Adopted by Grace

Galatians 3:27–4:7 CSB

27 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. 1 Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything. 2 Instead, he is under guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world. 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 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 God has made you an heir.

It is helpful to understand how society saw things in the context of our passage when Paul wrote it - in Roman society, when a youth became old enough to be considered and adult, he took off his children’s clothes and put on an adult’s toga.

When Paul mentions being clothed with Christ this is the idea he is sharing - before Christ, under the law we were children but through Christ we are different.

The switch for the Roman’s indicated adult citizenship and responsibilities - the same is true in Christ…

Faith in Christ brings us into a new position in His kingdom.

Just like the Roman child who becomes mature and put aside childish things our position in Christ changes

We receive the full benefits of citizenship in His kingdom… with all the rights and privileges

But also all the responsibilities.

Not only do we enter a new position in His kingdom also…

Faith in Christ brings us into a new relationship with others.

In the kingdom of God the labels we put on each other lose their significance.

Regardless of race, profession, gender, or any other label we all must come to Christ the same way - through faith and repentance.

This does not mean that all distinctions are erased on the human level, it also does not negate God’s order of authority.

But if you take away all the labels, the worldly distinctions, then we are united in Christ.

Faith in Christ brings us into a new relationship with the Father.

Paul starts off chapter 4 by pointing out the level of spiritual immaturity we have living under the law.

Much like an heir may own the family estate when they are young they do not have the maturity to operate as the owner - they rely on others, we too were once enslaved to the basic principles of the world - the law.

But when the time was right God stepped in and sent His son.

Jesus fully God yet fully human - He was born under the law, He was tempted in all the ways we are and being without sin, Jesus perfectly fulfilled God’s law.

Jesus has redeemed us from under the law and now…

We have been adopted by grace.

We have received the full rights of sons and daughters.

The Holy Spirit is the down payment for our inheritance - the Spirit moves us to pray Abba Father… Abba is the equivalent of saying “daddy”

I have a biological father and I have no problem saying he is my father and no offense to him but his is not dad…

Dad, Abba, indicated an intimacy that comes through a close relationship through the Holy Spirit.

Adoption does this amazing thing… while my blood does not give me the rights and privileges of a son, the legal binding contract does. To adopt you have to meet several qualifications, legal documents have to be signed and money is paid (not to purchase the person but to pay the fees, to cover the costs).

When the requirements are met the adopted child is considered the parents child - even my birth certificate stated that my adoptive parents were my parents…

According to the law I am my adoptive parents child no ifs ands or buts - they became fully responsible for me and I became fully dependent on them.

The moment I was adopted, my identity changed - not gradually, not maybe, but legally. That’s what Christ does for us.”

Jesus met all the requirements under the law and as such we are now able to be adopted in His royal family - we are His, no ifs ands or buts.

And because we are His we are given all the rights, privileges, and benefits of being a child of God.