Greetings sis Reis, et al;
These are very blessed thoughts from mr Hawker. He simply and
fully sets forth the difference between the sons of the freewoman and
those of the bondwoman. Unfortunately little is understood in our day of
this stark contrast, as many go about to lay the burdens of the
bondwoman upon the backs of those set free in CHRIST. "/For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death." (Rom 8:2/) It is impossible that any man could ever gain
the favor of GOD (in any fashion) through any work of the law or his
corruptible flesh. THis is not because of some defect in the Law, for
it is Holy and Just. The defect is in the inability of the flesh to
perform according to the demands of that Law of sin and death. "/For
what the law could not do, in that _it was weak through the flesh_, God
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
_condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us,_ who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." (Rom 8:3-5/)
What glorious liberty has been given to the sons of the freewoman,
according to the PROMISE and not the deeds of the law.
BLessings, mike
On 5/19/2022 3:19 PM, Soraya Reis wrote:
*"But he who was of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise; which things are an allegory." Galatians 4:23, 24 *
*My soul! As thou readest this scripture, do not forget to bless the great Author of it, even God the Holy Ghost, for having condescended to teach the church the sacred truths contained in it. Never would it have entered into the heart of man, untaught of God, to have conceived that the births of Ishmael and Isaac had such divine purposes connected with their history. We might have read for ever the account given of it in the book of Genesis, without once forming a thought of the spiritual tendency of the subject, had not the Holy Ghost, by his servant the apostle, told the church that it was an allegory. *
*But, blessed with such gracious teaching, see to it, my soul, this evening, what a delightful subject it leads to. "These (saith the apostle) are the two covenants;" meaning the mother of Ishmael, and the mother of Isaac. The "bondwoman," represents the covenant of works; and the "freewoman," the covenant of grace. So that all who seek justification by their own good deeds of the law, are of the children of the bondwoman. All who are looking for salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, without the works of the law, are of the children of the free. As the son of the bondwoman was born before the son of the free, so our state of nature in this sense, is before grace. *
*And hence believers, when renewed, are said to be born again. Yet, as the promise concerning the son of the free-woman, was before the birth of the son of the bondwoman, so the promise of the gospel was before the law; and the covenant of grace came in before the covenant of works. And as the son of the bond-woman mocked the son of the free, so is it now; they that are born after the flesh do for ever persecute them that are born after the Spirit. Nevertheless, what saith the scripture?—" Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." The law can make nothing perfect; justification can never be obtained by the deeds of the law, and therefore it is rejected. *
*Pause now, my soul, over this sweet allegory, explained as it is by the Holy Ghost himself, and ask to which family thou belongest? To both thou canst not, for that is impossible. Whosoever seeketh justification by the deeds of the law, denies the merit and efficacy of Christ's blood and righteousness. "For if righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead in vain." Oh! For grace to discover, and faith to enjoy, the same blessed assurance as the apostle did, when summing up the whole conclusion of this scriptural allegory; "So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free." *
*Robert Hawker (1753-1827) ***
