INTRO QUESTION: What application, conviction, or encouragement did you find in this passage of Scripture as you heard the sermon today?

Living by Flesh vs. Living by Faith (Gal. 4:21–23)

Ishmael was born according to the flesh through human schemes, whereas Isaac was born through God’s promise by divine power.

• QUESTION: In what areas of your life or spiritual walk are you tempted to rely on effort (flesh) rather than trusting in God’s promises? How have you made sanctification (becoming like Jesus) behavior modification and not heart transformation?

Slave of the Law vs. Child of the Gospel (Gal. 4:24–27)

The two mothers represent two covenants: Hagar (Mount Sinai, slavery, present Jerusalem) and Sarah (Jerusalem above, freedom, grace). The law exposes sin but cannot save, leaving us in the bondage of guilt. The gospel frees us from guilt and condemnation in Christ.

• QUESTION: What subtle forms of legalism or rule-keeping sneak into your daily thinking, and how can you actively replace them with the grace of the gospel for yourself and others?

Cast Out Legalism & Embrace Freedom (Gal. 4:28–5:1)

Believers are children of promise. We must cast out the legalist from our hearts and stand firm against legalism in the church.

• QUESTION: What practical steps can you take this week to “stand firm” in your identity as a loved, accepted child of God rather than living as a spiritual prisoner or orphan? What are some concrete ways to remember the gospel in daily life?

QUOTES

Martin Luther: “Rightly are the doers of the Law called devil’s martyrs. They take more pains to earn hell than the martyrs of Christ to obtain heaven. Theirs is a double misfortune. First they torture themselves on earth with self-inflicted penances and finally when they die they gain the reward of eternal damnation.”

Martin Luther: “At any rate, our opponents cannot accuse us of adultery, murder, theft, and such crimes. The worst they can say about us is that we have the Gospel. What is wrong with the Gospel? We teach that Christ, the Son of God, has redeemed us from sin and everlasting death.”

Herman Bavinck: “Freedom from the law consists, then, not in the fact that the Christian has nothing more to do with the law, but lies in the fact that the law demands nothing more from the Christian as a condition of salvation.”

Michael Horton: “Not only in the first instance, but throughout the Christian life, faith is born and fed by the gospel alone.”