10 Dec Isaac VS Ishmael: Child of Promise VS Child of Flesh
Preacher Huijun - 9 January 2016
Practically Enter Into New Progress
It is another new year. We just bid farewell to 2015 and now we are at 2016, a new year. Have you ever felt that, despite wanting to start anew all over again in this new year, certain things just continue to follow us and weigh us down in life? In Isaiah 43, God said, "forgot the former things, do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!.. do you not perceive it?" Why is it that we're always unable to have a breakthrough in the old failures, old problems and old mindset; and why is it that we are unable to see the new things that God claims He's doing? The answer could be very simple. We could be still putting the new wine into the old wineskins. We could still be holding onto our fixated mindset about people and things, the condemnation we have programmed into ourselves that guarantees failure and inferiority , the beliefs that magnify our weakness more than the omnipotence of Christ the Savior. We could be so used to holding onto them, to the point of making them absolute and truth in our lives. As a result, we do not see the new things that God's doing, because we are so "trapped and locked" in our own fixated assumptions. Yet, God is doing a new thing even when we're holding onto our "old" because His promise stands forever, and His mercies and grace are new every morning! Since God gives us new grace, rather than drowning ourselves in the voices of the Evil that we will still be the same, start taking practical actions by putting our lives into new wineskins today! God is giving us new grace, new mercy, new heart, new doors, new challenges, new tests this year. Believe, and start praying deeper in His promise so that we begin doing, confirming and living in the promise of God in the daily fields He sends us today!
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Isaac VS Ishmael:
Child of Promise VS Child of Flesh
One key message of the Bible is God does not desire His people to rely on themselves but trust Him faithfully, for He will surely deliver His promises and prove His love for us ultimately. Anything in our lives which is incompatible with this gospel will have to go. Although the process of giving up human pride, sins and desires is distressing, it is still wise to obey God, for obedience will be rewarded but disobedience comes with an agonizing price. Moreover, in our faith journey, God’s ever-present grace is with us. However, unbelief often darkens our eyes and prevents us from seeing God. Yet, even in times when we cannot see God’s help, continue to cry out to Him, for He will certainly hear and act.
Verses to read:
<Gen 21:8-21>
1. Our “Ishmaels” must go!
1) We tend to prefer Ishmael, but it is not the best.
2) Isaac Vs Ishmael.
- Ishmael: Human efforts, lack of faith [above the line]
- Isaac: God’s power and faithfulness
<Gal 4> 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Rivalry between “Isaac” and “Ishmael”
- “Grace/faith vs works”
- “God’s works vs human efforts”
- “Spiritual” vs “flesh”
Isaac: Son of the free woman >>> What is true freedom?
(1) Ability to do what we like [below line]
(2) Final outcome of perfect joy [below line]
- Ishmael: Son of slave woman [above line]
- Bound by humanism, not freed from sin’s curse [below line]
“Get rid of the slave woman and her son”:
- Get rid of all human dependency and pride.
- Do not add anything to the gospel of “salvation by faith alone in Christ”.
Instead, have the “heart of a son:
- Assurance of forgiveness and justification.
- Interpret and go through all things by God’s promises.
- Spirit of loving God and men.
- Heart of obedience.
*** Not every church-goer is true child of God.
*** When God’s time comes, the true and counterfeit believers will be distinguished.
2. Obey God despite our distress.
- Obedience to God is always rewarded.
- Sin has agonizing price.
- Merciful God defers punishment.
- In painfully sending away Ishmael, Abraham gained greater blessing in Isaac.
- Our distress in giving up sins will lead to greater joy from God.
3. God (Grace) is always present, just that we cannot see.
1) Unbelief dims our eyes.
2) Once eyes are opened, will know what to do without being pushed.
3) Even if cannot see, keep calling out to Him >>>He hears and acts!
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