“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:1-7
My dear sisters,
Paul is reminding the believers in the church of Galatia what they have in Christ. They were reverting back to the law to save them from their sins rather than to trust in Christ for the salvation of their sins. He tells them that the law enslaved them to the ways of the world but there was a much better way to be a son of inheritance…by the birth of a tiny baby in Bethlehem.
This child lived a perfect life honoring his earthly parents and his Heavenly Father. He fulfilled the law of the Jewish nation satisfying the Creators commandments perfectly. Then he was crucified and killed taking the penalty of sin that the law required. The final act was rising again on the third day conquering sin and death. The curtain of the temple was torn in two symbolizing access to the heavenly thrown with no more sacrifice! Both Jews and Gentiles now get God freely by faith in their Messiah…no works required.
Those who put their faith in Jesus, no matter what nationality, have been grafted into the family of God through Christ! He has adopted us as sons! That means we have access to the chosen family with all the inheritance and blessings of a son. We can’t earn this right, God has given it to us freely by faith alone in Christ alone! Wow. Slowly, the realization of the power and amazement of this passage is becoming sweeter to me.
Why has this become sweeter to me lately? We are months away from grafting two more children into the Craig family through adoption. It has taken heartbreak, tears, and years to reach this point. We have fought hard with paperwork, agencies, and even countries. When these two chosen children become Craigs, they will never be orphans again. They will receive all of our inheritance and rights as Craigs. They have been chosen not because of what they have done, but out of our love for them. How exciting! It has made me realize that I was an orphan once, living in poverty and the stench of my own sin, when my Father chose to make me His child, His son (yes, son!) with all the blessings and inheritance that comes from His heavenly home. Not for what I have done, but because of His love for me. So dear sister, rejoice this Christmas! Bask in the glory of Sonship! You have been chosen! Not for what you do or earn, but because of what Christ has finished! You are no longer a slave to the world, you are a son! By His spirit you can cry “ABBA, FATHER!” What a gift! You can come confidently before the throne of God because of your given Sonship. Run to Him this Christmas. Run to your daddy and thank Him for His unconditional love.
Your Sister in Christ,
Colleen