Sons or Slaves?

"Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. ³ So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. ⁸ However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain."

Galatians 4:1-11

Good Morning Beloved,

Welcome to worship this Lord's Day, we're glad you're here with us today.

 

There are a number people who are eager to remove parts of the gospel, therefore deconstructing the message of the gospel and what you end up with, is no gospel. We learned earlier in Galatians, "If anybody preaches another gospel let him be damned." The reality is, that we’re all sinners, we’re all under divine judgment, and we can do nothing on our own, to change that.
 

"How do we know that we are all sinners?" Because Scripture teaches us that. Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The person who sins will die." And in the New Testament, Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death."

Every human being possesses a wicked disposition and corrupt nature. Beyond that corruption and wickedness, all human beings are rebels against God. If anyone says he is not a sinner, then he is a liar. And far worse than that, he is calling God, who says we are all sinners, a liar.

 

The Good News of the Gospel is that God loves the world. God provides deliverance from sin, from judgment, from death, from hell to those who have faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world. 

Let us bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the clarity of Your Word for us today, for this powerful truth. We are so grateful, that it is Your desire to save sinners, to reconcile them to Yourself, through the love, forgiveness and sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we are blessed beyond measure, beyond our comprehension, on so many levels and in so many ways. There just aren't words to express our gratitude for the many ways in which You demonstrate Your love for us. So we ask that You would accept our worship, our praise, our adoration of You. May we rejoice in the precious gift of salvation.

In Christ's name

Amen

Today's Message: Sons or Slaves?

I believe that there is something missing in our culture today, a rite of passage so to speak, as there seems to be no clear line separating childhood and adulthood. So then, how do we know if we are "grown up?" What are the clear are milestones that mark the way, let you know that you are getting closer to being an adult. Looking around our society, I'm pretty convinced, that many have not. There seems to be almost no responsibility, no accountability, everything always seems to be someone else's fault. A "Now, look what you made me do," attitude.

In my day, that milestone might come in the form of a serious talk with ones parents, in which they they impart some hard earned wisdom that only comes from life's experience, which the child normally let go in one ear and out the other. Parents also took the opportunity at this times to express their pride in their children, how they are maturing, the men and women they are becoming. It marked a time when more is going to be expected of you, and with that, came new responsibilities. You were expected to begin supporting yourself, or at the very least, "pulling your weight" to help support the household, buying your own clothes, needing to make decisions about your life, to start acting more like an adult, and less like a child.

 

When I left my parents home, I was certain, I had this wonderful new found freedom! No one telling me what to do and when, I could stay up as late as I wanted to! Come and go as I pleased. Then, the reality hit, that I was solely responsible for paying my own bills, buying my own food, vehicle and insurance, as well as paying for the gasoline that went in it. Paying for my own car maintenance, tires etc. I soon found myself in bed, long before I was told to be when I lived at home. The harsh reality set in rather quickly, that this was not what I had expected it be. I remember thinking, I probably should have paid more attention to the talk about growing up.

I know some of you are thinking, what does this have to do with the Word of God? Well, as a Christian, a follower of Christ, you have a new status, and with that, comes new expectations of you.

In our passage today Paul is looking at this idea of crossing over from being a child, being immature, living under a lot of rules to keep you in line, kind of like a slave, crossing over from that to a mature adult, coming of age, given the rights and inheritance that belongs to a child of God and an heir – it comes with new freedom, and new responsibilities.

Open with me your Bibles, to the book of Galatians chapter 4. Today, in our ongoing study of the book of Galatians, we'll be studying verses 1 through 11. I invite you to follow along with me as I read to you to get our text settled in our minds. Galatians 4:1-11.

"Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain."

 

How can I be sure that Christ has truly saved me? The powerful answer to this marvelous question is found in our text. This is about sonship. This is about the great doctrine of adoption! One of the magnificent, glorious realities of our salvation, is that we have been adopted into the family of God.

 

In verse 5, Paul says "so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters." That we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. How does this work? Let's go back to Ephesians chapter 1, verses 3-8 to find the answer. 

 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."

