Title: Don't Go Back to Chains---01:22 - Reading Galatians 4:21-5:103:21 - Revisiting the Story of Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar08:31 - Why Does Paul Bring Up This Story?10:24 - Sarah Didn't Trust God12:51 - Why Did Paul Bring This Up for the Galatian Church?15:41 - Separate God's Favor Towards Us from God Being Pleased with Our Actions26:29 - Turn From Dependence on Performance and Enjoy God's Favor 30:49 - In Prayer33:23 - In Scripture Reading35:25 - In Connecting with Other Believers37:49 - In Fighting Sin39:20 - God Always Has Favor to You---Galatians 4:21–31Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written,“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!For the children of the desolate one will be morethan those of the one who has a husband.”Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (ESV)Galatians 5:1For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (ESV)---In this sermon, Jed Gillis explains Paul’s use of the story of Sarah and Hagar to show the Galatians that returning to law-keeping as a way of securing God’s favor is a return to slavery. Paul contrasts Ishmael, born through human effort, with Isaac, born through God’s promise. Hagar represents the covenant tied to human performance, which only leads to bondage. Sarah represents the covenant of grace, where God acts through his promise. Paul warns that the Galatians are in danger of treating God’s law the way pagans treated idols, using obedience as a way to manipulate blessing or avoid harm. Jed stresses that this is the same slavery Christ has freed them from. The heart of Paul’s concern is that God has already shown favor through Christ, and believers now belong to the “Jerusalem above,” as true children of promise. Jed presses the point that salvation is described as knowing God, or rather being known by God, which highlights God’s intimate love and removes every attempt to rely on performance. He calls out the flattery of the false teachers who push the Galatians toward self-reliance, and he contrasts that with Paul’s mother-like labor to see Christ formed in them. Jed then applies this to everyday Christian practices such as prayer, Scripture reading, fellowship, and fighting sin. Each of these can become slavery if viewed as a way to earn God’s favor rather than enjoy it. The call of the passage is simple and urgent: do not go back to chains. Stand firm in the freedom Christ gives, and approach God as a Father who already loves you, rather than a master to be appeased through performance.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

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