Sarah's Gospel

Tell 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. (Galatians 4:21-22 ESV) We are weird creatures. Given a choice between slavery and freedom, you would think our instinct would be to choose freedom. But that’s not always the case, especially when it comes to our spiritual life. While we may say we want the freedom the gospel gives us, we easily and regularly choose the slavery of sin and self-salvation. We think by doing this, we will gain God’s favor and increase our merit. But the whole book of Galatians has been warning us away from such a path. In this final appeal, Paul goes back to an Old Testament story to illustrate our heritage of faith in the gospel. And he shows how when we step outside of that faith, it comes with dangerous consequences. To get you familiar with the story, take some time before Sunday to go back and read through Genesis 16 & 21. This will set the context for what Paul will explore in Galatians 4. Also, would you take some time to begin praying for someone you can invite to Hope during the Advent season? It’s a natural time for folks to visit a church. An invite from you might be all the encouragement they need to visit Hope. Begin praying now!