 

The bottom line: God chose us! He predestined us. Adoption is a choice. Adoption occurs when we choose to bring someone, born into another family, into our family, as a son or daughter, as our own. We choose to do that. Beloved, that is exactly what God does with us. Allow me to put it another way, we were a part of Satan’s family; "but God" has adopted us. When you see that wonderful, glorious phrase, "But God," you know something magnificent is occurring. As far back as Genesis, chapter 8, verse 1

"But God remembered Noah and all the animals and all the livestock that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided."

In verse 1 and 2, Paul says "Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father."

  

In order to fully appreciate this passage, we need to know the cultural background for what Paul is talking about. We need to step back in time so we can hear the words in the same context the Galatians heard them. In biblical times, they made a bigger deal out of growing up.

 

In Jewish culture, on the first Sabbath after a boy’s 12th birthday, his Father would take him to the Synagogue for a ceremony. The father would rejoice in the transfer of responsibility for religious learning passing from the father to the son himself. He would say "Blessed be thou, O God, who has taken from me the responsibility for this boy." Then the boy would say his prayer, "O my God and God of my fathers, On this solemn and sacred day, which marks my passage from boyhood to manhood, I humbly raise my eyes unto thee, and declare with sincerity and truth, that henceforth I will keep thy commandments, and undertake and bear the responsibility of my actions towards thee."

 

There was a clear dividing line in the life of the young man. There was no confusion over his new freedom, responsibilities and his accountability.

 

In Greek culture, there was a similar ceremony for basically the same purpose, though it was, of course, pagan. A boy was in the care of his father until he was seventeen, then he was a cadet, under the direction of the state for 2 years, then at a festival called the Apatouria, he was received into one of 10 Athenian clans. During a ceremony, his long hair was cut off and offered to the gods. Once again, there was a clear division between childhood and manhood, living under the rules and direction of others, then freedom and responsibility and accountability.

 

And in the Roman culture, somewhere around the ages of 14 to 17, there was a sacred festival called the Liberalia, the festival of Liber Pater. The boy would take off his Toga praetexta, which had a purple hem and marked his as a child, and he put on the toga virilis, which was a plain white toga worn by adults. So once again, a clear dividing line, which after crossed, meant you were treated as an adult, and you were expected to begin acting like one. And again, new freedom, responsibility, and accountability.

As a child, before he crossed over into adulthood through one of these ceremonies, a boy was a minor in the eyes of the law, and he was not able to make legal decisions. He might be the future owner of a large estate, but he was not in control of his own life. Everything about his life was done and directed for him. 

I'm sure you remember, when we were back in chapter 3, we talked about the pedagogue, a slave that was in charge of the child, supervising him, making sure he got his education, disciplining him. Even though the child was heir to his father’s inheritance, he had no more freedom than if he were a slave.

Paul told us that the law was like our supervisor, our pedagogue, leading us to Christ, so that when we put our faith in Him, He will set us free.

 

Now that we have the background, let's take a look at how this applies to the two kinds of people in this world. we identified those two kinds of people by their Spiritual Father. There are two spiritual families in this world, you are either a child of the One true Living God, or a child of the Father of lies, Satan.

Therefore, we can identify the two kinds of people by their status, Slave or Free.

Jesus told us in John 8:34, "Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin."

Verse 3, "So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world." In other words, Paul is telling us, apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ, a person is a slave to sin, therefore, a prisoner of the law, which we know that no one can uphold. In verse 3, he is comparing a lost person to a child, in slavery under the basic principles of the world.

In Chapter 3, verse 23, he said "But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed." 

The word Paul uses for basic principles, stoicheia, means putting things in a line, like the alphabet, most literally, he is saying we are slaves to the rudimentary ABC’s of the law.

The law reveals our guilt, and because we can do nothing about it, we are imprisoned by the law, slaves to our sin, our choice and ongoing choice to rebel against God and disobey his commands.

It is a hopeless condition because the prison is unbreakable. We have no way of escaping. We lack the ability to live up to God’s standard of Holiness and perfection.

But God loves you, so He made a way. He sent His Son on a mission. A mission of Redemption, a mission of love, of suffering, of victory and glory, a rescue mission.

