July 6, 2025 – Galatians 4:19 – 5:6

Lesson Date: July 6, 2025

Focal Scripture Passage: Galatians 4:19 – 5:6

AIM: To lead students to discover the danger of allowing themselves to become enslaved to works, and to encourage them to stand fast in the freedom given to them by Jesus Christ.

 

Before class: Read the notes on Galatians 4:19 – 5:6 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.

 

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Tell the following to the class:

Five hundred years ago, European colonists came to North America to explore and make new lives for themselves in the New World.  Many of those colonists were from England, and over the next two hundred years they established the thirteen English Colonies.  The people living in those colonies were English citizens, they were ruled by the King of England, and they were subject to English laws.  They were required to pay taxes to England, but they had no voice or representation in the English government.

As we all know, over time the colonists decided they must break away from English rule and establish a new nation.  They fought a long and bitter war to win their freedom.  This week we celebrated the 249^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  Throughout the history of the United States of America, we have fought many wars and paid a great price to maintain our freedom and independence.

Ask: “After all our nation has gone through to be free and independent, what would you think if Congress passed and the President signed a law giving up our freedom and placing us back under the rule of England?” (you would think they had lost their minds).  Ask: “After fighting to achieve and maintain our freedom, why would we want to voluntarily place ourselves under English laws, the rule of the King of England, and pay taxes without representation to England?” (we wouldn’t).

Tell the class as absurd as that imaginary scenario sounds, some Christians do that very thing, voluntarily placing themselves back under the fleshly requirements of works, rather than enjoying the freedom Jesus gives us.

Tell the students that the title of today’s lesson is Be Free!  Tell them we will examine the danger of allowing ourselves to become enslaved to works, so that we will be encouraged to stand fast in the freedom given to us by Jesus Christ.

 

