“You’re Always Welcome”- Galatians 4:1-8

Have you ever been locked out of somewhere you are trying to get into? Maybe you come home on a cold night, hoping to be let in, maybe you forgot your keys or your hands are full of groceries or bags. You knock, use your foot to tap on the door, so someone will let you in, and just then, the door swings open, and you’re greeted with a smile and a friendly “You’re Always Welcome Here.” How would that feel?

Ephesians 1:4 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love”

Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia, written around 48 AD, is again Paul expressing his sincere concern regarding the influence of false teachers.

Gentiles who came to faith in Christ, would have to become Jewish, following Mosaic Law.

Yet Paul continues his overarching theme of Hope found in the work of Jesus, freeing from the burdens of the law. It was a teaching that says, “What Jesus did isn’t good enough.” Paul loves them, and wants them to see the truth once again.

Galatians 4

Today in Galatians 4 Paul is laying out humanity’s spiritual state—-once being locked out, enslaved, and found unworthy. Yet through Christ’s redemptive plan, God opens the door wide and welcomes us.

What’s your old "god" you keep running back to? 

Humanity was enslaved by the law for the Jewish people and false gods for the Gentiles.

Because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, you and I are not only accepted, we, are welcomed into God’s family..

Galatians 4:1–3 “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.”

Galatians 4:8 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.”

These elementary principles Paul is referring to, focuses attention to spiritual forces or legalistic systems that people were bound by, enslaved by. This included pagan idolatry and futile attempts to “earn” righteousness through the law.

Reformed theology leans into “total depravity”, that state of being apart from Christ, helplessly enslaved to sin and other false teachings.

We’ll see Paul using an analogy here: a child heir. In Roman society (the cultural backdrop), a young heir, despite owning everything, was under the control of guardians until he came of age. He might technically be the master of the estate, but in practice, he’s no more free than a slave.

Paul applies this to humanity’s spiritual state. Before Christ, people—both Jews and Gentiles—were like that underage heir, bound by "elemental spiritual forces" (sometimes translated "basic principles" or "elemental spirits"). For Jews, this included the Mosaic Law; for Gentiles, it was pagan rituals and beliefs. Either way, they were in bondage, not yet free to claim their inheritance.

Boarding School

Illustration:

I had a colleague once who described a very strict Puritan upbringing, which included boarding school. From an early age there were rules that dictated almost every decision. As a child, there was often desire to escape, but no power in which to accomplish such a scheme. In many ways it felt like jail, walls that were always there,

Paul is talking about being bound by sin, unable to to claim a rightful inheritance.

There are many ways we can become like slaves. Periods or season of being trapped by guilt, chasing someone’s approval, or serving idols like success or comfort. These can all be chains that bind us.

Galatians 4:4–5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Then comes the turning point: "when the set time had fully come." God sends Jesus, fully human ("born of a woman") and under the law, to redeem those trapped by it.

Redemption and adoption are the themes here. Both have essentially the same benefit: inclusion. The traditional hierarchy and dictatorial control of religious leaders is about to change. People who do not know God, can know Him. Those deemed outsiders are brought inside of God’s household of faith and made family members.

Galatians 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!””

Redemption of course goes way beyond inclusion, it suggests a closeness, a relationship with God that is now being redefined. He is not only God but “Abba Father.”

The "Abba, Father" cry is intimate and relational. In a world where identity is often tied to achievements, politics, or social media likes, this passage reorients us: you’re God’s kid first.It’s a reminder to rest in grace, not earn it

So at just the right time, God’s plan unfolded just as intended. Christ came to redeem us.

This is Christ’s securing our atonement, and our redemption. And if that isn’t enough, adoption, not only gave us our freedom, but a true belonging to God’s family.

Galatians 4:7 “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

The Adult Table

Every house is different, but when our family gets together, it usually includes our family and extended family, so it often requires separating the kids from the adults at two or sometimes three different tables. I’ve noticed this longing over the years, this desire, as the kids got older, to be at the “adult” table. When they were finally old enough to leave the kids' table during a family get together, you could see the joy of joining the adults! In Galatians 4:4-5, we read that God sent Jesus to make us His children, elevating our status from mere guests to full family members. It’s like a divine invitation to sit at the ‘grown-up’ table of grace and love, fulfilling our deepest need to belong—how liberating and joyful is that!

The fullness of time, the incarnate Christ came, submitted to the law, fulfilled the covenant promises.

“You’re not just forgiven—you’re family. God didn’t just bail you out; He brought you home.”

What are the slaveries that have a hold on your life today?—anxiety, perfectionism, whatever. How do those things that enslave you, paralyze you, compare to the Holy Spirit’s whisper of "Abba." God didn’t just accomplish a one time bail out for you and for me, he brought us home.

A Call to Live Boldly

Maybe today’s message is a call to live boldly as heirs, not timidly as slaves, trusting God’s timing and love in this sometimes chaotic world.

Paul’s big idea is transformation. Today, we might not be under the Mosaic Law or bowing to pagan idols, but we’re still prone to "slavery" in subtler forms. If we aren’t careful, we’ll live our lives always thinking we need something else other than or in addition to Jesus, in our lives.

Think about what binds people: consumerism, approval-seeking, fear of failure, or even rigid religious rules that miss the heart of faith. The gospel says we’re not stuck there.

In 2025, we’re bombarded with impatience—instant gratification is the norm. Paul reminds us God’s plan unfolds on His schedule, not ours. For a Christian today, this could mean trusting God’s timing in personal struggles—whether it’s waiting for a breakthrough, healing, or clarity. The Son came at the perfect moment; God’s still working in our "moments" too.

Through Christ, we’re adopted into God’s family—free, loved, secure. Who do you see as your "guardian" or "trustee" right now? What’s keeping you from living as a free child of God?

We are going through challenges in this life. Things are ever changing. Just when we get over one hump, it seems an even bigger one can develop.

Keep Seeking Jesus

A key part I think of Paul’s message here is that we have to keep seeking Christ every day. We have to keep reevaluating what life was like before Jesus, and how that impacts us individually. To be reminded that the cross was personal for us.

The challenge is to evaluate how we are living. If you’re putting your faith and trust in Christ today, believing and knowing what sacrifice He made for you and why, then you are living free today.

Everything Jesus did was enough.

“It is finished.” Be reminded Jesus is not only what we need, He’s all we need.