Which Are You?

"Tell me, you who 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 bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was born of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic." (Galatians 4:21-24a)

What is this symbolic of?

"For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage...." (v. 24b)

What is the covenant from Mount Sinai? That would be the law, right? Why does it give birth to bondage? It's because the law calls upon the resource of the flesh to live up to God's holy standards (see Gal. 4:23 and Ex. 19:5). We cannot live up to God's holy standards. Plain and simple. If you know anything about Old Testament worship, you can see very clearly that the law could not patch up the loss of fellowship between God and man. Just look at who was allowed into the Holiest of All--no one was. The law is an unattainable goal. Imagine spending your life trying to attain to something you can never accomplish. This is why Paul refers to the law as giving birth to bondage.

So what's the other covenant? That's the one that's outlined in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This is the one that "gives birth" to freedom. Why is that?

Why does the New Covenant bring freedom?

It's because the New Covenant is based on His promises. There is nothing more sure than God's promises. Note how many times God says, "I will" in the New Covenant. It is all based on what He does/has done for us. It has nothing to do with what we can do. Oh, praise be to our God and Father...it's all based on Him and His promises! If that doesn't make you get out of your chair and go nuts, I don't know what will.

And when Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn. Because of the New Covenant, we can now all go into the Holiest of All and be with God...any time we want...all the time.

Oh how freeing is that!

Note the final verse of chapter 4:

"So then, brethren, we are NOT children of the bondwoman but of the free." (emphasis mine)

Paul is saying clearly, we are not children of the Old Covenant, but of the new.

Which are you?