By the Flesh or Promise Galatians 4:23 - Equipped for Battle

As Paul the apostle continues with his example of Abraham, we can almost imagine his readers' thoughts as he references their patriarch and his descendants. Paul is attempting to show them how the law is binding, but grace is liberating. He wrote in chapter four and verse twenty-three:

But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.

Paul begins, “But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh:” When Abraham received the instruction from his wife Sarah to conceive a child through her handmaid Hagar, Ishmael was born. However, Ishmael was not the promised son as told to Abraham by God. God did a miracle in restoring the youth of life to both Abraham and Sarah, and they had a son they named Isaac. (These events can be seen in Genesis chapters sixteen through twenty-one.) Ishmael was born of Sarah's handmaid who was a bondwoman, and his birth was Abraham and Sarah's attempt to help God fulfill His promise. In other words, they attempted to fulfill the promise of God through fleshly efforts. This, however, was not the promised child.

Paul continued, “but he of the freewoman was by promise.” When Sarah, who was then ninety years old, and Abraham, who was then one hundred years old enjoyed the birth of their son Isaac, they knew that not only was he the promised child of God, but he was a miracle. These things just did not happen in the natural, and since it caused both Abraham and Isaac to laugh at such a promise, they gave Isaac his name which means “laughter.”

Paul has employed a wonderful example of the difference between the law and grace. Grace seems almost too good to be true, and if we think about it, it seems almost laughable. Though the terrific price for the grace of God was fulfilled in the death of Jesus on the cross, the benefits of it go beyond our natural ability to understand. It is, however, available to everyone who will simply receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Without grace, everything is a work of the flesh. Righteousness is at best “self-righteousness”, and “self-righteousness” is not sufficient to fulfill perfection required by God. No, the work has been completed, and Jesus Christ did the work. Now by believing in Him and His finished work, we receive the grace of God and enjoy the promise of Salvation. Fleshly efforts fall short of the glory of God, but the grace of God extends to the greatest of need. May we evermore appreciate the work of the promise of God and put aside all efforts of the flesh that attempt to complete what is already finished.

Next time Paul will tell us these examples relate to God's two covenants, so read ahead, and let us join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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