Ishmael was the son of a slave, and the Law enslaves all of
us (see Gal. 3:23). Isaac was born to the free woman through God’s promise, and
all those who are in Christ are freed from the Law and are heirs of God (see
3:29).
What I find interesting is that we’re children of two
different “mothers.” In the flesh we are children of slavery just as Ishmael
was. We were born as slaves of the Law and we have no hope for freedom in and
of ourselves. (It’s terrible to be a slave to a master you can never hope to
please!) And yet through Christ we become children of the promise, freed from
sin and the Law. “So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the
free woman” (v. 31). Not only do we have a new mother, but a new Father as
well. We no longer belong to the father of lies (John 8:44), but we belong to
God the Father (1 John 3:1).
Unfortunately, just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, so we too
have to deal with the battle between flesh and Spirit throughout this lifetime.
Even though the flesh has been “dethroned” and should have no power over us,
it’s a constant challenge to learn to listen to our real Father and obey Him. That’s
the whole point of the book of Galatians. “For freedom Christ has set us free;
stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (5:1). I
can practically hear Paul yelling at them (and all believers), “You’re free!
Don’t live like a slave to sin! Ignore the old master! Listen to the Spirit and
you won’t be listening to the flesh!”
I think we’d all agree that’s easier said than done. Even
the venerable Apostle Paul said the same thing in Romans 7:15-25. The battle
rages within us. Temptation seems so strong and its fruit so desirable. Paul
reminds us in Romans 6:21-22, “But what fruit were you getting at that time
from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is
death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of
God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” The
fruit of sin will never really satisfy, and only leads to a desire for more
sin. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… And those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal.
5:22-24).
We can take heart that we’re not
in this alone. This civil war started in the Garden of Eden and will continue
until the end of time. Even though the war has already been won, there are
daily battles being fought within each of us. One day we’ll get to see the
final victory over sin and death, and by faith and grace we will be on the
winning side.
In the meantime, may we often be reminded
of our freedom in Christ. Our chains are gone!
