Grace in Galatians (Part 129): Understanding These Two Women Will Help You Understand The Bible
Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.
Key scriptures for this year:
(2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT)
"Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do."
(Galatians 5:4 TPT)
"If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!"
(Romans 6:14 ERV)
"Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God's grace."
(1 Corinthians 15:10 CEV)
"But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's grace at work and not me."
Scripture we will study today:
(Galatians 4:21-31 NLT)
“Tell me, you who want to live under the Law, do you know what the Law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the Law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the Law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a shout of joy, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!” And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just as Isaac was. But you are being persecuted by those who want you to keep the Law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit. But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.”
Supporting scriptures:
(Genesis 21:10 NLT)
“So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac!””
(Isaiah 54:1 NLT)
“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord.”
(John 8:35-36 NLT)
“A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
Setting the Stage:
I love the way the Apostle Paul teaches. I try to learn as much as I can from him. Check out his approach with the Galatians. Up to this point, he has tried logic, theology, a personal appeal, and he has also expressed his deep frustration with their dedication to the Law. Now, Paul tries an allegory. He knows the Judaizers pride themselves on being “children of Abraham” and keeping the Law of Moses. So, Paul takes a story from the very Law they claim to love (the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar), and he turns it completely upside down on them!
Paul presents two mothers (Hagar and Sarah) and two sons (Ishmael and Isaac). He explains that these represent two covenants.
Hagar, the slave woman, represents Mount Sinai (the Law) and the physical Jerusalem of Paul’s day, which was in bondage to both Rome and religion. Her son, Ishmael, was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. It was pure self-effort.
Sarah, on the other hand, the free woman, represents the Heavenly Jerusalem (the Kingdom of Grace). Her son, Isaac, was born as a result of God’s fulfillment of His promise. It was supernatural, and it came by faith, not human effort.
I love the way Paul connected the dots here and his conclusion, while clear, is somewhat radical. Paul concludes that the Law produces slaves, but Grace produces sons! He argues that you cannot have both in the same house. Just as Hagar and Ishmael had to be cast out so Isaac could inherit the promise, the system of Law and works must be “cast out” so that you can walk in the freedom of Grace.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. You Are Either Relying on Self-Effort (Ishmael) or God’s Promise (Isaac).
Ishmael was born because Abraham and Sarah got impatient. They tried to “help God out” by using natural means (Hagar) to produce a spiritual promise. That is the essence of religion: man’s attempt to fulfill God’s will through human effort. Isaac, however, was born when Abraham and Sarah were physically incapable of having children. He was born strictly by the power of God’s promise (grace) and their faith.
How this applies to you:
— Religion tells you that you must work, strive, and perform to produce God’s blessing in your life. That is the spirit of Ishmael.
— Grace tells you that God brings to pass what He promised, often when you have no strength left, so that He gets all the glory. But you must have faith to receive it, despite how bad the situation seems. That is the spirit of Isaac.
— Ishmael represents what you can do in your own strength. Isaac represents what God does through you when you yield to Him and believe Him by faith.
— Many Christians are exhausted because they are trying to birth “Isaacs” (God-sized dreams) with “Ishmael” methods (human effort). You cannot work to produce what God promised. You must receive it by faith!
— You cannot force the hand of God with your performance either. The promise comes by faith and rest, not by anxiety, sweat, and determination.
— You cannot force God to give you something that He did not already plan. You can work hard, you can even fast and pray. But frustration sets in when you attempt to MAKE God give you something that is not yours, or when you (like Abram and Sarai did), attempt to “help God out” by coming up with a better way to produce what God said, since God is taking so long.
— When you try to make things happen in your own timing and your own way, you produce an “Ishmael.” And if you do, then as is the rift between the Muslims (the descendants of Ishmael) and the Jews (the descendants of Isaac), what you may initially enjoy will eventually cause conflict and heartache.
