The Amish Voice 2
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What they needed was an adjustment to their spiritual hearing. Once
that adjustment was made, then they too would come to know the rest
of the story.
The way to heaven is not by works nor by the law. A person cannot
do enough works nor keep enough laws to become
perfectly good
.
And for a person to live in God’s presence, he has to be perfect.
What, then, is the way to heaven? If a person cannot be good enough
nor do enough works to make it to heaven, how can he get there? By
faith in the promise of God. God has promised heaven to those who
believe in His Son—to those who genuinely trust Jesus Christ to save
them.
However, most people in the world do not believe the promise of
God. They still think they have to earn and work their way into the
favor of God—that they have to build up a long list of
good works
that will force God to accept them. They think that they have to make
themselves righteous by being good and doing religious things in
order to enter heaven. Therefore, they place themselves under the
rules and regulations of the law and of religion, and they do the best
they can to make it to heaven. This is the appeal of this passage; the
person who approaches God through the works of religion and law
must listen to
what the law really says
.
OUTLINE:
1.
Hearing the law is absolutely essential for the legalist or
religionist (v.21).
2.
Legalism emphasizes the difference between Abraham’s two
sons (vv.22-23).
3.
Legalism emphasizes the difference between two covenants,
two mothers (vv.24-28).
4.
Legalism persecutes and enslaves believers (v.29).
5.
Legalism is to be cast out—receive no inheritance (v.30).
6.
Legalism has no claim upon the children of grace (v.31).
1.
HEARING THE LAW IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR
THE LEGALIST OR RELIGIONIST (v.21).
The legalist and religionist are the persons who approach God by the
law or by the works of goodness or religion. The legalist and
religionist need to hear and really understand what they are doing,
just how they are approaching God. They need to understand the
implication of what they are doing.
2.
LEGALISM EMPHASIZES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
ABRAHAM’S TWO SONS (vv.22-23).
Remember that the way to become acceptable to God and to enter
heaven is not by law nor by the works of goodness but by the promise
of God. Paul uses the illustration of Abraham to prove the point (see
Genesis Chapters 16, 17, and 21). Briefly and simply, Abraham had
two sons. One son had been promised by God to Abraham through his
wife, Sarah; however, many years passed without Sarah’s having a
child. She seemed incapable. She became discouraged; so she sent a
slave girl, Hagar, in to Abraham. Hagar bore a son, Ishmael.
Sometime later, however, God kept His promise and the impossible
happened: Sarah, well beyond childbearing years, bore a son and his
name was Isaac (Ro.4:10).
1.
Note the facts about Ishmael. He was...
born through a natural process
born into slavery, being born of a slave girl
born because of the work, effort, and will of Sarah
born because of the fleshly impulses, urges, and attraction of
Abraham
2.
Note the facts about Isaac. He was...
born as a free man, born of a free woman, Sarah.
born by the promise of God alone. God had promised
Abraham that Sarah would bear a son, and when Isaac was
born, Abraham and Sarah were both well beyond the years
of childbearing—one hundred years old. Isaac was a miracle
-
child, born miraculously by the working of God—all
because God had promised Abraham a son. Isaac was,
therefore, a promised child.
The point is this, and it must be remembered: Ishmael, the child born
by human ingenuity, energy, and effort, was born into slavery. But
Isaac, the child promised by God, was born miraculously by the
promise of God—by His love and power alone—all because He had
made the promise. Isaac was born by the grace of God and by the
grace of God alone.
ILLUSTRATION:
We must remember that even our best efforts fall short of gaining a
place in heaven. It has to be grace and grace alone. Listen to this
humorous story that illustrates the point well.
In his mission field, a certain missionary had to do many things
for himself and his family. When the baby grew too big for the
carriage he started to build a bed for the child. After he prepared
the wood, he glued the mortised pieces and was ready to
complete the bed. His wife thought it too cold to work in the shed
so he brought the materials into the kitchen and started to work.
QUESTIONS
:
1.
What reasons would a legalist give for his approach to God?
2.
Why is it important for the legalist and religionist to understand
the implication of what they are doing?
3.
In what ways are you tempted to be a legalist or religionist?
