This sermon emphasizes the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, illustrating the difference between bondage and freedom through the allegory of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. It challenges believers to acknowledge any remnants of Old Covenant influence in their lives and to seek wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification solely through Christ. The importance of reading the New Testament with humility and a desire for spiritual growth is highlighted, urging a shift away from external influences towards a deeper understanding of God's Word.

So, there are things like this, you know. For example, there's a whole movement nowadays in Christendom to pray for physical Israel and to pray for the peace of the city of Jerusalem, the geographical Jerusalem. And there are a lot of people who say, God will bless you if you do that. Where do they get that verse? It's in the Psalms. Well, you say, is the Psalms the scriptures? Sure, it's a very accurate photograph. If I look at a photograph of my wife, real photograph, I'd say that's my wife, but that's not really my wife. It's only a photograph. Very accurate, exact features, but it's not the real person. So, the Old Testament is very accurate, but like we saw in Colossians, only a photograph. When the real person has come, why do you need the photograph? I need to look at my wife's photograph if she's not with me. And what do you think of a man whose wife is sitting there and is looking at his wife's photograph all the time? There's something wrong with that person. It's probably a psychiatric case. That's all I can say. Why do we look at the Old Covenant when the New Covenant has come? See Galatians 4. It says here about Abraham's two sons and two wives. He had Sarah and he had Hagar. And he got the first son through Hagar, that was Ishmael, and the second son through Sarah, supernaturally. Ishmael was born through a natural process, like every other human being is born. Isaac was born miraculously, because Abraham and Sarah were incapable of having children. And God did a miracle. And this it says here in Galatians 4. Verse 21. Tell me you who want to be under the Old Covenant. Let me put it like that. Don't you listen to the Old Covenant verses? It is written there that Abraham had two sons, and those two sons symbolized two covenants. His two wives symbolized two covenants. One was a bondwoman, the other was a free woman. And if you follow the first one, it leads to bondage, and the Old Covenant always led to bondage. If you follow the New Covenant, it leads to freedom. But the son, you know, Hagar was a slave. Sarah was not a slave. It's a picture of two covenants. One leads to bondage, the other leads to freedom. I'm sure you read these passages, but you probably haven't seen it like this. The son born by the bondwoman, that means everything that you do, a son born means the fruit of your relationship with the law. The fruit of your living under the Old Covenant is flesh. It's produced by your flesh, and it leads to bondage. The son by the free woman is through the promise of God, God's power. This is, allegorically speaking, or this illustrates something. These women are two covenants. There it is. It's not my opinion. It's the Holy Spirit saying. These women symbolize two covenants. One leads to bondage, the other leads to freedom. One will make you like Hagar, a slave. The other will make you the bride of Christ, like Sarah was the bride of Abraham. One proceeds from Mount Sinai, bearing children who are to be slaves. Why are you a slave today to sin? Because you're under law, whether you know it or not. Sin shall not rule over you when you're under grace. But sin will rule over you when you're under law. Whether you know it or not, it's Old Covenant that's influencing you. That's why when you see Old Covenant things, you can't discern between that and the New Covenant. You can't discern between a photograph of your wife and your real wife. There's something wrong with your eyes. There was a man who was healed by Jesus partially, initially, and he said, Lord, I can't see properly because to me men and trees are the same. The Lord said, you need another touch. And I feel a lot of born-again people are like that. They say, Lord, I'm not, but they won't admit it. They can't see the difference between a photograph of their wife and their real wife. Don't you think that's a serious problem for somebody? If he can't see the difference between a photograph of his wife and his real wife, he's always confusing the two. And he's more drawn to the photograph than to the real wife. I mean, think of a person like that who's always talking to the photograph and his wife is sitting there bored. What do you think that'd be a problem? That'd be a marriage problem in that home. That is the condition of a lot of Christians who are so taken up with the Old Covenant, they can't even distinguish. They sing songs and they don't even know it's an Old Covenant song. It doesn't hit them. It doesn't hit them because you're so taken up with the photograph. It's difficult to admit it, right? It's difficult to admit that you've been a Christian for so long. How could I have made that mistake? You have, brother. The secret of deliverance is acknowledgement. Acknowledge, no matter how spiritual you think you are, there is Old Covenant taste still left in you that has not been cleansed out completely. Because of the influence of Christendom upon your life, you have allowed yourself to be influenced by Christendom, its books, its songs, and not by the New Testament scriptures. I'll tell you the cure for it. Read the New Testament a little more. Read it. Read the Bible more. More than watching Christian preachers on television. More than reading what the internet Christian sites have to tell you about this, that, and the other thing under the world. Read the Bible a little more. Read the New Testament. Come with humility and say, Lord, open my blind eyes. Do you know the number of times I've gone, fallen before God's face and say, Lord, I'm a stupid man when it comes to spiritual things. I'm very clever in earthly things, but stupid when it comes to spiritual things. Lord, open this blind man's eyes. No, God always rewards honest acknowledgement. How many of you think you can go to heaven with your righteousness? Nobody. We say, I have no righteousness that will qualify me from heaven. Not even a little bit. It has to be entirely Christ's. Do you know that the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1, towards the end of that chapter, that Christ has made to us not only righteousness, but wisdom and sanctification. See, once I accept Christ as my righteousness, I've also got to accept him as my wisdom. And say, Lord, I have no wisdom when it comes to spiritual things. You're my wisdom, just like you're my righteousness. And the next thing is sanctification. I have no sanctification, apart from you. Let me show you that verse, if you don't know it. 1 Corinthians 1. What has Christ made to us? In verse 30, 1 Corinthians 1.30. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption. And look at all of these. I have no wisdom, apart from Christ, when it comes to spiritual things. How many of you will acknowledge that? I know all of you will acknowledge that I have no righteousness, apart from Christ. Oh, readily. But when it comes to wisdom, we are not so humble enough to acknowledge that. And that's why we remain in the old covenant. I would encourage you, my brother, sister, start reading the New Testament with humility. And saying, Lord, perhaps I've been wrong all these years. And that's why I'm living a defeated life. Why is it so many born-again believers are into internet pornography? It's because their leaders are into it. And they don't have a clue about sanctification. They don't have a clue about wisdom. They have a lot of knowledge. Why is it so many believers live all their life never overcoming anger? All their life. They've been 50 years a believer, they still lose their temper, yell and fight at home with their husbands and wives. They think that's normal. Because they are too proud to acknowledge, Lord, I'm stupid when it comes to spiritual things. I would encourage you to come to the New Testament like that. Say, Lord Jesus, just like you are my righteousness, I want you to be my wisdom.