But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Galatians 4:30-31 (NIV).
In concluding his comparison of the new Christian church to the story of Hagar and Sarah, Paul reminds us of a really important fact.
Sin is slavery.
Hagar was Sarah’s slave. Abraham unwisely listened to the tempting words of his legitimate wife, Sarah, that he sleep with Hagar to produce an heir (which is what happened). In doing so, Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar sinned. They worked the thwart the promise that God made to Abram that He would prosper him and produce an heir who would bless the world.
God NEVER tells us “do this one last sin and then go sin no more.” Instead, He says, “follow Me and sin no more.” Stop now. Trust Me. Follow Me. God never leads us to His righteousness by telling us “just one more.” God understands, Jesus understands, that sin is slavery. That our choices to sin lead us to spiritual slavery, continued unrepentance, because our hearts can harden. Paraphrasing a recent post from Chad Bird, God provided salvation for us even before we repented, even though we need to keep repenting from our constant sins. Yet we can never repent enough, or often enough, to equal the salvation that Jesus gave from the cross. What He did is so much more than even the biggest accumulation of all our repentances.
That’s because our sins make us slaves. What we’re turning away from made us slaves. Our sins are filth and make us filthy. Whether it is murdering a market full of strangers, lying to get whatever you want, or even simply believing we are enough and don’t need God, our sins enslave us to the nature that breeds them. That sinful nature is in each of us, eating away at us and always tempting us to do more. It’s egged on by a jealous slave-master devil who wants to use us to hurt God, to drive a wedge between Him and us…
…As if that were even possible. Jesus guaranteed our salvation. He defeated this slavery and that devil forever. There is no sin too unforgiveable or too late that Jesus won’t forgive if only we put our faith in Him. Even in our last breath, if our heart is for Him, all sins are forgiven. The debt is paid. The slave is set free. Just like Hagar and Ishmael. At the end of their stories, they were set free, living under God’s provision in new places.
For further reading: Genesis 21:10, Romans 7:4, Galatians 5:1
Lord, I put all my faith in You alone. Forgive me of my sins today. Let me follow only You.
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Practical Proverbs 