Galatians 4:26-31 :

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written,

“Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear.
Break forth and shout, you that don’t travail.
For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.”

Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So then, brothers, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.

All Christians are miracle children. That’s what it says here. We were born miraculously by God’s promise and we relate to Isaac in the Abraham story. By all reason, we should never have become children of Abraham, but that is exactly what we are.

We don’t work for our salvation. We don’t “travail,” or “bear” any kind of labor in order to get to God. We have believed a promise and that’s all. That is how we were saved and that is how we became Abraham’s children. We are not saved by following a set or rules. That would be to believe that we would be saved by the one that was thrown out. God does not recognize that kind of “salvation.” He will only save those who believe in His promise. As we can see from the story of Abraham, if we attempt to add our own flesh into the promise of God, it will cause us trouble, just like Hagar and Ishmael ended up causing Abraham and Sarah trouble.

Christians, because they have come to God in faith and not by the law, are included in the inheritance. The Law system cannot be used to gain access to God. It is represented by Hagar, and as we read here, God does not accept that system.

I want to make it perfectly clear that God dearly loves the earthly children of Ishmael and has also given His son Jesus for them just as He has for all Gentiles. God loved the whole world when He sent His Son to save it. God expects the children of Ishmael to come to His Son so that they may join the numerous children of Abraham.

There is a Jerusalem from above that will soon meet the Jerusalem on earth. The Jerusalem we see now has yet to be saved as well. This world will be restored someday and so will this Jerusalem on earth. The Jerusalem from above will be forever and that is what all true believers in the Messiah Jesus hope for.