For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one By a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. Gal4:22 St. Paul tries over and over again to make people understand the two kinds of children that exist in the church. There are the children of Hagar under the Law subject to sin, condemnation, judgment, sickness, disease, poverty, lack, turmoil, accidents, and death. Then there are the other children, the children of Sarah, in Isaac, who live by faith. These children embark on a journey to receive the blessing and righteousness. These children endeavor to exercise the same faith as their father Abraham believing that what God has said he is able to perform and they respond to the word that they hear. Most of the church lives as children of Hagar. Ishmael was conceived by works, self-effort and not by promise. These people live in bondage trying to earn their salvation by religious deeds, keeping the Law, and trying to earn God’s approval. That is why Paul tells the Galatians they are mad to think that having begun in the Spirit that they will be made perfect by the flesh. As long as you are under the Law the deeds of the flesh are alive. Anger, jealousy, lust, fornication, covetousness and idolatry are spirits which operate when you live by law. The Law will not save. Religion will not save. Self-righteousness will not earn an eternal reward. You live under the curse of Adam. In Isaac will your seed be blessed. We become the offspring of Sarah when we enter the covenant of grace. Jesus became our righteousness becoming a curse for us that we might be free. We begin our faith journey by entering into this new covenant and we must learn to hear the still small voice of God, believe the word of God, and live by faith. Many of the promises of the bible are difficult for the natural man to accept. Yet it is just these promises which we must come to believe in order to demonstrate the faith of Abraham. That is how we become the children of Abraham of the freewoman and not the bondmaid. Our life experience becomes the opportunity to believe just like Abraham believed in order to receive the Blessing and the righteousness of God. When we have met the criteria which God has ordained, we live in freedom, health, prosperity, abundance, and grace, with no condemnation living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit and the flesh is dead. Abraham had two children from which do you descend? Amen |