Galatians 4:1-7
1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
The chosen people of God were like children not of age who were heirs due to inherit an incomprehensible wealth. Therefore they were not much different than slaves, having others over them until they were mature enough to handle the treasure coming to them. Like slaves, however, they were in bondage to their sin as master until God’s time came to adopt them from slavery to freedom in Christ. Jesus Christ was born in the flesh as we are, under the Law of our efforts to earn God’s pleasure (yet He as divine was perfect), yet set us free to be His children through His work in mercy and grace by faith, as we trust in His work and person and not our own any longer. This is why He put the Spirit of His Son in us, to both seal us as His children and to enable us to live the Law of His heart in ours by His enabling for ability and desire. As children, as heirs of God, we do not earn our place by the Law, but live it to please our one and only Holy Father, not men. We cry out to our Father in thankful trust and obedience out of love instead of obligation now.
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