"Children of the Promise"

Q: What does the Bible say about children of promise?

The Bible reveals that the children of promise, like Isaac, are those who are born by the power of God through grace. In Galatians 4:28, the Apostle Paul states, 'Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.' This reflects the supernatural and miraculous act of God in granting believers new life in Christ. Just as Isaac was born of a free woman and promised to Abraham, believers are seen as children of promise through God's grace, not by human effort or law. This underscores the difference between the children of the bondwoman, who represent those under the law, and the children of the free, who are born of faith and promise, illustrating the covenant of grace that frees us from bondage.

Q: How do we know the covenant of grace is true?

The covenant of grace is affirmed in Scripture as being established by God through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law's requirements. The covenant of grace is rooted in the promises of God and is effectively fulfilled through Jesus Christ. As articulated in Galatians 4, the distinction between the covenants shows that the covenant made with Abraham and his descendants through Isaac represents true believers, while the law symbolizes bondage. Paul emphasizes that salvation is not dependent on human works but is a gracious gift from God. This is reinforced by passages such as Romans 9:7-8, which teaches that not all descendants of Abraham are his true children; rather, those born through the promise are counted as the seed of God. Thus, the covenant of grace is validated not just by the historical acts of God but also through the theological implications and spiritual realities it encompasses.

Q: Why is understanding the difference between the two covenants important for Christians?

It helps Christians recognize their identity as children of grace, freeing them from a works-based religion. Understanding the difference between the two covenants—that of the law, which leads to bondage, and that of grace, which grants freedom—is crucial for Christians. The law, represented by Hagar, produces a sense of enslavement because it demands perfection and obedience, which no one can achieve. Conversely, the covenant of grace, symbolized by Sarah and her son Isaac, illustrates God's promises fulfilled through grace and faith, liberating believers from the burden of trying to earn their salvation. As Paul teaches in Galatians 4, recognizing oneself as a child of the free woman is vital for living in the joy and assurance of salvation. This understanding fundamentally shapes a believer's relationship with God and informs their approach to faith and life.

Q: What are the implications of being a child of promise?

Being a child of promise means receiving God's grace and inheritance through Christ, not through works. The implications of being a child of promise are profound. Those who believe in Christ are adopted into God's family and receive the inheritance that comes with being His children. As articulated in Galatians 4:31, Paul concludes that believers are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. This signifies that the inheritance of eternal life, forgiveness, and spiritual blessings is given freely by God's grace rather than earned through human effort. This identity as children of promise brings assurance, hope, and the ability to live in the freedom that grace provides. It also encourages believers to understand their worth is not based on their adherence to the law but solely on the finished work of Christ.

Let's all stand together and sing hymn number 485. 485. ["485"] We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love, For Jesus, who died and is now gone above. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! We praise thee, O God, Lord, the Spirit of life, Who has shown us our Saviour and scattered our night. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain, Who has borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! Revive us again. Fill each heart with Thy love. May each soul be rekindled with life from above. Alleluia, Thine the glory. Alleluia, Amen. Alleluia, Thine the glory. Revive us again. Be seated, we'll sing hymn number 354. 354.

What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to care Everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer If we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? ♪ Jesus knows our every weakness ♪ Take it to the Lord in prayer ♪ Hurry, weak and heavy laden ♪ Comfort with a load of care Precious Savior, still our refuge Take into the morning prayer To thy prince despise forsaken Take heed to the Lord in prayer In his arms he'll take and shield you Thou wilt find a solace there Galatians chapter 4. Galatians chapter 4. Start at verse 19, read to the end of the chapter. My little children, of whom I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you, or I am perplexed for you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh. But he of the free woman was by promise, which things are an allegory. For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem, which is above all, which is above, is free. which is the mother of us all.

