Hi Friend and welcome back to my little corner of the internet,

This week I have been studying the book of Galatians. I’m studying chapter 4 tonight, and I feel that God has laid it on my heart to share with you what He’s revealed to me in His word.

If you remember anything about the story of Abraham, then you remember his wife Sarah. Sarah was barren and unable to give Abraham children. Sarah also had a maid named Hagar who was not barren. If you want to find the part of their story I’m talking about here, please read it for yourself. (Genesis chapter 12-21.) See Sarah wanted to give Abraham children, but was unable, so she got it in her head to give her maid Hagar to Abraham for him to conceive a child with. You can imagine how that went down. But Abraham did have a child with Hagar, but oh the promises of God… See God told Abraham he would make him the father of many nations. How was God going to do that? Well, He blessed Sarah, and she was able to conceive her own child in their special covenant of marriage. The story itself really teaches you to not be so set in your own ideas of what you think is best and rely more on what the Lord knows is best.

Chapter 4 of Galatians talks about the two covenants of what we as a human race live by.  It comes back to the two women in Abraham’s life.

See Jesus came from that blessed union. So, the bible teaches us in Galatians 4:23, “But the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, while the son of the free woman was born in the fulfillment of the promise.”

Paul, when writing Galatians, told the people he was going to use the two women as an allegory for the meaning of both births that took place. Hagar represents slavery while Sarah represents freedom.

You can live one of two ways, Friend. Free from the slavery of sin or changed to it for your whole life. When Jesus Christ was born there was a fulfillment that took place. You can fact check that even in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7. And because of Jesus’ birth we can be born again into His family. Literally, when you give your life to Christ you are taken into the body of Christ. Completely made new and set free from the limitations of this world and the slavery we are born in as sinners.

If you stay in the mindset of a slave to sin you keep the mindset that you have to do everything yourself. That you, alone, are responsible for everything that takes place in your own life. And how often do you feel like you can never do anything right? How often do you feel so weighed down it is hard to breathe?

Friend, I promise there’s a better way, and it only takes the faith of a mustard seed.

So the first way you can continue to live your life, and it is entirely your choice, is by living in the works of the flesh. What does that mean? I’m so glad you asked, Friend. Works of the flesh is belief that you can handle it all alone. Make your own plans, struggle with the outcome of making it fit the perfect timeline you’ve dreamed up. This idea is normal to us. As humans we are in a constant fight between the spiritual and physical parts of our life. (Blog coming about this soon!)

But living that way causes so much pain. Every type of misery bleeds from you, you become frustrated at your failures and then end up weary and worn out. 

Now, what does that sound like? Anxiety? Depression? Yes. To both.

When we live in the slave to sin mindset, we stay confused and defeated, there is no place in your life for true joy when you live apart from God. Yes, you can feel happy, occasionally, but you inevitably revert to misery and hopelessness. See we were not designed to live apart from God, but humanity was tricked into it. We didn’t listen to a warning and here we are. So, God made a way to get us back to Him. Something no parent should ever have to do, but He did it, because He loves us.

Friend, you are loved beyond time and space. You are the child of the most high king. You are special and created for a unique purpose. You matter more than you will ever even be able to admit to yourself. Even as a Christian, I have had moments when I’ve felt like I wasn’t worth it, but those were times when I chose to not listen to the small voice from God and take the reigns of my life in my own hands, as if I knew better. And like the patient gentleman He is, God waited. He waited on me to get my sights back on Him. He waited for me to come crawling back with a weight I was never meant to carry. Dragging shackles I had placed on my own spiritual form. Regret, hurt, anger, betrayal, unforgiveness, bitterness, depression, anxiety… the list could have been a mile long, but it was nothing to a God that’s overcome the world. He picked me up, dusted me off and set my feet on His firm foundation. And if He’ll do it for me, He will certainly do it for you.

If you would like to give your life to Christ I have a simple prayer for you. You can do it right where you are in the comfort of your own home or wherever in this world you’re standing. God hears you no matter how far you are. (It doesn’t matter whether it’s out loud or silent.)

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving your life for me and forgiving me of my sins, so I may have a personal relationship with you. I am sincerely sorry for the life I have lived apart from you. Your word says in Romans 10:9, that if I acknowledge and confess with my mouth that you, Jesus, are Lord and believe with my heart that you died and was raised from the grave, I will be saved. Jesus, I know God raised you from the grave and you are alive in heaven preparing a place for me and you are coming back soon! I believe you are the son of God, and I confess that you are my Lord and Savior from this day forward. I invite you into my heart, change me and make me new.  In Jesus Christ’s mighty name, I pray, amen.

Congratulations, Friend. And welcome to the body of Christ.

You are in my prayers and I know God can meet every need, every hurt, every pain.

As always, stay blessed!

-FASP