Galatians 4:1-5 “When the fullness of time had come”

Galatians 4:1-5 “When the fullness of time had come”

Recap: who is Paul? And who is he writing to? The problem: False teachers pointing to the law to be justified in Jesus. (Paul is saying no, justification is by faith in Jesus).

Problems: Paul is concerned that the Galatians are departing from Jesus (a person), to be justified by works and law. Thinking there is more to do that have faith in Jesus.

Relevance: As I have said now many times, I think this letter is as relevant that ever. In general people try to justify them self, in many different ways, because we are all lost and away from Jesus. What about us that believe? Are we planted deeply in Christ, or do we also look for and to other people to justify us? Or our own works?

Paul has a clear appeal look to Jesus Christ only in him can we have right standing with God, there is only one Gospel – That is Jesus Christ. The way all the nations would be blessed.

And Paul has so far: writing that the gospel and promise of God is Jesus Christ, his work his life, death, and it is all received by faith. Freedom is found in Jesus. Justified in Christ work, crucified with Christ to live new life in Jesus, that loved me and gave up his life for me, to free me from the curse, he (Jesus) became the curse as he hug on the cross. Life now lived in Christ, the risen son of God = that shows the grace of God. And it all comes by the promise, and not the law. That in Christ Jesus we call all be sons of God, baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Then there is on Jew or Greek, slave or free man or woman, all are one in Christ, able to worship, received justification, heirs according to promise. All that is such great news, why would the Galatians, and the Jews depart form Jesus? Why would we?

Today: 1. Heir and slaves. 2. We were slaves. 3. God’s timing and Jesus’ work.

Being and heir, does not make a big difference if one’s guardians and managers are in charge of one life, you could be the riches child in the world, and not able to by a candy bar/piece of gum. Because the regulations set for you. Only when you reach the age set, you can be free act.

Paul uses that as an illustration that we were lost and in need of saving, we were enslaved by the elementary spirts of the world. (Paul incudes himself we).

Objection to Paul and Jesus point. Many people today and people in Jesus’ time would say to Jesus we are not blind; we don’t need a savior we are righteous, we for fill the law. Jesus’ response, you are blind because you say you can see, now your guild remains on you because you say you can see.

One great false gospel of our time is: No, you are not lost and in need of saving. You are great as you are, don’t let anyone tell you different, be proud also of you sin, show how great you are to others, trust in yourself, you are not bind, find your own truth then you can also set up your own measures for salvation and redemption, and how you can be justified. (All your own works done by you, what a false and horrible burden to put on people) Make up your own meaning, find a way to justify you self, oh year if you fail, there is no, way to be redeemed. – You are only living the curse of your own actions, and mind creations. That is what Paul means with your enslaved to the elementary spirts of this world, you are slaves… Not even knowing it.

People desperately needed help and need God act and God did: God send Jesus.

I have been asked a few times Why did Jesus come to earth when he did?

I often cite verse 4. “That in the fullness of time, God send his son (Jesus Christ)”.

God had a plan, and the part where Jesus came to earth, well it happened at just the right time. Then someone might ask but why not before or why not later. And the honest answer is I don’t know but according to Paul it was in the fullness of time. (We might give some guesses from history but we are not told why, we are not explained God’s timing, the same with Jesus coming back). I don’t think that is the point either, it might be a rabbit hole, a wrong track to follow, that does not lead to better relationship with Jesus Christ.

What Paul’s point is to show Jesus’ work, that Jesus could set us free from slavery to the elementary spirts,

Redeem us from the law, so that we could be adopted as sons.

First Paul writes that Jesus was born in the fullness of time (God has a plan). God send his son (Jesus Christ), (What an amazing thing! That God would send Jesus in to this world to live, die, and to redeem a people and adopt dem. Jesus said in John 3:16-19 PPT For God so loved the world gave his son, that whoever believes will have eternal life, and not perish, God did not send Jesus to condemn the world might be saved by him). God send his son… wow…

Born of Mary and Jesus was born under the law. Jesus was born of a woman, that lived under the same system law (She was like Abraham, she believed what the angle said and obeyed God by faith). Jesus lived under the same system but Jesus was going to do something no one ells had done, Jesus was going to fulfilled the law, and in his life and death explain what the surficial system was a shadow of: the one true safice in Jesus himself. That is how Jesus was able to redeem the people under the law, under elementary spirts.

By his life (the way he lived no sin, always on God’s target, word and deed and thinking) for filling the law perfectly. How did Jesus redeem? Paul wrote in 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, (conserveness of not keeping the law) by becoming a curse, as Jesus was crucified, - He went willingly laid down his life to die for the sins of all who would believe, Jesus rose from death, showing he defeated sin, Satan, and death. Paul points to the sufnsciy of Jesus work, and his mission to redeem the people under the law and slaves of the elementary spirts of the world.

Redemption set free/ brought with a price, this is a picture of Jesus as the true redeemer, that Job talks about, the whole redemption system in the law was pointing to Jesus as the true redeemer.

Jesus redeemed so that we might receive adoption as sons. PPT. Adopted in to Gods family, what a great standing, to be redeemed to be a Son and heir, in Gods family.

Adoption as new interment relationship with God, that we were fare from God, in rebellion and sin, or in religious or good deeds trying to make us right in other people’s eyes or God’s sight. In our helplessness God provides and Jesus comes and does his work, that we might be cleansed, redeemed and adopted, ones very fare away form God now, so close to be adopted in to Gods family. How close a father to their children? How great and loving have we seen God be even in the verse we have read today?

What extreme joy and privilege, God would bestow on us, that we might be adopted in to Gods family, by the very great work of Jesus Christ our Lord. [That we might be blessed in his life and work, die with him in his death, and rise with him in as he rose from the grave. So that we might receive adoption as sons..] As we come to this point what about you? Are you still a slave, captive under the elementary spirts of this world? (Gospel of Jesus).

God restoring relationship, is the true gift God. PPT - summing it up.

God has sent his Spirt of his son. Next week the Holy Spirt at Pentecost. – 3 in 1 God the father, God the son, God the Holy Spirt. As sign of adoption.