For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren, thou bearest not. Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not. For the desolate hath many more children than she which hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, Even so, it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Lord, we're aware, conscious, that we're coming into the presence of God, infinitely holy, righteous, and just, a God terrible in wrath, but also wondrous in mercy and grace, manifesting your power, especially in the salvation of your people. manifest your power and your longsuffering towards those vessels already fitted for wrath.

And Lord, we've gathered out here this evening, hopefully by your grace, to deal with these precious words of God. Lord, give me understanding, give me wisdom to deal with these things truthfully, honestly, graciously, lovingly, kindly. And Lord Jesus, we Thank you that you allow us to do these things, come together.

And our Father, we pray for our dear brothers and sisters who are not with us because the frailty of their body, their body is so frail, and Lord, be with them. If it be your pleasure and please you to raise them back up to come worship with us again, we'd be so ever thankful. But if you don't, we're still thankful for them. And our blessed Savior, we do pray again for our children, our children so hopelessly, helplessly lost, and God is not at all in their thoughts.

So, Lord, if you'd be pleased, if it would bring glory to your holy name and do it in such a way like you did for us that you get all the glory, go after them, apprehend them as you did All of you people, apprehend them on the road. Bring them down like you did all of us and like you did Saul of Tarsus. Bring them down. Throw them out of the nest. Do whatever is necessary to bring them to the end of themselves and to Christ our Lord. Please bring glory to yourself in this service tonight. We ask these things in our blessed Savior's name. Amen. Let's sing course number 31. 31 in our course books.

When I was lost in sin and shame, How Thou let me take the blame! Blessed Lord, how merciful Thou art to me! When I could look down deep within, And see the sinfulness of sin, Blessed Lord, how merciful thou was to me. Oh, how merciful, how merciful. Blessed Lord, how merciful.

Thou art to me Oh, how merciful How merciful Blessed Lord, how merciful Thou art to me A sinner lost and so helpless Yet thou say'st I must repent, Blessed Lord, how merciful thou wast to me. I wonder why should I rebel, And with a soul deserving hell, Blessed Lord, how merciful thou was to me. Oh, how merciful, how merciful, blessed Lord, How merciful Thou art to me. Oh, how merciful, how merciful, blessed Lord, How merciful Thou art to me. I'm not ashamed of all Thy grace, And when Thou came and took my place, Blessed Lord, how merciful Thou art to me.

And when this world ceases to be, Eternal blood to speak for me Blessed Lord, how merciful Thou art to me Oh, how merciful How merciful Blessed Lord, how merciful Thou art to me. Oh, how merciful, how merciful, blessed Lord, how merciful Thou art to me. You remember last week we dealt with Paul's putting such a question mark on these Galatians, and said he stood in doubt of them, really had a question mark on them. But yet he called them brethren, and he called them brethren.

Tonight I want to talk about the children of the promise, children of the promise. I want to deal with verses 21 to the end of the chapter. And you know, he said, I desire in verse 20, I desire to be with you. I desire to be present with you. Come there and be with you, be in your midst, just like we are here tonight. And to change my voice instead of so concerned for you and so troubled for you. I'd like to come and so I could change the way I have to deal with you so I wouldn't have standing doubt. I wouldn't be perplexed by you.

And then he asked, you know, what we're doing is in these verses tonight, we're going to deal with what's called an allegory. That's what it says in verse 24. For which things are an allegory, an allegory. And an allegory is a story which people, things, and happenings have a symbolic meaning. Like in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, he had talkative, he had faithful, he had Mr. Valiant, he had the interpreter's house, he had the slob despond, he had the burden on his back, he went through the straight gate, And he met Mr. Legality, told him to go up the mountain, and men met him there with a great rod and beat him back, beat him till he couldn't hardly go. And so he went through Madame Bubble, went through Vanity Fair, fell asleep on the side, you know, when he got up through there, went to the Interpreter's House. So many things that told of all the things that he went through as a believer.

