Aug. 21, 2024

Dear Friends,

 Are you meeting God's standards? Tonight's Bible study might help with this question.

hope you can join us as we continue in the book of Galatians. The Scripture is Galatians 4:1-7. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

AUGUST 14, 2024

Galatians 4:1-7

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, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way

we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the

fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those

who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has

sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a

son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

_______________________

vv 1-2 – “I mean that the heir…”

Paul continues his analogy

The law served a temporary purpose in God’s plan

“Until the date set”

prothesmia – pre-appointed

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times [chronos] or seasons [kairos] that the Father has

fixed [tithémi] by his own authority.—Acts 1:7

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day or

that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”—

Mark 13:31-32

However things may seem, God is over all and rules according to his will and purposes

He is not just “allowing “ things to happen. He is not a “watchmaker” God. There are both times

and seasons that he has fixed by his own authority. Even days and hours. (Some would say

all.)

v 3 – “In the same way…”

“children” – here, as per his analogy, children who were actually, at the same time, heirs

enslaved to the “elementary principles” of the world

stoicheion - one of a row, as in a letter of the alphabet; a basic principle, element

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human

tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ…. If

with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in

the world, do you submit to regulations…”—Colossians 2:8, 20

“elemental spirits” is decidedly a translation decision

It is notable that Paul includes living under the law as living according to the stoicheion of the

world.

v 4 – “But when the fulness of [the] time had come…”

time – chronos

The coming of Jesus was exactly according to the time appointed by God

2

“God sent forth his Son”

This is for all the world for all time

When people ask “Why doesn’t God do something?”…. He has done something! And what he

did is astonishing and unsurpassable.

There is no “fixing” the world without repentance from sin, forgiveness from God, and life in

Christ.

But, in many different ways, sinful behavior has to be opposed and defeated even if the people

are unwilling to be changed. This unfortunate truth is the basis for our (and others’) systems

of justice, national defense, and even some international alliances.

“Born under the law”—but he (alone) lived a sinless life, so Jesus was not condemned by the law

along with the rest of the world

“to redeem those who were under the law”—all other peoples

redemption/atonement of Christ are the very things that save us and are the very things

that many reject while claiming to respect or even follow the teachings of Christ

SO THAT!

“we might receive adoption as sons.”

THIS is the replacement of the former system. This is the fulfillment of the law. This was the

plan all along and was accomplished for us by Christ.

Our status—our very being—is changed. We are no longer servants who follow rules (and have

failed).

We have received adoption as sons!

Even in this life, we would recognize the significance of a family servant who is then

adopted and becomes an heir.

And imagine if the father who adopted the servant is boundlessly good with boundless

resources to share and assign.

We are freed from the law. Freed from our “record.” Freed from the convictions against us. Our

record is clean with no condemnation.

We should recognize that this is the work of Christ on our behalf. It is TOTALLY due to what he

has done for us, and all the praise goes to him.

And at the same time, we should accept and rejoice in our status as adopted sons of God! He is

our Father. We are his sons and daughters. We live in his house. We have been given his

name. He has taken us in. And he has given us a great inheritance.

v 6 – “Now because you are sons…”

God has sent forth (the same word as in v 4)

“the Spirit of his Son into our hearts”

The gift of the Holy Spirit is the very life of Christ in us.

It is the Holy Spirit who is the seal and the earnest (guarantee) of our salvation.

We are to gratefully rejoice that God has given us the “Spirit of his Son”—and we are to

recognize that this Presence in our hearts is the result and the proof of our sonship with

Christ in God.

“crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”

“Abba” – Aramaic for “Daddy”

This is not about emotion.

This is about our living spiritual relationship with God, made effective by the Holy Spirit.

3

It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in us that leads us to cry out to God as “Daddy! Father!”

Deeply personal—to the core of our being.

This will never change. The Holy Spirit is with us forever.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds

of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you

did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of

adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with

our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow

heirs with Christ, provided [eiper, “since indeed”a] we suffer with him in order that we may

also be glorified with him.—Romans 8:13-17

v 7 – “So you are no longer a slave…”

Paul’s summary

Do we truly know this and accept this as we should?

And it is all “through God.”

a cf. Romans 3:30