Thursday, June 9, 2016
Galatians 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
CHAPTER BY CHAPTER: GALATIANS 4
Chapter four begins by marking the transition between the Old Testament and the New Testament: the birth of Jesus Christ. This was the moment that all Old Testament believers were waiting for. They had to be patient, for Paul writes: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5). God had carefully planned the exact moment when His Son needed to enter time and space in order to achieve salvation for all.
What this now meant for the Galatians is exactly what Paul wrote in vv. 6-7. They now were sons of God in Christ and rightful heirs of eternal life. The only-begotten Son was the only one who had the right to share His status with others, and Christ has willingly extended that to all people through the gospel call. That believers are now "sons of God" is not a sexist exclusion. Paul just ended chapter three by clearly stating that all are one in Christ, there is neither "male nor female" (v. 28). The son-ship is emphasized because the son is the rightful heir of the father's inheritance. All believers, male or female, are eligible to receive this in Christ Jesus.
Being true heirs of the Father's free gift of life is more than just something to look forward to in the future. It means that we have freedom today in our lives. We are no longer slaves, but adopted members of God's house. Therefore, no one can hold us under the law’s bondage anymore by saying, "Do this or you are not saved." The gospel brings freedom because it comes fully and completely through the only begotten Son, Jesus.
