Galatians 4: 21-31 Defeating Legalism with Grace

Preached on October 31, 2021 by Senior Pastor Adam Utecht

Sermon Outline

  1. God’s promise is _____ than man’s effort (v. 21-23)
  2. _____ is given, not earned (v. 24-27)
  3. _____ instructions (v. 28-31)
    1. Expect _____ (v. 28-29)
    2. Do not tolerate ______  (v. 30-31)

Going Deeper

  1. Legalism forbids what God allows, while licentiousness allows what God forbids. How does this help you understand the difference between legalism and licentiousness (or antinomianism)?
  2. Philip Ryken says, “The epistle [of Galatians] was written to help the slaves of religion find true freedom in Christ.” What is a slave of religion? Have you ever been a slave to religion? How did you find freedom?
  3. What is legalism? In what ways do you fall into legalism?
  4. To go deeper, read Genesis 16-17 and 21. How do these chapters help you understand what Paul is saying in Galatians 4:21-31?
  5. In what way does Hagar represent the covenant of the law at Mount Sinai? In what way does Sarah represent the covenant of grace in Christ?
  6. Have you ever experienced persecution for your faith in Christ? By whom? How did you respond? How does it help us to expect persecution will come if we hold to the true gospel?
  7. Why does Paul borrow from Sarah’s outburst (in Genesis 21:10) in Galatians 4:30? What does Paul mean?
  8. How can we drive legalism out of our hearts?
  9. How have you confused legalism with conviction? How can we tell the difference?
  10. What ways can you remind yourself of the gospel this week?
  11. How can you do good works motivated by love?
  12. How can we avoid swinging to antinomianism?