Paul goes once again to the story of Abraham to illustrate what we should do with the Law. Abraham had two children by two different women. The first woman was Hagar, a slave from Egypt, and the other was his wife, Sarah. God had said that Abraham would have a son, and Sarah was not only barren, but even if she could have ever had a son, now would be too late. It just couldn't happen. Abraham waited eleven years for God's promise to come true. So Sarah told Abraham to conceive a son by Hagar, and he did. The child's name was Ishmael, and he was not the son which God had promised Abraham. He was born "the ordinary way"(v.23,29). Fourteen years later, however, God gave Abraham a son through Sarah, and his name was Isaac. He was born as the result of the promise, and "by the power of the Spirit"(v.23,29). Ishmael was born of a slave woman, but Isaac was born free.

Paul interprets this story in a way that no one ever saw before. The apostle explains that these two mothers represent the two covenants. Hagar corresponds to the old covenant, Mount Sinai, the earthly Jerusalem, the Law of Moses, and slavery. Sarah, on the other hand, corresponds to the New Covenant, Mount Zion, the Jerusalem that is from above, Grace, and freedom. No wonder the Jews wanted to kill Paul. Not since Jesus had anyone said anything as radical and iconoclastic as this. He boldly declares that the children of the first covenant are slaves, and the children of the second covenant are free. The Jerusalem which is heavenly is our Mother! For all those seeking the feminine side of God, there it is! God is your Father (your only real Father, now), Christ is your Bridegroom, other Christians are your brothers and sisters (quite literally at this point), and now you have a Mother as well. If you are a believer you are the seed of Abraham and children of the Jerusalem from above, and you are totally free!

Today covenant and Reformed theology teach almost complete continuity between the Old and New Covenants, which would explain the preponderance of legalism in the writings of these traditions. But they are not the only ones who fall into this trap, because the desire to live up to codes and standards is something which is inherent in our flesh, and no one is free from its influence.

What does Paul say to do about this? "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"(4:30, quoting Gen.21:10). The two covenants (and their children) are mutually exclusive. It is no coincidence that Moses was not allowed into the Promised Land, nor was it a mistake that Elijah ascended just outside the Promised Land. He was the prophet of judgment, and Elishah was the prophet of mercy, whose ministry of blessing in Judea is recorded for us. John the Baptist, who lived according to the Law and who was Elijah come again (Matt.11:14), preached wrath until the appearance of Jesus, who was "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Then John the Baptist said "He must increase, and I must decrease" (John 3:30). Notice that John the Baptist ministered "beyond the Jordan."

This is more than a geographical coincidence. The Law and the Promised Land were never meant to be mixed. As John (the apostle) put it, "The Law was given through Moses; Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ"(1:17). It is important to know the difference because you need to understand who you are in Christ. You are free from everything. Your life is not one of striving to live up to any external standard. Your life is "Christ in you" (Col.1:27), and that cannot be contained or controlled by rules and regulations. Get rid of the slave that's within you. You are free!

Almost without exception Christians who hear these glorious truths are struck with fear upon hearing that they are totally free. "But what if I go out and kill someone? I'm afraid of what I'll do if I really believe I'm free to live however I want!" Your fear does not change the fact that you are indeed free from everything. "But I'll fall into sin." No you won't! Just try it and see what happens. You may not realize that something drastic has happened to you. You have been "born from above" (John 3:3). You are in Christ. Christ is in you. You don't even want to sin! Oh, sure, the thought crosses your mind sometimes, maybe even often. But thoughts crossing your mind is called temptation, not sin. Never underestimate the power of knowing your new identity.

What happens to Christians who learn that they have been set free in Christ? The response is very consistent: They fall more madly in love with the Savior who did this for them. How can you not follow a Lord like that? How could worshiping him not become the spontaneous heartbeat of your life? There is no reason to fear what you will do in the light of your freedom in Christ. You have been renewed according to his image. It will affect you for the better. The only ones who forsake the Lord after hearing these incredible things were probably never true believers to begin with. This actually serves as a pretty good indicator of true conversion. And as Joe Shelton always says, "If all this scares you at first, it's a pretty good indication that you're really saved!" If all you care about after learning these things is your license to sin, then something is not quite right in your heart. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see how beautiful and worthy of your worship and trust He is.

So how did Paul react to Christians living in blatant sin? He wrote them letters reminding them of who they were in Christ. He did not put them back under law. They had fallen so far only because they did not know who they were. So Paul would spend 75% of the letter telling them how glorious was Christ and his accomplishment on the cross, and what he did for them in his death and resurrection. Paul honestly expected (and he was right) that just reminding them of who they were would effect the needed change in their behavior. I'm not saying you will never sin again, but I am saying that you won't like it! You should not take for granted that you have a new life inside of you, and that the character and quality of that new life is remarkably similar to the image of Christ. You should not fear your own freedom in Christ.

You are now Sons of God. No one can change that. But our enemy does not wish to stand idly by, even though he has no power to stop the family of God from becoming a reality. So what does he do? He tries to encourage you to try to become something which you already are! This was his strategy from the very beginning. God created Adam and Eve in His image, and He meant for them to portray His character in miniature. But what did the serpent encourage them to do? "To become like God." But they already were! And how did Satan tempt Jesus in the wilderness? He said, "If you are the Son of God, you should be able to do these things. . ." But Jesus did not fall for that. When he was on the cross they told him: "If you're the Messiah, you could save yourself now!" But he refused to move from Being to Doing. He would not stoop to doing the right things in order to be something he already was. He knew his identity.

The same temptation confronts us everyday: to try to become by our own efforts something which we already are. You are born of God, made totally righteous by the blood of Christ, and indwelt by (and totally one with) God's Spirit. All things are yours in Christ. "Now go out there and try to be holy!" But you already are. Holiness is not something you do, it is something you are, in Christ. Have you ever tried to be like Jesus? Too late, you already are! The sons are complete. Let no one sway you into thinking you are not.

In the movie about the Russian heiress to the throne, Anastasia, a friend tried to teach the young princess how to walk, talk, and bow like Anastasia. He filled her mind with facts and trivia which the true Anastasia should know. He loaded her down with things to memorize until she almost wanted to give up. The irony of the story was that she was Anastasia! She surprised her tutor by remembering details about Anastasia's life that he had not even shared with her. In the end, her grandmother recognized her because she simply acted herself. What a beautiful picture of the transformation which takes place when a son of God discovers who he is! The sons are free to be themselves.

We will look at Chapter Five in the next section.