Works of the Law vs. Works of Faith.

Believers, see Galatians 4:

21 "Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. ...

28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also."

See the New Living Translation of verses 28-29: “And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.”

Understand that "walk in the flesh" or “...according to the flesh” simply means “by human effort." It does not mean committing sins with reckless abandon or not giving a hoot about God as false doctrine preachers teach. We see an explanation of walking "according to the flesh" in the account of the births of Ishmael and Isaac. 

Recall that in the same Galatians 4, Hagar and Sarah are typified as the two covenants - Law and Grace. Galatians 4:24 -

“This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants:…”

Abraham here is a picture of Faith. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to help her give birth to or raise/train Isaac (the church- you and I in Christ.) Grace is enough. 

Believer, Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

The promise that God made to Abraham can only be inherited by Grace (typified by Sarah) through Faith (typified by Abraham.) There is no room for Law (typified by Hagar.) See Romans 4:13-

"Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith."

In Christ, we are Abraham's descendants-  "If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised." Galatians 3:29.

Faith without works is dead. This is the Truth. But what works are we doing? Is it works of the Law that one can boast about or works of Faith? Remember Hagar and Sarah typify the two covenants of Law and Grace? Look what Hagar did to Sarai after she got pregnant: Genesis 16:4-

"Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized this, she became very proud and began to feel that she was better than Sarai her owner."

You know that it is works of the Law if like Hagar (Law) you take pride in your pregnancy and child (work of the Law) and despise Grace for not bearing fruit on time according to your own human reasoning. This is why you can never find a true believer boasting about how God gave her a jet because she obeyed the Law and sowed her car or how she got delivered from satanic oppression because she did 70 days dry fasting. With Christ, God gives us ALL things FREELY:

"He who did not spare 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.

For all who believe, every single good work that we do and every blessing that we receive is like Isaac- a gift of God's Grace aka undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. We could never do it without Him. By His grace, we are seeing how weak we are of ourselves and everyday, we experience His strength that is made perfect in weakness more and more. As a result, when we see Christians who are struggling with sin, it becomes impossible for us to say things like-

"You'd better stop sinning and come to Jesus or else God will punish you and you will burn in hell."

Believer, Christ freely gives Wisdom so ask if you are confused! None of us has arrived yet. By all means, fast! Many of us can benefit from the detox and weight loss - but by God's Grace, never hinge your ability to receive the goodness of God on works done by your own will-power or human effort aka the arm of flesh. It will fail. 

Sarah (Grace) had Faith. Her work (of faith) was Isaac and it had nothing to do with her human effort at bearing fruit through keeping a relationship with Hagar (Law.) 

Sarah also had work (Ishmael) through Hagar (Law.) But God does not recognize such human effort- driven works at bearing fruit. She and Abraham were powerless to do anything by their will-power when Isaac was given.  God does not recognize such works that come from human effort at getting what He promised. 

Remember Galatians 4:28 says: "And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise."

Just as Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to train Isaac (believers in Christ) in the way of godliness, we who are children of God in Christ (Grace-personified) do not need to keep a relationship with the Law in order to attain godliness, righteousness or live a life of moral excellence. Grace is enough. Beware of those who peddle that horrid mixture of part-Law and part-Grace that says:

"Yes we are saved by Grace (Sarah) through Faith but we still have to keep the Law (Hagar,) not for justification but in order to bear the fruit of godliness and moral excellence, get God to bless and inherit eternal life."

This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ speaks of in Revelation 3. 

Even worse is that peddlers of this false doctrine imply that our Husband Jesus Christ who is Grace-personified cannot cause us to bear the fruit of godliness and moral excellence since He has none to give! Think of this relationship with Law and Grace in terms of marriage: Romans 7:1-6 describes having a relationship with the Law in order to bear fruit to God while claiming to be married to Grace as adultery. Isaac was not a joint product of Sarah (Grace) and Hagar (Law.) He was borne of pure Grace through Faith.

Like Ishmael, works of the Law (human effort at bearing the fruit of godliness, righteousness, moral excellence, etc to God) can come very quickly but its doers are servants and cannot remain in the house forever. Grace might take her time like Isaac did but here, the promise is sure and forever. Only by receiving God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to live in triumph over sin and death: Romans 5:16-17:

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

It is the height of pride and foolishness to think that we have some good in us of ourselves or that "other people" that we see as core sinners enjoy living in their sins and are "not like us" who don't want to commit sin:)  I submit to you that most sinners are looking for the Way out of their sins and addictions just like everybody else. Such people go to church looking for Salvation from sin and death and are given more laws, rules and regulations, accusations and condemnation straight from the pulpit, plus judgment if they don't stop sinning, as if they were not already trying hard enough to stop sinning. 

Believer, the arm of flesh  (human effort at obedience) will fail. What the people need is Salvation (in Hebrew - Yeshua,) not an addition to the burden of the Law that is already killing them. The letter (Law) kills but the Spirit gives life, and with the Spirit of the Lord, it is neither by might nor by power. 

What the people need is Grace and in hyper-abounding supply. Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him-

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

There is no point in telling a person (helpless sinner) who is living in filthy darkness (sins) how dark (filthy with sins) his room is and how he will stumble and break his neck if he does not stop living in darkness (committing sins.) Any attempt to clean himself and his room up in the darkness (law-keeping) will cause him to stumble, fall and create a bigger mess. Just bring in the Light (Jesus Christ the Light of the world) and the darkness (sins) will disappear. Matthew 1:21 says of Him- 

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Also Titus 2:14- "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

With Christ as our Light (Righteousness,) our path is like the morning sun that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. He is our Righteousness. Of ourselves, we have none and can produce none.

By Grace, let's live our lives by the mantra - "None of me, all of Christ" -putting no confidence in our own human effort or relying on what we think we know or can do to be saved from sins, earthly ills and death in hell. By Grace, let's live life trusting in and utterly dependent on Jesus Christ our Righteousness and our Strength for every detail of our lives. This is right believing.

When your believing is right, right living will follow. In Christ, we get to bear "much fruit. '" He says so in John 15:5-

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."