Bible Reading May 28th Galatians Ch. 4

Ok, I admit that I need to get better at reading everyday. It is so weird that when I have the most time (the weekends) I don't read, but somehow I can find time to fit it in before school on the weekdays. Why is that? Anyway, I am back and today I read from Galatians chapter 4.

In Paul's 4th chapter of wisdom to the Galatians he draws comparisons of our slavery to the "old law" when Christ brought us our new rule book when he came and died for us. He talks mainly about how our persecution and reliance on "comfortable" ways is like Abraham's two sons. It explains this well in verses 4:23-25,
"The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where the people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mt. Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother."

It is interesting to think about at this time, but you have to remember what was happening at that time. Christianity was a relatively new idea then and was still being attacked constantly by the people of the Jewish faith because they didn't sanction it at all. So what Paul is trying to do here is a big deal. He is telling the people, "Look, Jesus brought us a new law to follow. People aren't going to necessarily going to love you for following his example and the new law he set out for us." It seems like a struggle reserved just for the people of that time, but think about today. How often do we consciously think about the choices we make and ask ourselves if we are following the new path Christ set out for us?

Paul goes on to sum up this topic in verses 30 and 31 saying, "But what do scriptures say about that? 'Get rid of the salve and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the the free woman's son.' So dear brothers and sisters, we are not the children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman." So, remember, no one goes to Heaven except through him, better hurry up and go through that door and make sure you hold it open for someone else as they try to get through as well!