Galatians 4:1-7

The Historical Argument

Open your Bible to…

2Pet. 3:15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

2Pet. 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Pray

Intro

√ The historical argument

Peter tells us that some of what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write was difficult to understand!

That is certainly true of the six apologia, arguments, that he presents here in Galatians to prove that we are saved by Grace alone.

This morning we’ll be looking at chapter 4, verses 1-7 where Paul presents the historical argument.

That is, he compares the historical experience of Israel under the Law with the present experience that Jew and Gentile have with God through Grace.

One of the tragedies of legalism under the Law is that while it gives the appearance of spiritual maturity…

…it actually leads a person back to spiritual immaturity!

Ex. The Christians in Galatia

Like most believers they wanted to grow in their faith and in their usefulness to Jesus.

They had good motives, but they were going about it the wrong way!

The reason is that the false teachers had them convinced that by keeping the Law with all of its religious duties and celebrations that they could be better and mature Christians…

…when in fact their behavior only proved that they were still spiritual babies who did not understand the work of the Cross!

Ap. Don’t be fooled by today’s legalists!

Christians who get sucked into legalistic groups today aren’t any different than the Christians in Galatia.

Their motive to join a legalistic group is often a desire to become a better Christian.

They sincerely believe that by keeping a strict religious discipline in their life that they are making themselves more pleasing or useful to God.

Like the Galatians people today have great motives, but the reality as we’ve seen is that the Law cannot change them or make them spiritually mature!

So, in our text this morning Paul presents the historical argument explaining the place of the Law in the history of Israel…

…proving that spiritual maturity comes from following Jesus not by keeping the Law.

He Explains Their Adoption (vs. 1-7)

Gal. 4:1 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,

Gal. 4:2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

Gal. 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

Gal. 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

Gal. 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Gal. 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Gal. 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

√ He explains their adoption

Paul begins his next argument by explaining one of the benefits of a relationship with Jesus…

That is, when we trust in Jesus, God adopts us as His Sons and Daughters.

But, what God does for the believer is different than the adoption process we have today.

Today when a person is adopted they are adopted into a family.

That’s not how God’s adoption works!

We don’t get into God’s family by adoption, we’re born-again into God’s family as His spiritual children (ref. John 3:3).

Then He adopts us, or grants to us the full benefits of our family relationship with Him as adult “sons” (and daughters).

The distinction is important because as sons we’re granted all the rights and privileges associated with being an heir of the King the moment we’re adopted.

Ex. My kids

When they were born they were my children, but they were a long way from adulthood!

It wasn’t until they were old enough to drive that they got to enjoy the privilege of driving the Pearl or borrowing my ATM card!

But in Christ, Paul explains that even when we’re still spiritual babes (regarding our condition)…

…our standing before God is that of an adult!

Ap. The benefits we have in Christ

Through our faith in Jesus we enter God’s family by regeneration (being born-again).

But what Paul is trying to get across to the Galatians, and us, is that we have immediate access to all of God’s benefits because He has adopted us!

So, in the following verses Paul explains our status with God through the adoption we have in Christ and why it is superior to anything the Jewish people had under the Law.

What we were ~ children in bondage (vs. 1-3)

Gal. 4:1 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,

Gal. 4:2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

Gal. 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

√ What we were ~ children in bondage

Paul illustrates the place of the Law in the history of Israel verses the new relationship we have with God through Grace with the example of a wealthy family.

His point that no matter how wealthy a person is their child can’t really enjoy it until they are an adult!

Ex. Give a baby a gold brick and they might suck on it but they sure wouldn’t know its value or what they could do with it.

Paul’s illustration builds on his earlier example of the relationship between a child and a tutor.

In one sense the children of a wealthy man were no different than the slave!

Yes their parents were wealthy, but as children they didn’t have any more access to that wealth than the slave who took care of them!

The spiritual application of the illustration is that this was the experience of the Jewish people under the Law!

The Law was their “tutor”, their guardian to show them their need for a Savior and then to bring to the Savior!

But they couldn’t enjoy the benefits of their relationship with God because they were still spiritual children.

Ex. Old Covenant vs. New Covenant

Under the Old Covenant…

The Holy Spirit was given only to specific people for specific purposes, and could be taken away if the person was disobedient.

Under the New Covenant…

Every believer filled with the Holy Spirit who can never be taken away!

Under the Old Covenant…

People could not approach God on their own they had to go through a priest.

Under the New Covenant…

We are all priests and can approach God at any time because of the sacrifice of Christ!

Under the Old Covenant…

Sin could be covered, but not removed.

Under the New Covenant…

Our sins are washed away never to be remembered again, and our guilty conscience is cleansed!

When you look at the two next to each other it’s not hard to see why the New is superior to the Old!

√ The problem

The point is that the Judaizers who were leading the Christians in Galatia back to the Law weren’t just leading them into bondage…

…they were also leading them back to spiritual immaturity because once under the Law they could then not enjoy the liberty and power we have in Christ!

What God did ~ He redeemed us! (vs. 4-5)

Gal. 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

Gal. 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

√ What God did ~ He redeemed us!