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the class that we are studying the New Testament book of Galatians.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Freedom or Bondage?; we discovered some of the wonderful blessings of being set free by Jesus).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verses (Galatians 4:4-5).
   • Ask: “Have you thanked God this week for setting you free and making you His child and heir?”
2. Two Sons.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 4:19-21.
   • Ask: “What did Paul call the Galatians in verse 19?” (his little children).
   • Tell the class that Paul compared his love and concern for the Galatian believers to that of a mother giving birth to her baby.
   • Ask: “According to verse 20, what did he want?” (to be with them in person).
   • Ask: “Why?” (because he had doubts about them).
   • Remind the students that after Paul established the churches in Galatia during his First Missionary Journey, false teachers (known as Judaizers) came in and told the Galatian Gentiles that they had to be circumcised and keep the Jewish Law to be saved.
   • Ask: “According to verse 21, what did some of the believers in Galatia want to do?” (put themselves under the rules and rituals of the Law).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 4:22-23.
   • Ask: “Who were Abraham’s two sons referred to in these verses?” (Ishmael and Isaac).
   • Tell the class that God promised to give Abraham and Sarah a son, but after years of waiting, they resorted to the fleshly custom of a man fathering a child by his wife’s slave.
   • Ask: “Who were the bondmaid and her son?” (Hagar and Ishmael).
   • Ask: “Who were the free woman and her son?” (Sarah and Isaac).
   • Ask: “Which was the son born after the flesh?” (Ishmael).
   • Ask: “Which was the son of promise?” (Isaac).
   • Summarize: Abraham had two sons. His son Ishmael represents those who try to be right with God through doing fleshly works, while Isaac represents those who come to God by faith in Jesus.
3. Two Covenants.
   • Read Galatians 4:24-25.
   • Tell the class that verse 24 says Abraham’s two sons “are an allegory,” which means they are symbolic illustrations of a deeper truth.
   • Ask: “What does verse 24 say the two sons represent?” (two covenants).
   • Explain that the first covenant came from Mount Sinai.
   • Ask: “What happened at Mount Sinai?” (God gave the children of Israel His Laws).
   • Tell the class the first covenant is the Old Testament Law, with all its rituals, rules, and sacrifices, which is represented by Hagar and “Jerusalem which now is.”
   • Ask: “According to the last phrases of both verse 24 and 25, does that first covenant produce freedom or bondage?” (bondage).
   • Read Galatians 4:26-27.
   • Tell the class that the new covenant comes from “Jerusalem which is above.”
   • Ask: “What does verse 26 say about this new covenant from the heavenly Jerusalem?” (it is the mother of us all).
   • Explain the following:
     • The new covenant is the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9).
     • In verse 27 Paul quoted Isaiah 54:1, reminding his readers that Sarah was a barren woman whom God supernaturally enabled to give birth to a son (Isaac).
     • In the same way, the Gentiles were viewed as barren and lifeless, but down through the centuries many more Gentiles than Jews have been born again by faith in Jesus.
   • Summarize: Abraham’s two sons represent two covenants. The old covenant given at Mount Sinai places people under bondage to works and human effort, but the new covenant provides new birth and new life in Jesus.
4. Christ Has Made Us Free.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 4:28.
   • Ask: “Who was Paul addressing, lost people or saved people?” (saved people, whom he referred to as “brethren”).
   • Ask: “What does he say about Christians?” (like Isaac, we are children of promise).
   • Tell the students that we who are Christians trust in God’s promise of everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Rom. 10:13).
   • Read Galatians 4:29-31.
   • Tell the class that Abraham’s older son Ishmael persecuted young Isaac (Gen. 21:8-9), causing Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away (Gen. 21:10); similarly, the Jews of Paul’s day persecuted Christians (including Paul; 2 Cor. 11:23-27).
   • Ask: “What does verse 31 say about Christians?” (we are not subject to the bondage of the Old Testament Law, but we are free in Jesus).
   • Read Galatians 5:1a.
   • Ask: “What has Christ done for those who belong to Him?” (made us free).
   • Ask: “What are we told to do?” (stand firm and fast in that freedom; in other words, don’t give it away).
   • Summarize: Christians are children of promise whom Jesus Christ has set free. We are commanded to stand fast in the freedom He provides.
5. Don’t Get Tangled Up.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 5:1b.
   • Ask: “What are we warned NOT to do?” (let ourselves get tangled up again with the yoke of bondage).
   • Remind the class that the false teachers (Judaizers) were trying to bring the Galatian believers under the bondage of the Jewish Law.
   • Read Galatians 5:2-4.
   • Explain the following:
     • Paul warned the Galatians that if they placed their trust in outward works like circumcision, then Jesus would do them no good at all (v. 2).
     • He said anyone who trusted in works like circumcision placed themselves under debt to do everything commanded in the law (v. 3); it was an all-or-nothing proposition.
     • Those who seek to be justified by keeping the Law have fallen short of the grace of God and Christ has no effect on their lives (v. 4).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 5:5-6.
   • Ask: “According to verse 5, how do we wait for the hope of righteousness?” (through the Spirit by faith).
   • Ask: “According to verse 6, if we belong to Jesus does it matter if we are circumcised or uncircumcised?” (no).
   • Ask: “What DOES matter?” (faith).
   • Explain the following:
     • The Apostle Paul warned the believers in Galatia not to get tangled up in a religion of works, but to stand fast in the freedom Jesus Christ gives.
     • The Bible tells us, however, that we are saved by grace through faith unto good works (Eph. 2:8-10).
     • As believers, we are supposed to do good works like attending church, reading the Bible, praying, telling others about Jesus, and ministering to others; but we must never think that doing those things makes us right with God.
     • The good works we do as Christians should be motivated by our love, devotion, and gratitude for Jesus who has saved us by His grace.
   • Ask: “How can modern Christians get tangled up in the bondage of works?” (by falling into the lie that our performance is what makes God accept us or love us).
   • Stress the fact that when we believe in and trust Jesus for salvation, we are adopted as His beloved children (Gal. 4:4-7) and can never slip out of His hand (John 10:28-29), so we must not let ourselves come under the bondage of works.
   • Summarize: As believers who have trusted Jesus Christ by faith, we must never let ourselves get tangled up in bondage to works.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is Be Free!

Ask: “Do you want America to go back to being under English laws, English rules, and English taxes, or do you want us to remain a free and independent country?” (remain free and independent).

Ask: “Do you want to voluntarily place yourself under rules and requirements to try to be right with God and ‘good enough’ for Him to love, or do you want to live in the freedom provided by faith in Jesus Christ?” (live in the freedom of Jesus).

Ask: “If America’s freedom was threatened, would you be willing to stand up for your country?” (everyone would if they were physically able).  Ask: “If you are tempted to become tangled up and enslaved to works, are you willing to stand up for the liberty you have in Christ?” (we all should).

Tell the students that Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).  Urge everyone to stand fast in the liberty and freedom they have in Jesus.  Tell them to silently make that commitment to Christ as you voice a closing prayer.

 

CONCLUSION: Suggest that everyone memorize John 8:36 (which is not included in the Daily Bible Reading Guide) and thank God daily for the grace and liberty they enjoy in Christ.