I really enjoy stories about someone on a mission. The mission is always a grand, exciting adventure, there is danger at every turn, and the bravery of our hero shines through as he slays the dragon, foils the villain and rescues the damsel in distress. However, even the grandest story the human mind can conjure up, cannot begin to touch the reality of the greatest mission in human history, that of Jesus Christ.

He came to rescue all of humanity. The villain of the story, is the most evil creature that has ever existed, a fallen angel, the father of murder and lies - Satan. Our hero is none other than God Himself. He came and dwelt among us, taking on the nature of a man, born of a woman, born under the law.

Verses 4 and 5, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters."

Jesus' mission involved accomplishing things that you and I could never do. He lived a sinless life. Even though he was born under the law, the bars of that prison, could never close in around him, there was no guilt, no sin to shackle and bind Him.

Jesus was no slave. He was the only completely and truly free man to ever walk upon the earth. Yet He willingly submitted Himself to the will of the Father. And, according to God’s plan of Redemption for man, Jesus, guiltless and sinless, allowed Himself to be arrested, convicted and sentenced to die as a criminal, death on the cross. Jesus, was the only truly innocent person who ever lived.

However, it was necessary for Jesus to suffer the punishment of the cross, in order to pay the price that is owed by all of us, who are slaves to sin and unable cannot pay the debt that we owe.

So, Jesus laid down his life so that we could gain true life. Abundant life and freedom from the slavery of sin. Jesus accomplished His mission, as only He could. He faced His suffering and death with incredible strength and courage, even asking for the forgiveness of those who mocked Him and nailed Him to the cross.

Then He gained victory over death, through His resurrection, after 3 days He walked out of the Tomb, alive, proving His claims that He was indeed the Son of God, and God's acceptance of His sacrifice. God, in human form, crushed Satan in defeat. Victory over sin, over death, over Satan. The victory of Jesus, is the key to our release from prison and slavery.

If you will recognize your condition, as a slave to sin, imprisoned by the law. And repent, meaning to turn away from your sin and turn to Jesus. And you believe on Jesus, as the Son of God, asking Him to forgive your sins and rule your heart and your life. You put your faith, your trust wholly and completely in Him, then the victory of Jesus belongs to you as well. You are vindicated in the Eyes of God, and you are adopted into the family of God. It is the single best decision I have ever made in my life!

Paul says in verses 6 and 7, "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God."

In ancient Rome, when a father wanted to adopt a son, he paid a price for him. There was a ceremony called vindicatio. It’s where we get our word vindication.

When a child was adopted, they transferred from one family to another. Everything that was associated with the formed family is gone, whatever inheritance they had in that former family is wiped out. Whatever debt was owed, whatever blame or suspicion, everything is wiped clean, and the adopted child is seen a truly a new son of his adopted father. A son with full rights, a full claim to his new inheritance just like any other son.

In this same way, when you are an adopted child of God, your past is wiped clean. You are given a clean slate. Your inheritance, once eternal death in Hell, has been removed, once under condemnation for your sin, for breaking the commandments of God, sentenced to eternity apart from God.

That is now gone, all sin is wiped out, and as a child of God, you are a new person, with a new future, a new inheritance. A son of God with full rights, and an heir.

Not only a son and an heir, now the Holy Spirit indwells in you, lives within your heart, and calls out "Abba, Father." The most intimate term a child uses for their Father.

After we have placed our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savoir, we take our first big step of obedience as a believer by being Baptized. The baptism ceremony is a clear dividing line in the life of a believer. It shows that a significant change has taken place. We are buried with Christ in death, our old sin self crucified with Jesus on the Cross, we are reborn as a new person with new life, sharing in the Resurrection life of Jesus. Our baptism is an outward sign of these things that have taken place in our hearts. And after that, we have a different status, new freedom, and new responsibilities

We have been set free by Jesus. We share in his victory over Satan, sin and death. We are no longer a slave to our sin, we submit ourselves to Jesus, as our Lord and Savior.

