No “trade by barter” with God who freely gives all things to His children in Christ

In Genesis 16 is where we find Sarah and Abraham being unable to wait for their salvation from fruitlessness/childlessness; much like how sometimes, we sometimes cannot wait for God's salvation from our sins, addictions, earthly ills and fruitlessness in general and resort to human effort at obedience (law-keeping) in a bid to get the blessing of God or bear fruit to God. Thank God for His saving Grace who saves us still and transforms us to trust in Him.

Sarah and Abraham decided to hurry God's promise along by their own will-power; young and fertile Hagar was given to the still-virile Abraham so that they could bear fruit, this after God had already promised them that they would bear the fruit of Isaac through His power. This account was not written to entertain us or to fill up space in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us why the Old Testament was written:

“Now all these things happened to them [as] types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.”

The Scriptures (Old Testament) are types and shadows of the reality of our salvation in Christ. In 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) in the way of godliness. Grace is sufficient. 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."

Ishmael was born according to the flesh aka "in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise." He was the result of Sarah and Abraham’s human attempt at bearing fruit through Hagar (law) in a bid to bring to pass God's promise to them that they would bear fruit; this is a type or picture of churchgoers claiming to be saved by Grace through Faith yet are still trying to keep the law (having a relationship with Hagar) and are doing its works in order to bear the fruit of godliness or make God's promise come to pass in their lives.

Isaac did not come until Abraham and Sarah knew 100% that they were POWERLESS to bear fruit by themselves. For us today, Christ says 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.”

See The Passion Translation: “I am the sprouting vine and you’re My branches. As you live in union with Me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from Me you are powerless.”

He also tells us through Paul in Romans 5:6- "For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate His love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves."

In reality, everyone is as helpless and powerless as one can be when it comes to bearing the "God kind of fruit." Those human attempts at bearing fruit and "good works" that many think they are producing by their own efforts (akin to having a relationship with Hagar the law) and expect God to bless them for, they are like Ishmael- a product of young and fertile Hagar (aka human effort at bearing fruit/law-keeping) and are not recognized by God. This is how come God did not recognize Ishmael as a "united" son of Abraham in Genesis 22:2-

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

We all know that Isaac was not Abraham's only son. Ishmael was older and still alive. He and Isaac buried their father Abraham together. God telling Abraham "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac" is a TYPOLOGY to show we who believe in Jesus (Grace Himself) that any even righteous act that is borne of human attempts at bearing fruit to God, getting right with God or getting God to bless aka having a relationship with the law (Hagar) is not recognized by God.

Isaac did not come until Sarah (Grace) and Abraham (Faith) knew 100% that they were utterly POWERLESS to bear fruit by themselves. Under Grace, for all our loving, giving, obedience, generosity, witnessing, and the many exploits (much fruit) that we get to do, Christ gets all the glory. In Christ who is Grace-personified, our life is like that of Paul who worked harder than all the other apostles. See 1 Corinthians 15:10-

“But because of God’s grace I am what I am. And His grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn’t do the work. God’s grace was with me."

How is God's grace wasted on a person? See this in Galatians 2:20- “I do not get rid of the grace of God. What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!"

Trying to get right with God or get Him to bless by keeping the Law (human effort at living a godly/righteous life) and doing its works is throwing God's Grace into the trash. It is also the sure way to get cut off from Christ- Galatians 5:4-

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the Law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace."

This is why it is difficult to find a true believer in Christ boasting in "dead works" aka works of the law such as:

"God blessed me financially because I pay my tithe regularly" or

“I sowed my car and God gave me a jet” or

“God healed me because I did my best to be godly and I sowed a mighty seed" or

“I am now a parent because I was kind to children in orphanages" or

“I am free from generational curse and satanic oppression because I fasted for 70 days."

Notice it is all human effort (arm of flesh) and no Christ FREELY saving, providing or doing anything at all in such “trade by barter” and anti-Christ stories of salvation from earthly ills? No God giving us all things FREELY with Christ as it is written in Romans 8:32-

"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?"

Beloved of God, let’s take our blessed brains to church —-

Many people out there who don't even know or acknowledge God talk less of Jesus are wildly/materially successful, healthy and have many healthy and brilliant kids, all without putting much effort into what they do. Others in this same group work hard and are still dirt poor. The idol-worshipping Philistines and others who lived in the time of pre-Isaac Abraham and Sarah were having kids by the bucketloads. The king of Gerar that Abraham lied to concerning the matter of Sarah sent Abraham on his way with riches. God's mercy falls on both the righteous and the wicked. Christ Himself says in Matthew 5—

“But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].”

This is the nature of God: He freely gives; He abundantly pardons. He is full of mercy. Even people who go about saying that “there is no God” get to FREELY partake of God’s mercy. Yet many who claim to be His children in Christ believe that He will neither bless nor deliver unless they barter with fasts, sow seed or do other arm of flesh-driven works which Isaiah 64:6 likens to “a menstrual rag” in His sight.

By Grace, let’s stop associating God who FREELY gives us ALL things with Christ with that "trade by barter" insult that glorifies human effort (aka arm of flesh-driven activities done to get God to bless or save) in the pursuit of God’s freely-given blessings in Christ. All it produces is Hagar-type fruit that is weak and unacceptable to God for the inheritance of Abraham’s blessing, like Ishmael. God's mercy falls on both the righteous and the wicked. Believer, the difference between us and those who trust in themselves or do not acknowledge God is found in Proverbs 10:22-

“The blessing of the Lord—it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].”

Good works (the Isaacs that we produce) are not CONDITIONS for righteousness or salvation. They are the EVIDENCES of God's gift of righteousness and His salvation in our lives. Like old Abraham and doubly-barren Sarah who is a picture of the new covenant of Grace, we know that we are utterly powerless to produce any fruit (godly living and good works) so for all the benefits that we receive from God and all of the good works that we do, Christ gets ALL the glory.