And that's what he's talking about here. We have an allegory. these certain things in the scriptures that deal with something that when you read them in the Old Testament, you read them in the book of Genesis, you don't see them as an allegory. And so Abraham, what he tells us was Abraham had two sons. Look, but let's start in verse 21. Tell me after I've stood in doubt of you, you tell me now. He says, you tell me.

You that desire to be under the law, Do you not hear it? Don't you hear what it says? Don't you hear the thunder on Sinai? Don't you see the lightning? Don't you see the smoke ascending from it? Don't you see they said if anybody got close except a mediator in Moses, they'd have to die? Don't you understand what you're asking about? What you're designed to do?

And oh, but then it says, And I like this, look what it says in verse 24, it is written, look down verse 27, for it is written, look down verse 30, nevertheless what saith the scriptures? That's one thing that's peculiar to this one apostle. He always say it is written. And he goes back and deals with what was there and tells you what it means now. We didn't, maybe we didn't get all of it back there. So he said, I'm going to tell you what this means. I'm going to tell you what this means.

And oh my. So he said it's written, verse 22, that Abraham had two sons. The one by bondmaid, the other by free woman. And oh my. And then he had that one by Hagar, which was a maid, which was a servant. And Sarah was The free woman represents the covenant of grace. Hagar, the servant, represents the covenant of Mount Sinai.

And these two sons, these two sons represent two sorts of professors, these two sons, these two sons. And there was such a great difference between them. One was born of the flesh, had just nothing but flesh, And they present two types of believer, two types of people in this world. You know, Abraham, I mean, Isaac and Jacob, excuse me, Isaac and Ishmael. And the legalist, Ishmael, he represents the legalist. He's a legalist. That's what he is. He's a legalist. I was reading something about a covenant today. And the guy start dealing with the covenant. I was dealing, reading on covenants.

And this fella says, you know that one of the things in the covenant is, is that you commit to raising your children under the covenant after you baptize them when they're three months old. You say, yes, I'll raise them in the covenant. Now, how do you raise somebody in the covenant? How do you, it says you got to keep them in an education. How do you educate people into the kingdom of God?

And that's what legalism is. Whenever you put a question mark on anything that has to be done on your behalf to make somebody else righteous or saved, it's Hagar. It's Hagar. And, oh, then, you know, they represent two sorts of professors. Ishmael, legalist. The bondwoman represents legalist. Isaac represents evangelical Christians, people like us, true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're like Isaac. We're children of promise. Legalists are of Ishmael. He is man after the flesh. And he goes on to say now, look what he says here. Verse 22 and 23. Abraham had two sons for his written. And you can go back and find these two sons. You remember how Ishmael was born?

Sarah couldn't have a child. She went and told Abraham, said, Abraham, go into Hagar, my maid, my servant, have a child by her, so I'll have a child to raise. Well, she did. He went unto her, and it started a fight. I mean, it was awful. And Abraham was, Ishmael was born a servant. His mother was a servant. He's going to be a servant all the days of his life. He can't be nothing but a servant. He was born after the flesh. And they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But Isaac was born of a free woman. Abraham's lawful wife. Isaac was not a servant. He was a son. And you know how he became a son? God made a promise to Abraham that you shall have a son, and your son shall be the heir. And that's what Isaac was. He is the free man. Abraham begat him by promise, and Sarah did. Ishmael was born after the flesh, by the ordinary strength of nature. His mother was young. She is strong. She is able to conceive.

But Sarah was 90 years old. Abraham was 100. And when God told him, said, at a certain time of the year, I'm going to come back and you're going to have a child. Abraham said, hey, no way. Sarah laughed in the tent, you know, just, it's just incredulous. How am I going to have a child? Oh, I just can't be, I can't be. Then God said, why are you laughing?

