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They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy.”
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Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.
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Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.
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And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”
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in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
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Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law
Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.
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Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ.
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What I am saying is this: The law that came 430 years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise.
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For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.
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Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.
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Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
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But the scripture imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise could be given—because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ—to those who believe.
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Sons of God Are Heirs of Promise
Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed.
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There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
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And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
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Heirs of Promise Are Not to Return to Law
Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.
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Personal Appeal of Paul
But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,
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For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
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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.
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But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
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But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac.
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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.
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Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
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Freedom of the Believer
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.
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Practice Love
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.