We are then free to follow God’s will in our life, We are free to live our life for the glory of God. We are still have our sinful nature, we still stumble, we still fail, we still sin, but we have God’s spirit living in us, changing us, making us more and more like Jesus. And like the child who has reached maturity, we are expected to act less like children, more like mature believers. More like Jesus Christ.

However, if we were to chart our progress of "growing up" spiritually, becoming more mature as a Christian, more obedient, more Christ-like, it would certainly not be a straight line. It would be more like graph, full of up's and down's. There would be periods of incredible growth, periods of stagnation, and even some periods with a downward trend.

The good news is, however, once you are saved by God, you can never lose your status as His child, but you can slide so far back, that you begin acting like a slave. Rendering you ineffective, unusable as a tool in God’s hand. You can become someone whose testimony has a negative effect on people in the world. Leaving them to wonder, "That’s a Christian" Then exclaiming, "Obviously, I’m better off where I am." I am deeply saddened to say, we see a great deal of that occurring within Christianity today.

That bring us to Paul's warning, in verses 8 through 11, "However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain."

When we are growing as a Christian, and we are focused on our relationship with Jesus Christ, on doing the will of God, we are therefore, submitting ourselves to His leadership and we are operating on His principles, the ideal situation.

Then, there are times when it is tempting for us to try to run back to our old ways, those weak and miserable principles.

Paul is upset that the Galatians are observing special days and months and seasons and years. The Galatians are being pulled back to a form of legalism by the false Jewish teachers, who were still observing Sabbath day laws, new moon festivals, and yearly festivals like Passover.

These were all mere types and shadows, things that were pointing to the messiah. They were fulfilled in Christ and once you're in a personal relationship with Him, these things are no longer needed. We no longer need special days, and festivals to make us think of Jesus, we have the real thing, Jesus living in our hearts. Every day we can talk to Him, feel his presence, having a real relationship with Him.

Legalism is only one form of sliding back into slavery. There are many others. The Judaizers were addicted to the law, they remained slaves to it.

Today, there are some people are addicted to others things, and they let their addiction turn them into slaves. Some are slaves to a substance, others to an immoral behavior. Addictions to drugs and alcohol that can rob a person of their ability to think clearly and be sober minded. Destroying entire lives and families.

While other addictions are more subtle, however, are just as destructive. Addiction to pornography is at an all time high, it is all too easy to access by internet and it is destroying marriages and families. It is one of the most insidious tools used by Satan to drive a wedge between people who love each other, and between a person and their relationship with God.

Addiction to work is just as dangerous, on the surface, we tend to see it as noble. We admire a person who works hard. However, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. God loves hard work too, though He doesn’t condone neglecting one’s family and He certainly doesn’t condone neglecting one’s relationship with Him.

Anything that builds itself up, becomes an idol. Becoming more important and a higher priority, in one's life than God and family is NOT from God, and it must be resisted. Why? Because Satan is a master at whispering in our ear and tempting us to shift our focus and priorities away from God’s "just temporarily" in order to accomplish his mission.

In Closing...

There are times, when I've been under conviction for allowing my schedule to be somewhat "undisciplined." Often, balancing work and family is difficult, especially when your work is God's work, it's easy to justify it. However, God also wants us to spend time with our families. I have since strived to find a harmonious balance, setting aside time each day, for God's work and my family.

God has given us everything we need to live victorious, fulfilling lives. Learn who you are. A Child of the King shouldn’t live like a slave of the world.

To recognize God as Lord is to acknowledge that He is sovereign and supreme in the universe. To accept Him as Savior is to accept His gift of salvation offered on the cross. To regard Him as a Father is to go a step further. A father is the one in your life who provides and protects. That is exactly what God has done.

He has provided for your needs. He has protected you from harm. He has adopted you. And He has given you His name, He wants you to lay hold of the spiritual treasures promised to you in Christ.

God has more than proven Himself to be a faithful Father. We must trust God to give you what others cannot. Let Him fill the void left by others. Rely upon Him for your affirmation and encouragement.

Living in Christ, we move from immaturity into maturity. So that we might truly become owners of all our blessed inheritance in Christ.

May it be so...

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen

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