God’s plan was not to leave the Jewish people as spiritual children rather, He planned to make them His sons by redeeming them through the work of the Cross, which Paul writes came at…

“the fullness of the time” ~ vs. 4

That’s a phrase rich with meaning! The “fullness of the time” means…

That time which God had foreordained (preplanned) would be the perfect time in human history to send Jesus to the earth!

Historians and Bible scholars point out that the 1^st Century Roman Empire was…

Looking for a Deliverer and had a long list of false Messiah’s who led people to their deaths.

The old religions were corrupt and dead.

The old philosophies were empty and powerless to change men’s lives.

Strange cults and so-called “mystery” religions were springing up offering the secret of life.

People everywhere were spiritually bankrupt and hungry for something real!

It was the perfect time, the time prepared by the Father to send His Son into the world to redeem Jew and Gentile from their sin.

Without knowing it the Greeks and Romans had helped prepare the world for the Message of Christ by establishing…

A common trade language ~ Greek and Latin were spoken throughout the ancient world.

A comprehensive network of roads connecting every major city from Europe to Asia to Africa and through the Middle East which all led to Rome!

The world was set for the birth of Jesus! It was no accident that He was born in Bethlehem at that time…

…it was “the fullness of time”, the perfect time for the Savior to come and redeem us!

Ap. The fullness of time

Jesus’ return will also come at just the right time!

Like the Roman Empire of the 1^st Century the world today is ripe for the Return of the Lord!

Are you ready?

√ Who God sent

His Son, the God-Man! Look at vs. 4 again…

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”

Paul is careful to describe the unique nature of Christ, that is, He is both…

God’s Son ~ God of like Nature with His Father

Born of a woman ~ Man with a body of human flesh

A critical point because in order to redeem us from the Law the Savior had to be subject to the Law, a man…

…and at the same time free of sin nature, God!

√ Why He was sent

The key to the whole debate between the Law and Grace comes down to the question of why God sent His Son into the world, Paul tells us…

“to redeem those who were under the law…” ~ vs. 5

The word “redeem” means…

“To set free by paying a price”

In the Roman Empire a person could buy a slave (there were an estimated 60 million) and either keep the slave or set his free!

Jesus paid the price to set us free and to make us sons…

…not slaves!

So to go back to the Law would be an offense to Jesus, in effect it would be saying…

“I would rather live as a slave than as your son!”

That wouldn’t be a very grateful attitude to the One who gave His life to set us free!

What we are ~ sons and heirs! (vs. 6-7)

Gal. 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Gal. 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

√ What we are ~ sons & heirs!

For the person who has trusted in the Son for salvation Paul tells us that…

…because you’re a son of God you are thereby entitled to all that belongs to the Father!

The problem with the Galatians is that since they’d started to keep the Law they were now living as slaves…

…instead of as sons!

What’s the difference, a lot!

√ Slaves vs. sons

1) The son has a father, the slave has a master…

Every human being is born a slave. A slave to sin and alienated from God.

Whether a person chooses to acknowledge it or not we’re all subjects to God who is the Master, or Lord of all the Universe.

But, once a person receives Jesus as Savior we become sons of God!

Now when we come to God we don’t call Him “Master”….

…we call Him “daddy”!

Vs. 6…

“Abba, Father!”

That’s a radical truth because under the Law a person would never dare to call God “daddy”!

Yet, through Grace God allows us to come to Him and address Him as our loving Father!

No servant can do that!

2) The son obeys out of love, while the servant obeys out of fear…

Notice that Paul also tells us in vs. 6 that…

“God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts…”

There the Holy Spirit begins to change us by transforming our lives from the inside out. The primary evidence of that change is the fruit of the Holy Spirit…

“Love”! (ref. Gal. 5:22)

The Christian then obeys God because he/she loves God and wants to please Him!

Ex. I stayed out of a lot of trouble as kid because I loved my mom and didn’t want to disappoint her.

The weakness of the Law is that it’s only power is the fear of judgment…

…that isn’t always enough motivation for people to obey!

Ex. Faithfulness in marriage

Is it love or law that keeps a spouse faithful?

Without a doubt it’s love!

Paul’s point then is that a son obeys God because he loves Him…

…while a slave obeys only because he fears God, and that doesn’t guarantee obedience!

3) The son has a future, while the slave does not!

In the days of the Roman Empire there were rare examples of master’s caring for their slaves in old age…

…but it wasn’t required of them.

But a loving father always made provision for his children’s future!

As sons of God Paul tells us that we have the added benefit of being the heirs of God!

“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” ~ vs. 7

That means God has provided for our future by giving us access to all that is His!

Eternal life

The indwelling Holy Spirit

Forgiveness and justification

Freedom from guilt and shame

The slave doesn’t have access to any of God’s inheritance and therefore has nothing to look forward to!

Close

√ The historical argument

The Jewish people living under the Law did not have access to the full benefits of a relationship with God.

They knew of the Holy Spirit…

…but He didn’t live within them.

They had sacrifices for sin…

…but no power over sin.

They had a Temple and priests…

…but could not come to God on their own.

They knew God…

…but not as “daddy”.

Clearly then there is no advantage to living under the Law!