November 30, 2021 – Galatians 4:1–20  

“Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything. But he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. So also we, when we were minors, were enslaved under the basic forces of the world. But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God. Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all. But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless basic forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? You are observing religious days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain. I beg you, brothers and sisters, become like me, because I have become like you. You have done me no wrong!” Galatians 4:1–12  

“But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless basic forces?” 

As Lutherans we teach that salvation is all about grace that comes to us through faith, alone. As such, it is G-d who finds us; we do not find G-d. G-d extends grace to us; we have nothing to offer G-d except our prayer, praise and thanksgiving. When we return to the wrong notion that we can earn G-d’s favor, we turn back the clock spiritually. 

Yes, there is always a tendency, a human desire to want to revert to the past. Somehow, someway, we want salvation or the Christian life to depend on us earning our way. That is a warm and wonderful feeling — but it is contrary to the Gospel. 

Many people need to trade in their “religion” for the gospel of grace found only in the finished work of Christ on the cross. This is a bitter pill to swallow for those who are impressed with their self-effort — but it is a pill worth swallowing. 

Let us pray,

Lord Christ, grace is too easy for us to grasp, so we carry too much guilt thinking we have to earn salvation. Help us to know today that through your cross, you have done it all. Amen. 

Pastor Dave 

December 1, 2021 — Galatians 4:21–31  

“Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: 

“Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; 

break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, 

because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous 

than those of the woman who has a husband.” 

But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now. But what does the scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son” of the free woman. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.” Galatians 4:21–31  

Freedom is what you have when there is no lack of opportunity, ability or availability. Yet in order to be truly free you have to have opportunity, ability, and availability. Let’s take sky-jumping, for example. Suppose you are on your way to the airport to go up for your first real jump, but your car has a blowout. You are no longer free to jump because the opportunity passes while you wait for the tow truck. Or suppose you do make it to the airport, but you have no ability—you have never learned about the basics of parachuting. The opportunity is there, but you don’t have the freedom of ability. But suppose that you make it to the airport, but upon arrival you learn that the sky-diving program has been closed due to a lack of funding. The opportunity is there, the ability and know-how are there, but your availability has ended because the program has ended.  

But there is one last requirement for full freedom. Suppose you get to the airport with no obstacle; you have all the know-how necessary; you see that there is one more opening in the sky-diving class. But as you jump, and as you are enjoying the free fall, without knowing it the person who packed your parachute packed it the wrong way — and your parachute malfunctions and will not open. Now, are you free? You have the opportunity to jump, you have the ability to jump, you have the availability to jump, but in jumping, you will die.  

Whether you know it or not, everyone is in bondage to inevitable destruction. You see, in order to be truly free, it is not enough to have opportunity, ability, and availability. These are all fine, but if what we choose to do leads to death, then we just confirm our bondage to death. But even if we try to always choose life, we still will die. But if we die “in the faith of Christ”, then we live knowing that even though we all die, what we have done as people of faith will lead to life — eternal life — not eternal destruction. 

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, you have the words of eternal life. You only seek to lead us away from death through your words of life. Help us to follow your words every day. Amen.

Pastor Dave