12-31-23 Sermon

Galatians 4:4-7

This morning I'll be reading Galatians chapter 4 verses 4 through 7. And I'll be reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Galatians 4:4-7 Galatians was written to correct a desperate situation,,, caused by Judaizers attempt to discredit Paul,,, and introduce a false gospel. This is Paul's words to them,,, the Galatians,,, to call early Christians back from Mosaic Law to grace,,, from legalism to faith,,, after they had been led down the wrong path. The verses that we will look at this morning,,, are a part of that explanation.

Galatians 4:4–7 (HCSB) — 4 When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. The word of God for the people of God,,, thanks be to God! God bless the reading and the hearing of your word this morning. Let us pray: Dear Lord,,, as we begin this morning,,, with everyone here today and all that are listening and watching by video,,, we ask that you open our ears to hear and our hearts and minds to receive the message that you have for us today,,, In Jesus' name I pray,,, Amen. ___________________________________ Last Sunday was Christmas Eve,,, and we lit the 4th Sunday of Advent candle,,, and listened to the reading for that day.

My remarks after this event,,, showed that they used Psalm 89:1-2 to show us what we need to do as we continue through this Christmas season,,, and,,, each and every day as well.

And that's to share love!

And this is especially important during Christmas,,, a time when love is something that we all are looking for!

And what better love can be shared at this time,,, than the love that God has for us!

A love that is faithful,,, a love that is true,,, a love that is unconditional,,, a love that is steadfast,,, a love that is unchanging,,, and,,, a love that we don't deserve,,, but yet,,, God loves us anyway,,, even while we fall short each day,,, most of the time,,, unintentionally!

Regardless of the reason why we fall short,,, if we make a turn back to Him,,, He always forgives,,, and brings us back to Him,,, not because of anything that we've done to deserve that love,,, but only because God loves us that much!

And it's that love that we need to share with others this Christmas season,,, so that all can feel true "love",,, as only God can give,,, especially to those,,, that have never felt His love,,, for the first time in their life!

God's love is there for them,,, just as it's there for you and I,,, and because it's free,,, it's the best gift there is!

-----------------------------------

Then we lit the Christ candle,,, and listened to the reading for that day.

I read Luke 1:26-38,,, and I told you that Mary found favor with the Lord and was chosen to be the mother of our Lord and Savior,,, and they were to name Him Jesus,,, and,,, 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

The reading said: The season for watching and waiting is over. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. This is the light of the world, and the darkness cannot extinguish it.

There is nothing that satan can do to defeat God's plan.

And because of that,,, we should always realize that God is in control.

God had a plan in place knowing that Adam and Eve would fall in the Garden of Eden,,, and that plan is working today,,, and will continue to work,,, until Jesus comes again to make everything right that has been ruined by sin in this world today!!

You were told,,, that this Christmas season,,, and every season,,, we must tell of "His glory",,, along with "His love" for us,,, as we spread the Christmas story to all that will hear,,, no matter where they are,,, or who they are,,, and that,,, God loves us all,,, just as He sent His son for all,,, and that's the greatest story ever told,,, as we looked forward to the celebration of His birth the next day!

And that story continues as we head into a new year as well!

This morning we will look at these verses in Galatians,,, and see how they will help us in our walk with God this week.

___________________________________ Verse 4 said: 4 When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

With the phrase,,, When the time came to completion,,, Paul brings together the idea of coming of age and the coming of Jesus.

He stresses that the life,,, death,,, and resurrection of Christ,,, all occurred,,, according to the plan of God.

The phrase,,, born under the law,,, refers to Jesus’ identity as a Jew.

It also refers to the incarnation of Jesus — when the eternal Son of God,,, became a human being.

So,,, He was born into the people who lived according to God’s law.

As the Son of God,,, Jesus would never have been under the law; - He was the One who gave it.

But my commentary says,,, in condescending grace,,, He put Himself under the law that He had made,,, in order that He might magnify it in His life,,, and bear its curse in His death.

___________________________________ Verse 5 said: 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

The law demanded a price from those who failed to keep it,,, — the price of death.

Before God could bring men into the wonderful position of sonship,,, this price had to be paid.