And at the set time of year, God came and Sarah had a child. God promised him he was born years, decades after Ishmael was born. But he was born a free man because he was born of Abraham's wife. And oh my, he was born by promise, by a supernatural act, a miracle of God. And I tell you what, beloved, look with me over in Galatians. Look in Romans chapter nine. Look in Romans chapter nine. I want you to see something over here about children. Look down at verse 7.

Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. Look what he said. In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Seed, not seeds, seed. That is, they which are the children of the flesh These are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise. At this time, I will come and Sarah shall have a son at a certain time." All right, back over here to our text. Look in verse 24 and 25. that he was of the bond woman, was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise.

Which things are an allegory? For these are the two covenants, or the two testaments, Old Testament, New Testament. The one from Mount Sinai, which genders and produces bondage, that's Hagar, as Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai, in Arabia and answers to Jerusalem, which now is in bondage with her children."

These women represent two covenants. The covenant under the Old Testament was never, ever given to save, never, ever given to save. And I tell you, it was a covenant of works. It was a covenant of do and live. It was a covenant of obey and you'll be blessed. But if you did not obey, then you was under the curse. And I tell you, it was a schoolmaster. That's what Paul said in one place. It was a schoolmaster to show us how desperately, desperately men need the Lord Jesus Christ.

They had never, ever had, no sacrifice under that in the Old Testament was ever put away one sin. Or ever, high priests never put away a high sin. But it come to show us in all those things, them covenants come to show us how desperately men and women need a savior. And what a great sacrifice that God would provide for sinners and for sin.

That there would be a great high priest to come. after the order of Melchizedek, the tabernacle that God would come down among men, and the mercy seat where God himself would meet and accept sinners once and for all in that Shekinah glory. And oh, my. And I tell you, these two covenants, the covenant of grace was under a new covenant, a New Testament, even though it was always given.

And so this Hagar is Mount Sinai. That means that this woman that was born of her son, born of the flesh, this woman that was a servant, this woman that was a slave, that's all that the law of Sinai can do. Sinai, she prefigured, Hagar prefigured Sinai, the servant and the bondwoman.

She was typical of the effect which it produced Life and acceptance are sought by it. If you see life and acceptance by it, you know what it produces? Bondage. Bondage. That's what it produced in her. That's what it produced in her. It produced children of bondage. Men and women in bondage. And I'll tell you what, when God set me free, I'm not going to be bound by nothing anymore. God helped me. And I'll tell you what it cannot produce. It's Mount Sinai. It cannot produce airs of life. It cannot do it. It cannot make you an air of life. And when you look at it, all it talks about is human works, human merit. It produces fear.

And it's like Jerusalem. In Paul's day, he said, it's just like the Jerusalem that was in our Lord's time. He said all it did is just like Jerusalem there with his temple, with his sacrifices, with his priesthood, and with his Phariseeism, with all of his laws, and all of his rituals, and all of his feasts. And it was in bondage. Everything about Jerusalem, and that's the religious capital of the world, everything about it produced nothing but bondage.

Nothing but bondage. And oh my, it's a place of religion. And oh my, followers of the law can no more be the heirs of God than Ishmael can. Son of the bondwoman can be the true heir of Abraham. He was born a servant, a service son, and he'll always be nothing but a servant. And then he talks about the covenant of grace, and look what he says now. Verse 26. But Jerusalem, which is above all, is free, which the mother of us are. There's Jerusalem on this earth that produces bondage, with its feasts, with its sacrifices, with its priesthood, with its temple, with all the things that it did.

And the Pharisees said, oh, my goodness, how often did they call down the Lord and rebuked him for things that he did? And the scripture says that they'll put a burden on you and not lift one finger to get it off of you. Not one finger. And I know I go on and on about this, but I tell you what, it is so easy, it is so easy to bring yourself under bondage by thinking that you're not doing enough, or you don't pray enough, you don't read enough. That brings you right back under bondage.

