God's Greatest Gifts

God’s Greatest Gifts Galatians 4:4-7 Context • Paul is writing to Galatian Christians tempted to add the law to grace (Galatians 2:16) • God set a time for the law to expire: 1. Fulness of Time – Preparation of the World 2. Fulness of Time – Preparation of the Jews 3. Fulness of Time – Usefulness of the Law • Once all was prepared, God sent His two greatest gifts: His Son and His Spirit. Structure • God Sent Forth His Son: 1. In order to redeem – God’s Action 2. In order that we receive – Man’s Reaction • God Sent Forth the Spirit 1. A Crying Spirit – God’s Action 2. A Growing Realization – Man’s Reaction God Sent His Son (4:4-5) • God’s Son: 1. Eternal Son – Psalm 2:12; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 9:6; John 5:18 2. Born of a Woman – Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14 3. Born Under the Law – Micah 5:2; Isaiah 11:1 • Sent to Redeem: Sinners have a legal problem 1. To satisfy criminal wrongs – see Galatians 3:13 2. Typically, redemption meant a transfer of service • Sent to Adopt: Sinners have a relational problem – see Ephesians 2:1-3. God Sent the Spirit (4:6-7) • The Spirit of His Son (4:6) 1. The Spirit always works in tandem with the Son – see John 14:26 2. The Spirit comes with an urgent cry • The Spirit’s Mission (4:7) 1. To convince us of our status in the family of God 2. To grow our conviction of God’s care Conclusions • The gift of God’s redemption can be received immediately by faith – see Galatians 3:11-14 • The gift of God’s Spirit can also be received immediately by faith – see Acts 10:44-47