We need to see something further concerning slavery under law. The law was typified by Hagar, Abraham’s concubine, who had no proper standing. This indicates that in God’s promise and grace, the law has no position (4:24-25). As Abraham’s wife, Sarah had the proper position in God’s promise and grace. The wife could even tell Abraham to cast out the maidservant and her son. This shows that the law typified by Hagar has no position in God’s promise and grace.
The Seventh-Day Adventists need to hear such a word. In obligating themselves to keep the Sabbath, they place themselves in the position of a concubine. When they do this, they have no position in God’s grace.
In 3:21 Paul spoke like a skillful debater: “If a law was given which was able to give life, righteousness would have indeed been of the law.” Because the law is composed of dead letters, it cannot give life.
Since the law is not able to give life, the law cannot produce sons. It can only produce slaves. Ishmael was not a proper son of Abraham; he was a slave. Hagar was not able to produce a son to be Abraham’s heir. Because Ishmael’s mother was a maidservant, Ishmael also was a slave. All those who endeavor to keep the law, such as the Seventh-Day Adventists, are today’s Ishmaels brought forth by Hagar.
Those who strive to keep the law do so, not by the Spirit, but by their flesh. For this reason, they do not participate in God’s promise and have no enjoyment of life in grace by the Spirit (3:3). Life, grace, and the Spirit have nothing to do with the keeping of the law. The law does not have life, it does not give grace, and it does not depend on the Spirit. Hence, in the keeping of the law we have no life, grace, or Spirit. Instead, we have only our striving in the flesh.
As we consider the matter of freedom in Christ, we need to see that Christ as the life-giving Spirit imparts life by grace. This grace is typified by Sarah, the free woman (2:20a; 4:31). As we have pointed out a number of times, grace is God processed to be our enjoyment. In 1:15 Paul says that God called him through His grace. This indicates that when God called us, He called us by Himself as the One processed to be our enjoyment. Christ as the life-giving Spirit imparts life into us by the Triune God who has been processed to become our enjoyment.
Many Christians regard grace merely as unmerited favor. According to this concept, to receive something from the Lord that we do not deserve is to receive grace. Many Christians think that the experience of grace is especially related to receiving material blessings. This understanding of grace is far from adequate. In John 1:14 we are told that when the Word (Christ) became flesh and tabernacled among us, He was full of grace. This surely does not mean that the Word which became flesh was full of material blessings. Furthermore, in John 1:16 we are told that of His fullness we have received grace upon grace. This definitely does not refer to receiving one material blessing upon another. The grace revealed in the New Testament is the very God incarnate who comes to us to be our enjoyment.
In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul says that he labored more than others. In this verse he also says that it was not he who labored, but the grace of God which was with him. This indicates that the grace which was with Paul was actually God Himself. Christ imparts life into our being by the Triune God processed to be our enjoyment. This is grace.
Grace is typified by Sarah, who also typifies God’s promise. As we have pointed out, Hagar, the concubine, typifies the law. When we come to chapter four, we shall see that these women are an allegory signifying two covenants that bring forth two kinds of children. The grace typified by Sarah is the means Christ uses to impart Himself into us as life. This is absolutely different from law.
The life imparted by Christ produces sons like Isaac, sons of the free woman, who inherit God’s promise (4:28, 30-31). When we received Christ as life, we became sons of God to inherit the blessing promised by God for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
As sons of promise, we participate in God’s grace of life and thereby enjoy the freedom of life (5:1). This means that we have liberation from obligation, and we have satisfaction, rest, and the enjoyment of Christ. This is the freedom that is versus slavery under law.
Galatians 2:4 presents the basic contrast between freedom in Christ and slavery under law. This indicates the fact that the book of Galatians gives us a number of basic truths and principles so that we may know God’s New Testament economy in a proper way. Some saints in the Lord’s recovery still may not be clear about God’s New Testament economy. These messages on Galatians should help all of us to know God’s economy in a basic way.
It is crucial for us to understand the basic terms, truths, and principles presented in Galatians. Thus far, we have covered two basic matters. The first is God’s Son versus man’s religion; the second is freedom in Christ versus slavery under law. We need to know the Son of God and also man’s religion and tradition. We also must know the contrast between freedom in Christ and slavery under law. Praise the Lord for our freedom in Christ! We are not in slavery under law—we enjoy freedom in Christ. We are free from obligation, and we have satisfaction, rest, and enjoyment in Christ.