Sons and Heirs

Intro

What a gift to celebrate Family Dedication today. Our text today keeps the theme of the family, just a different spin on it. We move from celebrating the birth of biological children to the celebration of adoption into a family.

Need: You may be here this morning and are longing to be a part of a people or a family, and we hope that you can find it here at Mission Oak as we are a gathered group of believers.

Galatians 4:1-7

Main Idea: The Family of God has Changed

Judaizers want Gentiles to follow the Mosaic law and that be the entrance into the family. What we will see is that the seal of the family is no longer circumcision or law, but it is of the giving of the Spirit.

Truth #1: Sons of the law need a guardian (1-3)

Exp. Paul continues from Ch. 3 about being adopted into God’s family. He firsts talks about the children of Israel. Verses 1-2. The children of Israel are no different from a slave because they have a watcher; a guardian. Child = infant. Infants are hedged with restrictions until they mature.

Ill. Christian and falling out of the crib. They have guardrails to protect them. Sports have out of bounds. They have to have direction or its chaos. Referees to enforce the rules.

Exp. This is Judaizers. Received land, covenants. All of this, but are equal to someone who has no rights. They don’t have an inheritance. They need someone to watch over them until they matured.

Arg. Jewish history repeats this. People needed Moses and Joshua. Period of Judges. Kings. Priests. They all served the law. They served it until the appointed time set by God.

Christ - This is what Jesus set them free from. Moses = temporary intermediary. Joshua = conqueror. Judges = saviors. Kings = rulers. Priests = interceders. Prophets = speakers of God. Jesus came to put an end to them and release all who were under a curse.

App. Guys we have been set free! The life that God wants for us is a life we can’t live without him. Some of you are using works to earn his favor. That’s legalism. Merit something. Legalism leads to two things:

Prideful - Do really well, then you start feeling good about yourself. It leads to no longer needing God. Ephesians 2:8-9 combat that.

Shameful - If you fail, you are left ashamed. Not worth it. Also not true. Been adopted.

Truth #2: Heirs of the promise receive the Spirit (4-7)

Exp. Earlier mentions the appointed time from the Father. Now, Paul reveals what that time was. The time that was to come was Jesus. Verse 4-5. Emphasis on Jesus’ humanity. Born of a woman; under the law. These verses are what we call a chiasm. The ends are the same and the middle is the same. Parallelism to emphasize a point: God’s Son fulfilled what we could never fulfill so we could be his sons. Redeemed = liberated. We have been set free from curse of the law.

App. Do you live as if you are free?

Sin

Works righteousness

Other peoples’ actions

Christ - Jesus had to put the shackles on so that Barabbas could be freed. Jesus had to be placed under that which imprisons so that the imprisoned ones could be free. Redeemed = not just liberation, but liberation at a cost. The price of sin had to be paid. Not only are we freed at a cost, but we become his sons. We receive an inheritance through his family.

Ill. Adoption sealed by the Holy Spirit. There has to be a seal of adoption. Margaret and Ez. They celebrated “Gotcha Day.” Ez lived with Margaret for 6 years before adopted. He wasn’t official until it was sealed. Paul says we are sealed with the HS.

Exp. Verse 6. Notice all of the Trinity in this verse. Usually that means something important. The family of God includes the Trinity. Spirit enters our hearts, and we call him Father. Abba, was familial in nature. Not for Yahweh. Just as Jesus call him Father, so too do we get to call him Father.

Arg. Eph 1:13–14, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Sealed. That word means “protection from Satan.” Spirit lives inside of you and is proof of your adoption into the family.

App. Do you sense the Spirit in your life? Here’s how you know:

Do you feel joy when you hear the gospel?

Is there a longing to pursue Jesus?

Conclusion

This is who you are. Just like Ez is a part of a new family, so too are you in Christ. Verse 7.