— Stop trying to “help God” be God. Trust His timing, trust His methods, and let the promise be born of the Spirit! When you produce something in the flesh, you may enjoy it for a season, but over time, you will look back and regret not waiting on God’s timing and not receiving the promise the way He planned.
2. The Two Covenants Cannot Coexist in the Same House.
Paul is very clear: these two women represent two opposing covenants. Hagar is the Law (Mount Sinai), which gives birth to bondage. Sarah is Grace (the Heavenly Jerusalem), which gives birth to freedom. In Genesis 21, when conflict arose, the solution was not compromise; the solution was separation.
How this applies to you:
— You cannot be under the Law and under Grace at the same time. You cannot trust in your works for 50% and trust in Jesus for 50%. It’s all or nothing.
— Many believers try to keep “Hagar” (the Law) around as a backup plan or a tutor, thinking it will help them be holy. But Paul says the slave woman brings slavery, not holiness.
— Mixing Law and Grace confuses your spirit. It makes you “double-minded.” A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, and this man receives nothing from the Lord (James 1:7).
— You have to evict the idea that God is blessing you because you are “good” or punishing you because you are “bad.” That is Old Covenant thinking.
— In the New Covenant, you are blessed because you are IN CHRIST. God is simply looking for you to believe what He believes about you. Not to earn His blessings with your performance.
3. Expect Persecution from Religious People.
Paul points out a historical fact: “Just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit, so it is today.” Why? Because the flesh always envies and hates the Spirit. Legalism always persecutes grace.
How this applies to you:
— When you truly start walking in the freedom of God’s grace, don’t be surprised if religious people get upset with you.
— People who are relying on their own performance (Ishmael) get offended when they see you enjoying God’s favor without all their stressing or striving (Isaac).
— They will call your freedom “a license to sin.” They will say you are “too loose.” They will mock your confidence in God’s love.
— Paul says, “So it is today.” This conflict hasn’t changed in 2,000 years. The religious spirit is always hostile to the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus only had an issue with religious people.
— Do not let their mockery move you. They are persecuting you because they are enslaved, and misery loves company. They want you to live focused on the same rules they are focused on, and it bothers them to see you resting while they are stressing.
— Your joy, peace, and unexplainable favor are proof that you are a child of the promise. You are not stressed out, trying to do God’s will with your own power. You are resting in God’s grace, supernaturally empowered to do what God has called you to do, and you are doing it with a smile on your face!
— Don’t argue with “Ishmaels.” Just keep walking as an “heir” of God and let the fruit of your life speak for itself.
4. The Inheritance Belongs to the Son of the Free Woman.
Here is the bottom line: “The son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” The Law provides no inheritance. You cannot earn the Kingdom; you inherit it because of your birthright in Christ.
How this applies to you:
— Slaves work for wages; sons receive an inheritance. If you approach God as a slave (Law), you only get what you earn.
— But if you approach God as a son (grace), you receive everything that belongs to the Father.
— The inheritance of peace, joy, provision, healing, and authority is reserved for those who rest in the finished work of Jesus.
— You don’t have to beg for the inheritance. You don’t have to work for the inheritance. You simply have to be a son, and you have to believe!
— Legalism cuts you off from the inheritance because it shifts your focus from what Jesus did to what you are doing.
— Galatians 4:31 is your declaration of identity: “We are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.”
— Walk in your royal status today. The God who sits on the circle of the earth is your Father, and the inheritance is fully yours!
That's enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You that I am a child of the promise!
I am not a child of the slave woman; I am a child of the free woman, the Heavenly Jerusalem.
I reject the spirit of Ishmael, which relies on human effort to fulfill Your will.
I embrace the spirit of Isaac, relying on the supernatural power of Your promise.
I receive, by faith, what Your grace has already provided!
I am not moved by the persecution of religious people; I know my identity in You.
My inheritance is secure, not because of my performance, but because of my position as a son.
I walk in the freedom, joy, and abundance of the New Covenant.
I am Living the Grace Life, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
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