Let's raise the inheritance as children - Galatians 4:22-31

Let's raise the inheritance as children - Galatians 4:22-31

Today's text is the story of Abraham's two sons. He had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. However, the two sons take completely different paths. Ishmael is driven out, and Isaac takes over. These results came from God. God clearly distinguishes between Isaac and Ishmael. I bless you that you will stand by Isaac's side and become the heirs of the heavenly inheritance. So, who is Isaac?

 

1. I was a child born according to my promise.

Isaac was by Sarah, and Ishmael was by Hagar the maidservant. God promised Abraham that he would give him a son through Sarah. God speaks once, and He will surely do it. Even when people think that it is already too late, God is the one who starts. However, according to the human mind, even though he grew old, he could not become pregnant, so Abraham gave birth to Ishmael through Hagar, who was a servant. After 14 years had passed since the age of hard water had already ceased and she had no hope of having a child at the age of 90, Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Isaac.

 

If Ishmael was the result of man's unbelief, Isaac was the result of God's fulfillment of His promises.

Isaac was the child of promise. Even we, who had lost hope, became children of God who will inherit the kingdom of God through God's promise of salvation. However, sometimes because of our weak faith, we doubted and wavered, and the Holy Spirit came to us. Just as Sarah waited 25 years to give birth to Isaac, and waited 20 years to receive her son Jacob, we must pray that our children receive the Holy Spirit, believe in Jesus, and grow up to be children of God.

 

2. We must be loved and grow up.

When you grow up well, you can inherit a good inheritance. What do you eat to grow up healthy? Feeding on love and growing up. As the son of God's promise, Isaac received many blessings and grew up in God's promise. So he knew he was God's people. A child with a clear identity is not shaken. Isaac means 'laughter'. Her Sarah laughed when she first heard of her God's promise, but God really made her laugh by fulfilling that promise. When she saw the fruit, Isaac, Sarah's heart was filled with her love. It is her love to smile towards her children like her Sarah. Rejoice and bless her children. Also, love is being on your side. Sarah has always been on the side of her son Isaac.

 

God was also on the side of Isaac, the child of the promise. I hope that God will be a person who listens to you on this side. Isaac also received abundant love from God. Even in the midst of famine, they were rejected by God's guidance. Even though modern people have many things, if they do not have the experience of being loved by God, they wander on their own, but if they have this experience even once, the emotion will last for the rest of their lives. How should he raise his children? He must be nurtured with love. God has given us children as a gift. But it's not mine. Entrust his children to God, just serve with love, bless and pray. God nurtures you.

 

3. Obedient children.

Receiving the heavenly inheritance must be supported by faith. He sees obedient faith and God blesses him. God promises first, keeps us waiting, and at the end tests us to see if we can obey and gives us blessings when we pass. God promised to give the land of Canaan to Israel as an inheritance. And he made us wait, crossed the Red Sea, and tested obedience through the wilderness. God told Abraham to go to the mountain he had instructed and to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. Isaac obeyed Abraham's instructions and became a burnt offering.

 

Isaac was 17 years old, and Abraham was 117 years old. It was not that the young man did not have the strength to subdue the old man. It was purebred. Precious obedience is learned from his parents. In order to keep her vows to God, Hannah offered her son, who would not hurt even if he put it in her eyes, to the temple and entrusted him to the priest. Seeing this, Samuel naturally learned to obey God's promises. What blessing did God give to Samuel who obeyed? He did not let a single word of him fall to the ground, and as long as he lived, he gave the blessing that the kingdom would not be invaded.

 

Christianity is the religion of the family. God values the family. When families are blessed, the country is blessed and the world is blessed. I believe that if God becomes the master of the family, the family will prosper. May his children be born again by the Holy Spirit, raised with love, and learn the obedience of Isaac so that they can be raised up as children of the heavenly inheritance.

 

Question

1. Let's share the experiences that God promised and when the time came to give gifts, and things we are praying for while holding on to the promises God has given us.

2. Let's share the love of God we experienced in our lives and how we are passing that love to our children.

3. Share how you are teaching obedience to your children and how you want to set an example of obedience.