Galatians_4
Scripture
Galatians 4:4-74 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b]6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Observation
“The apostle, in this chapter, is still carrying on the same general design as in the former-to recover these Christians from the impressions made upon them by the judaizing teachers, and to represent their weakness and folly in suffering themselves to be drawn away from the gospel doctrine of justification, and to be deprived of their freedom from the bondage of the law of Moses.” [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+4&version=NIV]Paul is speaking to the church communities of Galilee – basically working to undo the messaging they’d received about who they are and who God is. The “Judaizing teachers” were bringing up the law of Moses in competition with the gospel of Christ and holding those in Galilee to legalistic ways of the Old Testament. In other words, they were focused on the wrong things.
Understanding
Paul wanted the Galileans to recognize who they were in Christ – no longer slaves, but children of God. I feel like this same messaging needs to be undone today. People view Christians as hypocritical and judgmental and Christianity as being bound to some legalistic set of rules geared towards perfection. Our message today should be the same as Paul’s then – you/we are no longer slaves, but loved by God…called His child and His heir. I think many Christians today, myself included, struggle with image and recognizing who we are in God and who God has called us to be…not a lowly slave, but a son or daughter of the Most High. Not someone bound to sin or to perfection, but set free and walking in victory as heirs to the kingdom.
Life Application
Walk it out! We sang “You Are My Champion” yesterday and there’s a line that says “Let all the striving cease. This is my victory!” May we walk in victory today…but may we also live in a way that draws others into that victory. People need freedom today and God has called us, placed us and equipped us to be part of His process of setting them free. To check out the discussion or to join in click here.