Freedom in Christ: Slave or Free; You Tell Me: Gal. 4:1-20

I. We Are Adopted vs. 1-7

A. The law is like a guardian to an underaged heir. A child cannot inherit until they’ve come of age. There was a time when the law showed us things to come, but then Jesus came, and we no longer needed a guardian.

B. At the right time Jesus came and redeemed us, so that the law would be fulfilled and we could be adopted into His family.

C. Now Yahweh is our Father, and we don’t go through a mediator, but we go directly to the Father in prayer.

D. So now we are co-heirs with Jesus.

II. We Were Slaves vs. 8-10

A. There was a time in our lives though, that we were slaves of sin following gods/idols of our own making. “The human heart is an idol factory”- John Calvin.

B. The reason Paul says “or rather to be known of God” is because many claim to know God but don’t know Him at all. (Matt. 7:15-23).

C. These people were abandoning the gospel for religion. We will write people off that go into sin we deem worse (drinking, drugs, etc) but if people get strict religiously to the point that they will write off those who disagree with them on anything as lost, we say it’s okay. However, it is just as damnable.

III. We Will Stray vs. 11-20

A. Paul’s fear is that they were false converts.

B. What confused Paul, and didn’t add up is that their past shows conversion.

C. SO the verdict is that they are confused, or were false converts. Mark. 4:5-6 , 16-17

Mark 4:5–6 NASB95

“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. “And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:16–17 NASB95

“In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.