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You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Galatians 4:25 http://www.dailybiblestudy.org
25 For [gar] this Agar [Hagar] is [esti] mount [oros] Sinai [Sina] in [en] Arabia [Arabia], and [de] answereth [sustoicheo] to Jerusalem [Hierousalem] which [ho] now is [nun], and [de] is in bondage [douleuo] with [meta] her [autos] children [teknon]. KJV-Interlinear
25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. NASB
Paul draws a comparison between Sarah, the mother of freedom and Hagar the mother of slavery. Hagar is similar symbolically, to the covenant that was given at Sinai, when Moses received the Law. The Law delineates the works of righteousness from mans perspective and since man cannot attain to a level of righteousness to free himself from slavery, then he remains in slavery to sin. Furthermore, even if man could live the perfect life, that still would not free him from the bonds of death and thus he is still in slavery to death. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life, but He still went to the Cross to pay the price of sin in order to defeat both sin and death. Arabia is outside of Jerusalem, and even outside of Israel. Israel is the chosen people and nation of God, while the Arabs are not the chosen people or nation. But all people can become members of Gods family through faith, because God did not choose genetics as the basis for His family, but he chose faith or believing in the only Savior, as the basis for salvation. Jerusalem of present, as described here in Pauls day, is the adherence to Judaism, or to the Law, rather than to the new covenant with Christ through faith. And Paul points out that the old ways, Judaism or the Law, is the way of slavery. Therefore Hagar, representing slavery to works, is the same as the Law which delineates works as not an option for mans freedom, which is what the the Mosaic Law teaches, which is subscribed to by the Jewish people even in Pauls day, and they are all still in the bondage of their own false beliefs. And the children, represent those who continue to perpetuate that pursuit in the false belief that man can work his way out of his bondage on his own, simply by keeping the Law, or by means of any other form of works. Anytime a person disregards Gods mandates, in lieu of his own beliefs or efforts, then he has rejected faith and is pursuing works. This is true whether you are trying to formally follow the Mosaic Law, or trying to follow any religion that is not Christianity, or trying to follow any philosophy that is not Christianity, or whether you simply do not care for any theological approach to life, or you are trying to do your own thing as you see fit. God has defined a method for salvation. God has defined a method for spiritual growth. God has defined a method for the spiritual life. God has defined a method for advancing in the spiritual life. God has defined a method for gaining completion, meaning, and purpose for the individual. And any deviation from that method, is works and not from God. We are to believe in order to learn. We are to study in order to grow up. And this is study by means of instruction which is not a do-it-yourself method. We are to confess in order to receive forgiveness and restoration into fellowship. In all of these, God does all of the work of constructing the spiritual life within the soul, while we receive the gift of His efforts. To pretend or believe that you can do this on your own by trying to impress others or even just impressing yourself, means that you will never advance because you deceive yourself in preference for your own convenience, in stubborn objection and resistance of Gods procedure.
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
