MARCH 28, 2023  

 “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.” (Galatians 4:22, 23)

Abraham had two sons. Ismael and Isaac were both sons of Abraham, and both called the same great patriarch “father.” Yet one of them inherited the covenant blessing, and the other was simply a prosperous man of the world. Ishmael was a stranger to the covenant, while Isaac was the heir of the promise. Just as it was with Isaac’s own sons, Esau and Jacob, the blessing went to the second born. With respect to spiritual inheritance, how little is there in natural blood and birth. In both cases, the two represent one. Through our first birth, we received a nature of sin and alienation from God. It is only by second birth that we receive the blessing and life eternal. However, the emphasis with Abraham’s two sons is that the blessing went to the child of promise, whose birth was not only second, but was according to promise, and was supernatural.

Abraham’s two sons are declared by Paul to be types of two races of men, which are naturally much alike, but spiritually they are widely different. Ishmael was a son of Abraham by Hagar upon ordinary conditions: he was born “after the flesh.” Isaac, however, the son of Sarah, was not born by the strength of nature, for his father was more than a hundred years old, and Sarah was long past the age of bearing children. (Rom. 4:19; Heb. 11:11, 12) He was given to his parents by the Lord, and was born according to the promise through faith. This is a grave distinction, and it is one that distinguishes the true child of God from one who is only so by profession. The promise is basic and fundamental to this distinction, and the power which goes forth to accomplish the promise creates and maintains the difference. Therefore the promise, which is the inheritance of believers, is also the true test of one’s faith.

Let us apply this test to our own profession of faith. Did your conversion come about by some form of natural persuasion, or was it by the operation of the Spirit of God? If you profess to have been born again, how did this new birth come about? Was it the work of God’s Spirit according to His eternal purpose and promise, or did it come out of yourself? If your faith consists in the old nature trying to better itself, then this is Ishmael. But if you, being spiritually dead and totally without strength, were visited by the Spirit of God, who quickened you with life from above, then you are Isaac. All depends upon how life began, and the source of its power. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6) Isaac represents those whose life is not merely an effort to transform the old nature, but it is the imparting and infusing of new life from above. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…” (II Cor. 5:17) All things become new, because God has created us anew.

Most religion is nothing more than men’s fleshly efforts to make themselves better (or to at least appear better) by touching up and repairing the old man. Reformation is certainly welcome. If a man can rid himself of some of his outward corruption, it can’t be a bad thing, either for himself, or for his family, or for society; but if in this effort he hopes to save his soul, it falls far short of the mark. You can clean up Ishmael as much as you please, but you cannot make him into Isaac. It takes the power of God to create a new man. (Eph. 4:24) You can improve nature, and the more you do so the better so far as temporary purpose is concerned; but you cannot raise it into grace.

Ishmael was born according to the course of nature, and where nature is the only source there is no promise of life. Isaac, on the other hand, was born according to promise by the power of God Who promised, and so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Do not forget that our Lord Himself said, “Ye must be born again,” and that new birth is from above, and wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit.