Galatians 4:1-7 says,...
Today's verses are Galatians 4:1-7, which read,
v.1, 2 - Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.
Let's take a look at Paul's real life illustration given here. There is a child who is the heir to an inheritance. The child will be the owner of everything. But the child is now a child and does not have in his hands the inheritance. He has guardians and managers who take care of the inheritance until it is turned over and that inheritance will not be turned over until the father says to on a certain date.
The child is a privileged child and a child with great promise but still just a child and not different than a slave child at this stage. The slave child does not have anything. So at this point they are both just children even though one has much coming to him and the other does not.
v.3-5 - So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive adoption as sons.
I love that Paul gives a clear definition of the "gospel" here. When we share the "gospel" this is what we share. We talk about God at the right time, sent Jesus, born of a woman and born a man into this world, to redeem us from sin to be children of His. Would you like to be a child of God?
Back to Paul's illustration, it doesn't matter if you are a child of privilege or a slave child, the gospel came to you through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We were at the stage where we had nothing but bondage to the sin of this world. God did something for that to change dramatically through His Son's sacrifice on the cross. He adopted you. He brought you, a child of sin, into His family as now a child of God.
v.6, 7 - Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Just like the privileged child was to receive an inheritance and it was kept for him until the father said so, you too, even though you are a slave in bondage to sin (and this puts us all in the slave column of this illustration) have an inheritance kept by God because you are now a child of God.
How? God sent His Spirit to call us to see Him and His Son Jesus for who God is and the result is us coming to Him as our Father and these terms of endearment by calling Him "Abba" or " my daddy." God has been calling you by sending His Spirit to point God out so that you can run into His arms.
In the context of the book, Paul is bringing his readers back to the plain gospel truth that they had strayed from.
"Lord, thank You for passages like these that I can read and refresh my mind to Your process in my life. Thank You that I can use Your words with others about what God is doing in their life when they are coming to You with questions and thoughts about who Jesus is. Your gospel is clear and concise and may I hold true to its content because it shows Your great love for us. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.1, 2 - Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.
Let's take a look at Paul's real life illustration given here. There is a child who is the heir to an inheritance. The child will be the owner of everything. But the child is now a child and does not have in his hands the inheritance. He has guardians and managers who take care of the inheritance until it is turned over and that inheritance will not be turned over until the father says to on a certain date.
The child is a privileged child and a child with great promise but still just a child and not different than a slave child at this stage. The slave child does not have anything. So at this point they are both just children even though one has much coming to him and the other does not.
v.3-5 - So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive adoption as sons.
I love that Paul gives a clear definition of the "gospel" here. When we share the "gospel" this is what we share. We talk about God at the right time, sent Jesus, born of a woman and born a man into this world, to redeem us from sin to be children of His. Would you like to be a child of God?
Back to Paul's illustration, it doesn't matter if you are a child of privilege or a slave child, the gospel came to you through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We were at the stage where we had nothing but bondage to the sin of this world. God did something for that to change dramatically through His Son's sacrifice on the cross. He adopted you. He brought you, a child of sin, into His family as now a child of God.
v.6, 7 - Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Just like the privileged child was to receive an inheritance and it was kept for him until the father said so, you too, even though you are a slave in bondage to sin (and this puts us all in the slave column of this illustration) have an inheritance kept by God because you are now a child of God.
How? God sent His Spirit to call us to see Him and His Son Jesus for who God is and the result is us coming to Him as our Father and these terms of endearment by calling Him "Abba" or " my daddy." God has been calling you by sending His Spirit to point God out so that you can run into His arms.
In the context of the book, Paul is bringing his readers back to the plain gospel truth that they had strayed from.
"Lord, thank You for passages like these that I can read and refresh my mind to Your process in my life. Thank You that I can use Your words with others about what God is doing in their life when they are coming to You with questions and thoughts about who Jesus is. Your gospel is clear and concise and may I hold true to its content because it shows Your great love for us. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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