应许（恩典）的约立在先
神给亚伯拉罕应许是在创世记十二章二节、七节，十三章十五至十七节，十五章四至五节；并且神与亚伯拉罕立约是在十五章七至二十一节。按照神的心意，应许的约在先。神并没有意思要带进律法，要人努力遵守来达成祂的目的。神原初的心意乃是要将祂自己作到人里面，然后藉着人来达成祂的目的。
律法的约后来被带进
律法的约是后来在创世记十六章，因肉体的努力被带进的。在创世记十六章我们就是看到肉体的努力，因而带进夏甲－律法的象征。应许的赐给是在创世记十二章，亚伯拉罕蒙召的时候；律法的颁赐是在四百三十年以后，在出埃及二十章，以色列人出埃及之后（加三17）。恩典总是先来，但律法随后就来破坏。很少基督徒看到，律法的地位是妾的地位，是违反神的经纶的，并且它的产品总是为神所弃绝。他们赏识律法，尽所能的遵守律法，使自己成为以实玛利，使女的儿女。
凭律法靠肉体努力的产品（以实玛利）
每一个基督徒都和亚伯拉罕一样，没有一个例外。我们得救之后，就开始知道神要我们活一种像基督的生活，属天的生活，得胜的生活，常常讨神喜悦并荣耀神的生活。是的，神的确要我们活这样的生活，但神要把基督作到我们里面，替我们活这种属天的生活，来讨神的喜悦，并荣耀神。然而我们都是注意神的心愿，却忽略了恩典。神的心意是要我们为着神的荣耀，活属天的生活，而恩典是神要把基督作到我们里面，来达成祂的目的。
所以首先我们依赖罗得，就是我们从天然背景中所带出来的，想要用他来达成神的目的，为神的荣耀活属天的生活。当神不允许我们依赖罗得时，我们就转向以利以谢，指望他能使我们为神的荣耀过属天的生活。但至终神告诉我们，“我不要任何客观的东西，我是要从你这个人里面出来主观的东西。”我们一旦知道神要这个，就开始运用自己的力量，天然的能力，来达成神的目的。我们都有一个使女夏甲，经常愿意与我们合作。
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The Allegory of the Two Women (3) — Gal. 4:28-29
The Covenant of Promise (Grace) Established First
God gave the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, 7; 13:15-17; and 15:4-5; and God made the covenant with Abraham in 15:7-21. According to God’s intention, the covenant of promise came first. God had no intention to bring in the law, requiring man to strive to keep it to accomplish His purpose. God’s original intention was to work Himself into man and then to accomplish His purpose through man.
The Covenant of Law Brought in Later
The covenant of law was brought in later in Genesis 16 due to the effort of the flesh. In Genesis 16, we see the effort of the flesh, which brought in Hagar — the symbol of the law. The promise was given in Genesis 12 when Abraham was called; the law was given 430 years later in Exodus 20, after the Israelites came out of Egypt (Gal. 3:17). Grace always comes first, but the law follows to cause damage. Very few Christians see that the position of the law is the position of a concubine, that it violates God’s economy, and that its product is always rejected by God. They appreciate the law and do their utmost to keep the law, making themselves Ishmael, the children of the maidservant.
TThe Product of Laboring by the Flesh under Law (Ishmael)
Every Christian is the same as Abraham, without exception. After we are saved, we begin to know that God wants us to live a life like Christ, a heavenly life, an overcoming life, a life that often pleases God and glorifies God. Yes, God indeed wants us to live such a life, but God wants to work Christ into us to live this kind of heavenly life on our behalf, to please God and glorify God. However, we all pay attention to God’s desire but neglect grace. God’s heart’s desire is for us to live a heavenly life for God’s glory, while grace is God working Christ into us to accomplish His purpose.
So first we rely on Lot, that is, what we brought out from our natural background, wanting to use him to accomplish God’s purpose and live a heavenly life for God’s glory. When God does not allow us to rely on Lot, we turn to Eliezer, hoping he can enable us to live a heavenly life for God’s glory. But eventually, God tells us, “I do not want any objective things; I want something subjective to come out from within you as a person.” Once we know God wants this, we begin to exercise our own strength, our natural ability, to accomplish God’s purpose. We all have a maidservant, Hagar, who is often willing to cooperate with us.