And the law had conditions to it, but the covenant of grace has no conditions to it. God never looked, He did not put a condition on me to get me to become a believer. You know, Christ in the law, under the law, you had to do. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things written of the book of the law to do them. As it is written, it's evident that no man shall be justified by the law in the sight of God. Just shall live by faith, and the law is not a faith. And so here Paul describes a covenant of grace, and he says this in verse 24, which Jerusalem is above. He makes a distinction between Jerusalem is down here in bondage and Jerusalem up there, above. which is free, which is the mother of us all.

Who's that he's talking about? He's talking about Sarah, talking about Christ and us being the, and oh, he describes this covenant of grace and it's in Christ because it comes from above. It comes from above. You know, in Christ, he's our mediator, our representative, our sin offering.

And the covenant, let me tell you something about this covenant business. The covenant that God made was between Christ and God his father. We did not enter into any covenant with God. When Moses come down from the law and gave him everything that God said, Israel said, we'll do it, whatever he says we'll do. Now here's the difference in the covenant of grace. God said, everything that I require of them, I'll require it of my son and give it to them. Because this comes from above. It don't come from the earth. It don't come from the flesh. It comes from above. Jerusalem, which is above all, free all. Everything we got come from above. Oh, my.

God made this covenant between Christ and God. not between God and us. And there's no conditions, no conditions. Oh my, all the conditions are provided for us in this covenant of grace. Isaac was by promise and there was no conditions given on Abraham or Sarah, old conditions put on them to have that son.

God just said, I'm going to give you a son. I promise to give you a son, and I'll meet you at a certain time, and you'll have a son. He didn't say, now, if you'll do this, if you'll do that, if you don't do this, if you don't do that, if you don't know. No, God just said, I'm going to be there at a certain time, and you're going to have a child. Didn't put no conditions on him, and didn't put no condition on Isaac. If you put conditions on us, we couldn't beat them. I don't care what it would be, we couldn't beat them.

Oh, our Lord's kingdom is from above, not from Mount Sinai. The righteousness we have, it comes from above by His obedience, not ours. The redemption we have is His sacrifice, His satisfaction, not in the things of the tabernacle. And our access is not going into a temple or a tabernacle to have access to God. Our access is to the throne of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest who sits at the right hand of God. Not some earthly priesthood.

Oh my. And this covenant is free. Free. Free from the law and its bondage. Ain't that what it says? Which is free. Everything about God gives us is free. Oh, by this, we're free from the law. We sing that old song, free from the law. Oh, happy condition. Jesus has bled and there is remission. Oh, what a happy condition.

And then he said, he's the mother of us all. And what he's talking about, this covenant, this covenant of grace, this covenant of in Sarah, this covenant of Christ, is the mother of every believer, Jew or Gentile. As Sarah was the mother of the son of promise, we are born also by grace, by a miracle, by the power of God, by the miracle-working power of God, and we're children of promise just like Isaac was. Oh my.

And here in Isaiah, look what it says in verse 57 for it is written Rejoice, this is Isaiah 54 Isaiah 54 verse 1 for it is written rejoice though you're barren That you don't bear any children Break forth and cry Because you didn't travail But even though you're desolate hath many more children than she which hath a husband And what he's saying is, is that Sarah looked desolate. They made fun of her because she couldn't have a child. She had one child. And it says, you know, and look what it didn't say, she has many more children than that which hath husband. She does has many more children. Many, many more children.

That's also talking about the early church as it was in the ministry after our death and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And oh, let me ask you, and I don't know if people's asked me this times over the years, how can you have children by preaching free grace without works? Especially when I first started preaching, people asked me that all the time. How can you preach free grace and not any works, have any works to do with it? Well, there can be no children without the law as a rule of life, is what they would say. But the Lord also says she'll be fruitful and have a multitude that no man can number. But, oh my, that people think that you got to add something to it. You got to. You got to.

And then it says in verse 28, Now we, brethren, Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Isaac was promised to Abraham and Sarah, and our Lord, we were promised and given to Christ. We're children of promise, just like they are. You know what?

