May 24, 2025 - Galatians 4:30 - "The Bondwoman Cast Out"

Galatians 4:30

"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."

Under the Spirit’s direction, the apostle Paul uses the story of Abraham casting out Hagar as an allegory of the truth that law and grace cannot abide together (Genesis 21).  This passage powerfully affirms that salvation is not by the flesh, the law, or human effort—represented by Hagar and her son Ishmael—but solely by God's free and sovereign promise—typified in Sarah and her son Isaac. The bondwoman and her son symbolize all attempts at righteousness through the law (Galatians 4:24-25), which must be “cast out,” for they cannot inherit the promises of God. As Paul writes elsewhere, “For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). The freewoman’s son, Isaac, represents those born according to God's promise—chosen, redeemed, and justified entirely by God's grace in Christ. Thus, Galatians 4:30 calls the believer to rest in the finished work of Christ, “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9), and to reject all confidence in the flesh, rejoicing instead in God's sovereign grace in Christ alone.

The Galatians had begun to become enthralled again with the law as a means of justification and sanctification under the preaching and teaching of some legalistic preachers, and the apostle drew a line of distinction between salvation by the free grace of God in Christ (typified by Sarah, the freewoman), and any who would attempt to join to it any work or obedience of their own (typified by Hagar, the bondwoman). Such a distinction is necessary in our day, as many who would consider themselves preachers of grace are nothing more than servants of legalism. Nevertheless, when God truly reveals Christ in a sinner’s heart, and teaches them the Gospel, like Abraham with Hagar, they will cast out, and refuse to dwell with any doctrine or former profession that gives credence to man’s will or works. 

Many today profess to be Christians based on something that they did to receive Christ. They unashamedly boast of having accepted Christ by their “free will,” and consider that they are the Lord’s because of having made a decision and now doing their best to live true to that profession.  Nevertheless, all such talk of free will and works is nothing but the voice and dialect of the bondwoman of which Paul writes.

The only true sons of God are those born of the free woman—those in whom God has placed His Spirit. They have been made to see that what they once called “free will” is, in truth, bondage to self, sin, and self-righteousness. Now, as sons of the free woman, they freely confess that their salvation is entirely due to the free-will offering of Christ on their behalf: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). They rejoice that God has justified them freely: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24), and that He has granted them grace to live in the freedom of redemption, justification, and sanctification that Christ has purchased for them. As Scripture says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

Let us then take to heart the sure word of Scripture: “Cast out the bondwoman and her son.” As elect and redeemed sons of God, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. All who are born from above—true sons of freedom—gladly yield themselves to Christ, not as slaves under law, but as sons in grace. We serve Him not to be accepted, but because we are accepted in the Beloved. We obey Him not in dread, but in delight, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

We rejoice in His Person, rest in His Word, and glory in His finished work. And all of this is not of ourselves, but springs from the fountain of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. May we ever live as those who are free indeed, for if the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).