Redeemed as Children of God – Galatians 4:1-7

Topic: Redeemed as Children of God

Reading: Galatians 4:1-7

1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; 2 but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. 3 So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. 4 But when the time had fully 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 through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

Introduction and Overview

There are a number of interesting matters contained in these few verses. The importance of being redeemed as children of God is shown here clearly. Paul uses the analogy of being slaves, being children, and being adopted in these few verses to help us understand what this freedom we have in Christ is all about. We have been set free from the law through the death and resurrection of Jesus so that we can become mature spiritually.

There is another interesting point to note. Sometimes it is useful and even important to note the times and customs of the time when things were written in the Bible. This is especially important in these verse where Paul talks about being adopted as children of God.

Adoption in Roman times and the Roman Empire when this was written, was very different to adoption today. Here are some quite convoluted and difficult discussions of this process, but the simplest and easiest to understand is this. (quoted from Aletia.org)

1. That child was freely chosen by the parents, desired by the parents.
2. That child would be a permanent part of the family; parents couldn’t disown a child they adopted.

An adopted child received a new identity. Any prior commitments, responsibilities and debts were erased. New rights and responsibilities were taken on. Also, in ancient Rome, the concept of inheritance was part of life, not something that began at death. Being adopted made someone an heir to their father, joint-sharers in all his possessions and fully united to him.

Adoption in Roman times was much more powerful than it is today. A person who was adopted, and adults could be adopted in those times, was someone who was desired and wanted. A natural child could be rejected, disowned, or disinherited by parents, but not an adopted child. Under Roman law they could not be disinherited but would be heirs to the power, influence, wealth, status, and titles of the adopted parent, along with any children who were not disowned.

Consider this from a Christian perspective and being redeemed as children of God. When we know the context in the mind of the writer (Paul), we can see how powerful our relationship to God the Father is when we are His adopted children. Jesus Christ is the heir to all that God has. But when we come to Him as adopted children, we too become heirs and cannot be disinherited, unless of course we turn our backs on Jesus and reject God ourselves. But God does not and will not disinherit His people because under the adoption process, we are wanted, desired, and chosen.

Understanding this background helps us to gain a better insight into the strength of the relationship we now have with God in Jesus Christ.

Key points from reading:

• When we were under the law we were heirs of the promises, but without the power to receive them
• Once we were redeemed from the law we became the adopted children of God
• Through being redeemed as children of God as His adopted children, we became heirs to the kingdom of God

Discussion:

1. Scripture: Galatians 4:1-2

• An heir to an estate who is still a child is no better than a slave on the estate. They may have access to the estate, but they have no control. They have no power or authority in the estate. And while they are in the estate as children, they are under the power, control and authority of guardians and trustees.
• In this instance, Paul is saying that those guardians and trustees are the laws given to Moses. The laws told the people what they could and could not do, just as trustees have power and authority over children in an estate until they become adults.
• All people on earth are in this position. We are born under the law and are required to abide by the law while we live in this world. Failure to follow God’s laws leads to sin, because sin is the breaking of the law or lawlessness. (See 1 John 3:4)
• While we remained as sinners under the law, we had no power. We could not do anything but what was required under the guardianship of the law.

2. Scripture: Galatians 4:3

• Not only were we slaves under the law, but we were also enslaved to the elemental spirits of this world. That is, we were enslaved to evil and demonic spirits because we had no choice but to live under sin. And those spirits are the masters of sin who lead the people of this world astray.
• This is not to say that we were without hope. In Jesus Christ there is and was always hope. When a person turns to God and Jesus Christ, they have the opportunity to be redeemed as children of God. The offer is available to all mankind. All we have to do is to take God and Jesus Christ up on their offer and accept Jesus by faith.
• But until that occurs, as this scripture says, we remain slaves to the spirits of this world. Furthermore, we are also slaves to the human passions, lusts, and desires of the flesh. The demonic forces that rule this world use those passions. They inflame our desires, and when we act upon them, we commit sin.
• But this occurs only while remain as children. By this I take Paul to mean children in matters of the spirit. When we were spiritual children, unaware of the designs and the ways of the devil who is ruler of this evil age, we could be tossed to and fro.
• But when we turned to Christ and began to be taught by Him, we begin to mature. We learn the things of the spirit that can defeat the devil and his minions. He no longer has power over us. And his power is further removed and reduced when we are baptised to die with Christ and be raised as new creations. We are no longer under the law when we believe and are baptised into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The law is the power of sin (see 1 Corinthians 15:56) and by removing us from the law, Jesus has taken away the power of sin. The devil can no longer use the law against us since we are no longer under the law. So, when we are redeemed as children of God, sin lies dead, and the devil is disarmed.

3. Scripture: Galatians 4:4-5

• God the Father appointed a time for Jesus to come to the earth so that we could be redeemed as children of God. He established the time when this would happen, and we are thankful that we can receive this amazing opportunity and free gift from God.
• Prior to the coming of Christ life was hard. People had only one choice to come before God and that was through the law. Even then, only the High Priest was able to come into the presence of God, and then only once each year by entering the Holy of Holies in the Temple at Jerusalem.
• Jesus came in the same manner as the rest of mankind. He was born of a woman, raised in the flesh, born under the law, and experienced all of the passions and emotions we humans feel. But unlike the rest of us, Jesus did not sin. Jesus never sinned. And He had to live this life without sin so that He would and could become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of this world. Without His perfect life we would not be able to be redeemed as children of God.
• But because He did come, live, and die, we have now been adopted as sons and daughters of the Father. We are now His children in Jesus Christ. And as the discussion of Roman adoption practices indicated at the start of this post, this is a powerful thing. This adoption shows God’s love for us because we have been redeemed as children of God and have an inheritance that cannot be taken away.

4. Scripture: Galatians 4:6-7

• To further strengthen the bond we now have now that we are redeemed as children of God, He has sent the Holy Spirit to us. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we do so for the purpose of being transformed into the image of God. Transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
• And we receive power. The power to become the children of God and the power to gain victory over the passions of the flesh. This is part of the transformation that the Holy Spirit works within us. And He does this because we have been redeemed as the children of God.
• When we were redeemed through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ, we had just begun our spiritual journey. The journey begins with faith, repentance, baptism into Jesus Christ, and these things give us great advantages.
• But those things are only a beginning. At that stage we are still children spiritually. We had still to learn the things of God that come through learning and studying the teachings of Christ.
• That is why God gives us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit teaches, guides, and transforms us until we become mature as Christians and the work of being redeemed as children of God is completed.

Prayer Points:

• Pray and thank the Father that we are redeemed as children of God.
• Thank God that in His redemption we become heirs of the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ. And not just heirs, but heirs that will not be disinherited.
• Thank God for all of His blessings and the mercy He has shown us in giving us this tremendous opportunity.