In John 17, John 17, there's six times that our Lord when he prayed, those thou hast given me, those thou hast given me, those thou gave me. Six times he talked about us being given to Christ. Six times in one chapter. And you know, all that the Father giveth me, what did he say?

They gonna come to me. They gonna come to me. Oh my. He said, they're going to come. There's no doubt about it. He said, I give unto my sheep eternal life. I know them. I know them. I know where they are. I know what they are. I know them. I know them. Oh, my.

Grace was given us in Christ before the foundation. As Isaac was conceived and born beyond the strength and course of nature. Sarah was 90, Abraham was 100. As Isaac was conceived and born beyond the strength and course of nature, we're born spiritually by the power of God.

As flesh has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with our salvation. Everything has to do with the power of God. To as many as received him, to them, to them, gave he the power of God. which were born, not of the will of flesh, not of the will of man, nor of blood, but of God, but of God.

Oh, my. You know, we are spiritually dead. He gave us life. He who hath to a dead and trespasses sins hath a quickened. You know, Ezekiel asked the question, God asked the question of Ezekiel, and he went down and looked at that valley of dry bones. He said, can these bones live? Lord, you know. That infant cast out, he's cast out, and he's lying there polluted in his blood.

Can this child live? If God says, yeah, he'll live, he's gonna live. Lazarus, been dead four days. Can Lazarus live? Yes. Can we live? If God says we can, we can. If God says we can, we can. Live, I said, live. I'm naked and I'm polluting my blood. Live, I say. I'll cover your nakedness. And I'll put a garment on you. Lazarus, get out of that tomb. Take away the grave clothes. We want them grave clothes off of him. He can't live in grave clothes.

Oh, that's the way it is. And I tell you, what conditions did he give any of these people? He just did it. And that's what he did for us. He promised them, and he did it. And we're the children of promise, and we're promised to Christ. And everybody that God gave to Christ and promised to Christ are going to be brought to Christ in the time appointed, just as sure as God's on His throne.

And as Isaac was the heir by birth, as the son of Abraham, We're heirs of God. You know that? Isaac was the heir of everything that the son had. Abraham had. Christ is the heir of everything that the father had. And God said, I'm going to make you joint heirs with my son.

What he gets, you get. What he has, you have. As wealthy as he is, that's how wealthy I'm going to make you. He's rich in grace, you're rich in grace. He's wealthy in wisdom, you're wealthy in wisdom. He's rich in mercy, you're rich in mercy. Oh, we're joy to have with our master.

And oh, Ishmael, and look what it says down here now in verse 29. Now you can read about this in Genesis 21 if you want to, but then as he as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit. Even so is it now. When Isaac was being weaned, I don't know what time it was, but they had a big feast for him. And they was out there watching the big feast and everything was going well and everything and they had a feast for Isaac and when they was weaning come of age And old Ishmael's over there making fun of him, mocking him.

Oh, he thinks he's something special, thinks he's better than I am and all that. Sarah saw it. She said, Abraham, that man, that woman and that child's got to go. He's not gonna be heir with my son. He's born of the flesh, he's after the flesh, he's a bond slave, and his mother's a bond slave, and he's not gonna be an heir. Get him outta here!

And by God's grace, by God's grace, keep, don't let any, just keep, keep everything away from us but Christ. Oh my. And all these false prophets that preach justification by works, and advocates of the law who preach it for acceptance with God. They will and do mock right now and persecute those that are trust and true to the rest of God, rest only in the Lord Jesus for justification and redemption. They still persecute people that believe in free grace children of the promise, and will not have anything to do with works, will not have anything to do with law. And I know salvation by works and salvation of grace are absolute opposites, opposites.

