The Performance Trap

Posted on September 30, 2007

 

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Genesis 21:1-34; Galatians 4:21-31

ONE GREAT TRUTH: We naturally live a performance-based life that never works, but we can supernaturally live a grace-based life, receiving God’s promises by simply trusting Him!

A brief outline…

• The promise of Isaac is fulfilled and Abraham and Sarah laugh with joy! (vs. 1-7)
• Ishmael is removed from the household along with his mother. (vs. 8-21)
• Abraham demonstrates integrity with Abimelech over a well. (vs. 22-34)

I want us to focus in on only one small part of the story and it is the middle section, the story of Isaac and Ishmael, and of Sarah and Hagar.

Historical notes…

• Ishmael was about 17 and Isaac was about 3. The mockery was strangely cruel.
• The tension that split the home arose from sin and was motivated by sinful attitudes.
• God was working behind the scenes to use the situation to protect Isaac and the promised seed.

Paul goes on to use this story as an illustration, and that’s what I want us to focus on this morning. Rarely are we permitted to take a story from the Old Testament and treat it as an allegory, but the inspired apostle did just that, so we’re going to follow suit. The whole story of this family provides an illustration of the battle between… grace and law, the flesh and spirit, legalism and liberty.

TWO OPTIONS FOR LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE…

1.         Performance-Based Living: Trying to keep the law in the power of the flesh, resulting in slavery.

A few years ago, I was in a small skeet-shooting competition in Missouri and won first place – I shot 18 out of 18 clay pigeons with a $60 K-Mart single-shot .20-guage. The next year, I missed the first shot and it totally blew my concentration. I only got 8 out of 15. If I couldn’t achieve perfection, it ceased to be fun. That’s how a lot of people live the Christian life.

That was what Ishmael represented. Paul says that the “bondwoman” (the slave) represents our universal slavery to the law. Everyone of us is bound to present ourselves perfect before God’s throne, and yet none of us can. There is forgiveness in Christ but many forgiven people are still trying to please God by being law-keepers. They end up exerting all kinds of fleshly energy and it never gets them anywhere. The law is hard as a rock.

2.         Grace-Based Living: Accepting God’s promise by faith through the Spirit, resulting in freedom.

Sarah, on the other hand, represents freedom, and freedom produces a life based on the promises of God that can simply be received by faith. Instead of working, try trusting. Instead of exerting the energy of the flesh, relax in the power of the Spirit of God. Instead of performing, simply receive the grace of God that more than makes up for all of our shortcomings.

When will you stop trying and start trusting? God’s promise is to save, forgive, and cleanse you forever. Will you begin to live a grace-based life today?