Justification as Identity

Justification has more than a legal meaning

What is justification by faith?

God's act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time declaring a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice.

We are westerners with a western mindset

Three big groupings of culture: Guilt/Innocence, Honor/Shame, Power/Fear

These aren’t clean cut - In the south we have a strong guilt/innocence culture but also a strong honor/shame culture

In China, it is a strong honor/shame culture, but there has been a great deal of influence from the West so there is also some guilt/innocence

A new perspective on justification

Not so much a new perspective as an old one - but new to us

Not just a new perspective for us but also something that I believe is foundational to living the Christian life

A Child and Yet a Servant (1-3)

Galatians 4:1–3 KJV 1900

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

An heir as a child has no rights

A Roman child came of age around 14

Until then, he was under a tutor assigned by his father

Even though he came of age, he had to wait until 25 to be counted a full-heir; from 14-25, he was under a governor

All of this is the “time appointed of the father”

The mark of a child is being told what to do

The law binds: when to do something what to do, how to do… that’s all law

For the Jews, that meant the law or more accurately, traditions of their fathers

For the Gentiles, it could mean a number of things - perhaps a fear of not doing the correct sacrifice to appease the gods

No matter the religious system, apart from Christ there is always bondage

This bondage is the essence of legalism

God says, “Here are some general principles”; legalism says “Here’s the law”

You must do this or not do that; dress like this and not that; give this much, don’t fellowship with them

In this way, it is grown-up childishness

Before Christ, we were as children

We had no status, no authority, no rank

Christ Changed Our Identity as Sons (4-7)

Galatians 4:4–7 KJV 1900

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

At the right time, God sent us His son

Jesus came as a man, made under the law

Christ came to fulfill the law

He followed the law perfectly

He came to redeem us from the law

The law put a price on our head

Also, under that law, our status was of servants and slaves, not sons

As a slave, you cannot work your way to freedom

Christ paid the price so our status could change from slaves to sons

Justification not only changed our legal standing but our legal status (4:5b)

Justification changes our relationship to God

A slave was not allowed to address the head of the family as Abba - it is the equivalent to daddy

But we also use Father, but the significance is showing that God provides, protects and support

In the same way Jesus addresses God the Father in . we too can address God — that’s yuuge

So now, we are not slaves/servants, but we are sons

Why not daughters? It has to do with position

Our danger in returning to the old status (8-11)

Galatians 4:8–12 KJV 1900

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

Galatians 4:8–11 KJV 1900

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Even when our status has changed, we still have an inclination to try to be good enough

Before Christ, we served idols

Idolatry brings bondage — anything that’s not in Christ is bondage

That servanthood, leaves scars making it difficult to be free

After the civil war, slaves had a problem being free

North Koreans who leave North Korea, have a hard time outside the country

The question is, why go back into bondage?

These things are nothing, why are you doing this?

The problem is that we forget our identity

The most helpful thing you can remember in this life, is who you are

You can never hear this enough: you are free and you are in Christ

We go one of two ways:

We are never good enough, never whole enough, even enough to be good enough — so we turn to other things to make us feel that we are enough

Or we look to our jobs, our spouses, our families, or so many different things that give us identity — when we fail at these things or they are taken away, we lose everything

The most important thing you can remember throughout your entire life: you are a child of God

This is the answer that fixes the deep seeded legalism in our hearts

When you walk out of this door, today, where are you going to find your worth