Freedom from bondage
By Ivan Ho. 28 Feb 2018
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Galatians 4:29-31 KJV
In the above quoted scriptures from the book of Galatians, God says clearly: That which is born after the flesh and that which is born after the Spirit do not coexist and cohabit together. We as followers of Christ must not allow mixtures of the Spirit and the flesh to mess up our church, our family, our life. If we want to live in true freedom, we must walk in the Spirit and walk away from things born after the flesh.
What does the word of God say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son (born after the flesh), for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman (born after the Spirit). Whenever people try to mix the flesh and the Spirit together, they contradict God and His word, bringing all kinds of confusion and conflicts.
When Hagar the slavewoman and Abraham gave birth to Ishmael, his son was called ‘son of the bondwoman’ who could not be joint heir with Issac, ‘son of the free woman’. Ishmael, who was born in the flesh, could not share the same inheritance with Issac, the son given birth by Sarah that God promised Abraham. When Abraham and Sarah walked in compromise by trying to make things happen in the flesh outside of the word of God, not only did they give birth to a son in the flesh, they alienated themselves from God. As a result of what happened with Hagar and Ishmael, God did not speak to Abraham for many years thereafter.
Thanks be to God, despite human failings, His word given to Abraham still prevailed when Sarah later gave birth to Issac, a son born in the Spirit in accordance with the promise of God!
How many people, when they fail to see the fulfillment of prophetic words in their lives would, like Abraham and Sarah, begin to make things happen and birth things in the flesh?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 KJV
Now the question is: Should the son of the slavewoman and the son of the free woman stay together in one big happy family ? History tells us that Hagar and her son was the cause of grieve in Abraham’s household and was eventually driven out of his family. Even though God showed compassion with Hagar and Ishmael and established a nation through him, they were not allowed to stay to share the same inheritance with Issac.
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
Genesis 21:9-13 KJV
Simply said: God does not mix the flesh with the Spirit, nor should we!
There is no common ground between that which are of the Spirit and that which are of the flesh. If the flesh stays, the Spirit goes, or vice versa. That which is born after the flesh always opposes that which is born after the Spirit, as “he that was born after the flesh persecuted he that was born after the Spirit”. When we see the flesh manifests, it’s run, not fun. All that is of the flesh are to be cast out, not to be entertained.
The church of the Spirit is free, but not free-for-all! Freedom from bondage means walking in the Spirit and cutting off things of the flesh on a daily basis.