans, this should be no surprise.
The body, for instance, was not intended to abuse alcohol, but many choose to act against this design. It would be no surprise, then, that struggles arise whenever we act outside of God's plan -- maybe even to the point of premature death. And this, not because it is God's punishment, but because it may be the natural consequence of living outside of God's plan.
Let there be no doubt, though. Those who live in faith, according to God's design, will indeed prosper. It may never ever transfer to material success or even good health. But they will live with the "peace that passes all understanding" and will find joy in Him even if He chooses not to bless them materially or physically.