Galatians 4:1-7 "God's Undeserved Blessings"

1. (V3) (Before Christ) We were like slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world

a) Spiritual principles of this world

The idea of the “ABC of the universe” is important. If there is any “ABC of the universe” (elementary principle) that we must break free from, and that is stressed in pagan religion just as much as Jewish law, it is the principle of cause and effect. One may call it karma or “you get what you deserve” or something else; yet it rules nature and the minds of men. We live under the idea that we get what we deserve; when we are good we deserve to receive good and when we are bad we deserve to receive bad.

Illustration:

If your parents don’t go to work, they don’t get paid.

If you don’t do any maintenance to your house or your car, it will begin to fall apart

**The old saying is, you get what you put into something.

**Where does this idea of you get what you deserve?

The Mosaic Covenant:

(Deut 11: 27-28 ) Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

The point being, is you got what you earned (Blessing for obedience, curse for disobedience)

2. (V4) But when the right time came, God sent His Son

a) When the right time came (God’s timing is not always our timing)

Maybe you have been praying about something specific that hasn’t happen yet

b) Jesus was able to free us from the basic spiritual principles of the law because of credentials

Credentials of Jesus:

God sent His Son

Jesus is God (100%)

Born of a woman (He needed to be God and Human)

Jesus is a man (100%)

He was subject to the law

Without a single sin

To redeem those who were under the law: Because Jesus is God, He has the power and the resources to redeem us. Because Jesus is man, He has the right and the ability to redeem us. He came to purchase us out of the slave market, from our bondage to sin and the elements of the world.

3. (V5) Jesus purchased our freedom as we were once slaves to the law

a) For those who have put your faith in Christ, you are now His adopted children

Application: Christianity is the complete opposite of the world in the sense of getting what you deserve.

and Based on the standard of God, which holiness, what do we deserve?