Northside Church
Galatians teaches that believers are justified by Jesus alone. They are a part of a diverse family and equipped by the Spirit to love God and others. Galatians teaches that believers are justified by Jesus alone. They are a part of a diverse family and equipped by the Spirit to love God and others.
Galatians 4:1-3 ESV
To convince them of their folly, and to rectify their mistake, Paul is using the comparison of a child (or minor) and a slave (someone who is lorded over and controlled)
The apostle deals plainly with those who hearkened to the Judaizing teachers (those who are trying to convert gentiles into Jews)
When Paul used the phrase until the time appointed by the father, he shows that he had the Roman “coming of age” custom more in mind than the Jewish custom.
Think of a wealthy ancient household, with a young boy who is destined to inherit all that his father has. When the boy is just a child, he actually has less day-to-day freedom and authority than a high-ranking slave in the household.
Now comes the comparison to our own spiritual condition. We are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26), and we are heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29). The law was our guardian (Galatians 3:24-25), to watch over us when we were still “children.” The law’s effect on our corrupt nature was to bring us into bondage under the elementary principles of the world.
Galatians 3:26 ESV
Galatians 3:29 ESV
Galatians 3:24-25 ESV
Galatians 4:4-7 ESV
The idea behind the phrase the fullness of time is “when the time was right.”
Jesus came at just the right time in God’s redemptive plan, when the world was perfectly prepared for God’s work.
Jesus came not only as God’s Son, but also as one born of a woman, born under law.
The eternal Son of God in heaven added humanity to His deity and became a man, born of a woman, born under law.
- Because Jesus is God, He has the power and the resources to redeem us.
- Because Jesus is man, He has the right and the ability to redeem us.
He came to purchase us out of the slave market, from our bondage to sin and the elements of the world.
It would be enough if we are purchased out of the slave market. But God’s work for us doesn’t end there; We are then elevated to the place of sons and daughters of God by adoption.
It is fitting that those who are in fact sons have the Spirit of the Son in their hearts.
This gives us both the right and the ability to cry out “Daddy!” to God our Father, even as Jesus did to His Father.
We don’t whisper “Daddy” as if we were hesitant to speak so affectionately. Instead, we cry it out.
We know that we are the sons and daughters of God by the witness of the Holy Spirit within us.
Romans 8:16 ESV
The Holy Spirit can be called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, or linked to God the Father. This is because the nature of God is consistent among the persons of the Trinity.
Here, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of His Son because the idea of our sonship is based on Jesus’ sonship.
Sons are never slaves and slaves are never sons in their father’s house.
Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the prodigal son, where the son was determined to return to his father as a slave — but the father refused, and would only receive him as a son.
There is a beautiful progression here.
· First, we are set free from slavery.
· Then we are declared sons and adopted into God’s family.
· Then, as sons, we are made heirs.
Our release from slavery, our sonship, the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts, and our status as heirs of God are all birthrights given to us in Jesus.
We receive them through Christ.
These are things we should be living in and enjoying and being
thankful for every day of our Christian life.