And true believers, now I'm telling you, true believers have never persecuted no one. Have you, as a believer, since you've been a believer in the grace of God, have you ever persecuted anybody? Have you ever went after anybody because of what they believe? No. But those who trust in their own works and their deeds always, always hate and persecute children of the promise. When they find out what you believe, they say, Oh, I can't believe you believe that. How could you believe such a thing?

Well, I couldn't without the grace of God, neither could you. But oh, it's like Paul. Look what he said down here in verse 11, chapter 5, chapter 5, verse 11. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, if I'm preaching law, Preaching acceptance with God on the covenant of works, on the law, circumcision. Why do I suffer persecution?

Because if I preach circumcision, then there's no offense in the cross. The cross won't offend you. It won't call you a sinner. It won't offend your wisdom. Won't offend your idea of yourself, won't offend your idea of free will, won't, you know, it won't offend your conception of pride if we preach circumcision. But the cross is offensive. It's offensive. It always has been, always will be. And oh, look what he says. Verse 30.

Nevertheless, what saith the scripture, cast out the bondwoman and her son. For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman." Oh, Ishmael, the child of flesh and works, had to be cast out with her mother, and that produced him.

And I'll tell you what, God keep our hearts, keep our hearts from anything, anything, anything but the grace of God in Christ. Then look what he says, So then, brethren, verse 31, So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. We're heirs of God, heirs of his grace. You know, there's people that put part Christ and part flesh. They can't be the children of God. There is people, let me say this, and I'll get home, I'll finish this up.

There's this idea, that, you know, grace, grace is just a higher form of doctrine. And you get to it intellectually. And when you get to that higher level of doctrine that you get to the believing in the doctrine of grace, that's a higher level and it's intellectually can only understand it. So that's just Hagar in another form. Grace Grace is for people that's, that has got nothing.

Ishmael had something. His mother had something. They had works, they had law, they had self-righteousness, they had pride. And they mocked the man, they mocked Isaac. And people gonna mock us, they always have and always will. So brethren, we who are born again And now I tell you what he said, but we that are born again are not children of the law, but of the flesh, but are supernatural children of God. To God be all the glory. Who made us to differ? What have we got that God didn't give it to us? What have we got?

Self-righteous soul on works rely and boast their moral dignity. But if I list the song of praise, each note shall echo grace, free grace. T'was grace that quickened me when dead. T'was grace my soul to Jesus led. Grace brings a sense of pardoned sin. And grace subdues my lusts within. Grace reconciles to every loss and sweetens every painful cross. defends my soul when danger's near, by grace alone I persevere. Which from this world my soul removes to mansions of delight and love, I'll cast my crown before the throne and shout, free grace, free grace, alone.

Right? Oh, our Lord. Oh, Lord, you make things so plain for us, and I'm grateful you do. Father, our Lord, our Master, I'm so grateful that you put no conditions on salvation, that Christ met every condition, met everything that you ever demanded of any man on this earth. He met every one of them. And now we're free. Children of the free woman. Children of promise. Children by birth. Children by promise. Children by supernatural and miraculous act of God himself.

Bless these dear saints as they go their way. Bless my brothers and sisters who are listening tonight. We thank you for them. and meet their needs for Christ's sake. Amen. Amen. He's the Savior of my soul. Jesus, my Jesus. He's the Savior of my soul. He's the Savior of my soul. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, He's the Savior of my soul. He's the Savior of my soul. We ain't had a dinner here in a long, long time. We're going to have one this next Sunday, the first Sunday of March. And looking forward to it. And the Lord bless you and keep you, and I'll see you Sunday, God willing.

"Children of the Promise"

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about children of promise?

How do we know the covenant of grace is true?

Why is understanding the difference between the two covenants important for Christians?

What are the implications of being a child of promise?

Sermon Transcript

About Donnie Bell

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"Children of the Promise"

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about children of promise?

How do we know the covenant of grace is true?

Why is understanding the difference between the two covenants important for Christians?

What are the implications of being a child of promise?

Sermon Transcript

About Donnie Bell

Comments

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