So by Jesus,,, coming into the world,,, as a member of the human race and of the Jewish nation,,, He paid the price which the law demanded.

Because He is God,,, His death was infinite in value,,, in other words,,, it was sufficient to pay for any number of sinners.

Because He was Man,,, He could die as a substitute for man.

Govett says: “Christ, by nature Son of God, became Son of man, that we, by nature sons of man, might become sons of God. Wonderful exchange!”

As long as men were slaves, they could not be sons.

Jesus delivered them from the bondage of the law,,, in order that they might be adopted as sons.

This is not a redemption from the curse of the Law,,, but from a slavery to the entire Mosaic system.

The emphasis is not on the penalty of the Law,,, but on its bondage.

Since Christ redeemed and set free those who were under the Law,,, why should Gentile converts now wish to be placed under it?

Second,,, Christ’s Incarnation and death secured for believers the full rights of sons (“the adoption as sons,”).

The believer is born into the family of God as a child.

The emphasis here is on the fact of divine birth,,, not on the privileges and responsibilities of sonship.

The believer is adopted into the family as a son.

All the enjoyments and privileges of a mature son in a family belong to those who have entered into the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work.

___________________________________ Verse 6 said: 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

Paul writes this to show that those who are sons of God might realize the dignity of this position,,, and we know that God sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to live within them.

The Spirit creates an awareness of sonship,,, causing the saint to address God as Father.

“Abba, Father” is a familiar form of address,,, combining the Aramaic and Greek words for “father.”

No slave could address the head of a family in this fashion; it was reserved for members of the family, and expresses love and confidence.

Note the Trinity in this verse—Spirit,,, Son,,, and Father—in that order.

___________________________________ Verse 7 said: 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

The believer is no longer a slave; he is not under the law.

Now he is a son of God.

Since Christ,,, as God’s Son,,, is the heir of all God’s riches,,, the Christian is an heir of God through Christ.

All that God has,,, is ours,,, by faith.

In rabbinical schools in Israel today,,, a student is not allowed to read the Song of Solomon or Ezekiel 1 until he is forty years old.

The Song of Solomon is considered too sexually explicit for a younger mind,,, and Ezekiel 1 contains a description of the glory of God that is too great,,, or extreme to be put into words.

The Talmud tells that when a certain person under forty began to read Ezekiel 1,,, fire came out from the page and consumed him.

What this shows,,, is that a person under law,,, is not considered a man until he is forty.

(The well-known bar mitzvah at age thirteen only makes a Jewish boy a “son of the covenant”—the meaning of the term—and thus responsible to keep the law.)

Up to the age of forty the Orthodox man is considered a minor.

That doesn't apply to us that are Christians,,, we are believers under grace.

The moment we are saved,,, the whole inheritance is ours.

We are treated as adults,,, mature sons and daughters,,, and the whole Bible is ours,,, to read,,, enjoy,,, and obey.

___________________________________ So we can see from these verses,,, that Paul is telling them that because of God's plan,,, and Jesus Christ,,, through His life,,, death,,, and resurrection,,, that they aren't enslaved by the law anymore!

They have been freed from the bondage of law!

As Christians today,,, we are free as well!

We are free,,, because God has given us the Holy Spirit to show us the way!

We now have the new heart that was promised in Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.”

This is the advantage that we have as Christians as we struggle with the troubles that we face almost,,, every day.

This is also the advantage that we need as we begin our new year,,, and our new direction,,, that technically begins at midnight tonight.

Just as the Holy Spirit guides us through our personal day to day activities,,, He will guide us as a church family,,, if we listen the way that we should.

We have everything that we need to succeed in our journey.

God has opened doors,,, and showed us the way,,, we don't need to make the mistake of forgetting His guidance as we move forward!

Just as the Galatians were told by Paul that they weren't slaves to the law,,, we aren't slaves any more either.

And just as Paul expected the Galatians to follow his advice,,, we need to do the same.

God has given us everything that we need to make this work,,, we just need to be sure that we rely on His strength,,, His guidance,,, and His direction,,, as we journey on,,, in this new year,,, together!

___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Hymn: 337 - Oakdale Hymn: 337 - Seminary Benediction -----------------------------------------------------------