But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
Galatians 4:30 NLT
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul presents a powerful analogy about our new life in Christ from the Old Testament. First, he draws our attention to the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar in Genesis 21:10. Sarah told Abraham to send away Hagar and her son, insisting the slave woman’s son would never share in the inheritance with her son, the son of the free woman. Although Abraham felt distressed by this, God confirmed Sarah’s words. He then instructed Abraham to do as she had said.
Paul uses this historical account to reveal a divine principle for every believer. Just as the slave woman and her son had no place, so our old way of life has no place after our transformation in Christ. We are born again; therefore, a new life begins. We must consequently embrace it fully.
Moreover, no middle ground or compromise exists between the old and the new. The change God works within us is meant to be complete and distinct. We cannot preserve or pamper the past; instead, we must completely eliminate old habits. We do this to make room for God’s work in our hearts.
Paul wrote to the Galatians, reminding them that God’s new order was to live in Christ’s glorious freedom, not under the law. We receive this freedom by grace, not by human effort. Accordingly, as believers, we are no longer under the law’s condemnation. We have a new master through faith in Jesus. We must abandon the old idea of earning righteousness through legal obedience. Finally, we must replace all old practices rooted in the law with a complete trust in what Christ has accomplished.
This message remains critically important today. Thus, no fellowship exists between our old way of life and our new identity. A new order is here, demanding our full devotion. We must get rid of the old way of living, for we have been made new. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Living It Out
Take a moment to reflect on your life. Are you holding onto any old habits or beliefs? Consider what it means to fully embrace your new life in Christ. Prayerfully ask God to help you let go of anything that does not belong.