Gal 4:21-23 Tell me, you who want to be under the law. Do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. (NASB)

There are many decisions in life that are conscious decisions, they require us to think through what we are deciding. Becoming a Christian is one such decision. The gospel comes as a “call”; it comes to the attention of the sinner; it is something he must hear; it is something to which she must respond. Choice is involved.

In today’s passage Paul brings his readers to the choice that must be made. Will we choose the law or will we choose grace. Will you choose to try to come to God by doing something that it is impossible for a man to do, or will we choose the free gift that God offers to us through Jesus? The truth of the matter is that a person, who tries to be right in the sight of God by what he does, gets deeper into bondage. Every time we sin, our sin reminds us of the futility of coming to God by good works. How many good works are enough? How many good works offset how much sin?

Paul wanted the Galatians to know that the blessings they needed from God would come to them as a free gift through Jesus. This is the emphasis about bond woman and free woman in our verses for today. Are we bound to trying to please God ourselves, or are we free to allow Jesus to plead our case before god through His blood?

What conscious decision have you made in this matter? Are you trying to achieve your own salvation or are you allowing Jesus to achieve your salvation for you? Paul was a man who had placed all of the need to achieve his salvation on the good works he was doing. When he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, he came to the startling conclusion that his good works would never be enough. His Judaism would never be enough. His education would never be enough. Only Jesus is enough.

Dear Lord, thank you that Jesus is all we need to stand before you in good standing. Amen.