(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born after the flesh while Isaac was born after the Spirit. Ishmael came forth from the natural strength of Abraham, but Isaac came as a child of promise. God made a promise to Abraham concerning the birth of Isaac and He fulfilled it. There was no promise regarding the birth of Ishmael; he was a product of the will of Abraham. But Isaac was a product of the will of God. Isaac was born when Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb were both dead regarding reproduction. Sarah had passed menopause, but God gave life to her body and she received strength to conceive. Ishmael and Isaac are an allegory of the flesh and grace, respectively. Ishmael was born of the flesh, in Abraham’s natural strength; but Isaac was born by the strength of God at work in Abraham and Sarah after that the both of them had come to the end of themselves. Galatians 4:28 tells us, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” Ishmael was born after the flesh, but Isaac was born after the Spirit. Understand that as children of God in Christ, we are as Isaac, born after the Spirit; we are children of promise. Hallelujah!
The moment you got born again, you were born into the grace of God. You are not meant to struggle in life. You are meant to glide on the wings of the eagle. Your life is sponsored by grace. Ishmael means, “he shall cry unto God” but Isaac means “the Lord has made me to laugh – laughter.” It sure is easier to laugh than to cry. In fact, it is effortless to laugh. Laughter isn’t costly at all. The art of laughing is not rocket science. You don’t need to be trained to laugh! It comes naturally. So, Christians are likened to Isaac in the way that he was born. God made a promise to Abraham regarding the birth of Isaac. Abraham believed God’s Word, and God stepped into his life by grace and made His promise good, even when it was naturally impossible. Isaac came by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “By grace are we saved through faith, and that not by yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.” We got born again by grace through faith; therefore, we live by grace through faith in the Word. Hallelujah!
My Solid Front (Confession):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare that I am born of the grace of God; therefore, I live by grace through faith all the days of my life; for as Isaac was, so am I.
Further Meditation:
Galatians 4:27-29; Romans 1:17.