Not Just Free...

Anyone ever wonder if they were adopted?

When we place our faith in Jesus, God the Father adopts us into his family and we receive all that comes with being his son or daughter!

After we are justified in Jesus, we are adopted by God as Jesus’ brothers and sisters.

Read Gal 3:25-4:7

There is a Status Update

When Jesus came a did away with the law, there was a status update.

What do y’all think of when you hear the phrase “status update”? I’m old, I think way back to when Facebook started. It’s called a post now, but it used to be called a status update. Then it became more about that relationship status. If someone updated their status, that was important.

I remember when Kristen and I first started dating as we started going through the steps. You couldn’t just jump from single to in a relationship, too strong! You just started off with removing your relationship status all together. I remember discussing this with my boys and making the decision after a month or so to do this. I didn’t tell Kristen, just did it. I checked hers like an hour later and she had followed suit. If she was smart she would have left it at single to keep me on my toes.

Not single, not in a relationship. Then, if it wasn’t clear what was going on, or if you just wanted to make somebody mad, you could change it to “it’s complicated”. Generally you don’t want this space, but it’s there if you need it.

Then, you go to in a relationship. You’re locked down at this point. You can set it to this without saying who you’re in a relationship with, but if you do that then people are looking at it like, “yea, sure you are”. You have to put the other person’s name in there and get it approved. Then, and only then, were you Facebook official! Is that still a thing?

Jesus came and God fully revealed salvation by grace through faith. We’ve been talking for weeks about justification by faith alone, apart from works of the law. This was a change in how most Jewish people though. It brought with it a status update. We aren’t just free, but we’re adopted by God!

Adopted

Those who put their faith in Jesus for salvation are adopted into God’s family and receive all that comes with it!

v27; When we become Christians, something changes.

Something that others should see changes. Paul says we put on Christ, which means we begin to look more and more like him.

In the Roman world the transition from childhood to adulthood was signified by the types of clothes a person wore. That’s what Paul is hinting at here. When we become Christians, there is a change in us that lets others know that something has happened and we are different!

A side note; this is not saying that baptism is required to be a Christian, but it is assuming that all Christians get baptized. So we should understand that if Paul is just assuming that every Christian has been baptized, it must be an important thing!

v28; Being in Christ is the most defining thing about who a Christian is!

Your race or nationality isn’t as important, your economic status isn’t as important, your gender isn’t as important as who you are in Jesus! It’s the most important thing for people to know about you!

Your popularity doesn’t matter to Jesus. You un-popularity doesn’t matter to Jesus. It doesn’t matter if you’re a jock or not. If you’re a smart kid or not. If you’re a poor kid or not. Jesus is concerned about one thing; are you a part of his family?

Romans 10:12 HCSB

for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him.

Everyone who is is united in Him and that’s what’s most important.

And let’s stop and mention how dumb this makes racism.

v29; Remember what the promise made to Abraham, the whole Earth would be blessed through his seed and would receive an inheritance.

Those who are truly Abraham’s children are those who put their faith in Jesus. They will receive the inheritance.

So, faith in Jesus means you are justified, declared righteous before God. And now it also means you are adopted into God’s family and will receive the inheritance from God with Jesus!

Romans 8:17 HCSB

and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

v4:1-3; The law of the OT, the do’s and don’ts made people slaves to it. It cages us if we try to earn our good standing before God by our own effort.

Our kids have training wheels on their bikes. Those training wheels are meant for their good, but at the same time they restrict them when they ride their bikes. I was telling Parker the other day that once he gets his training wheels off he’ll be able to do some sweet skid stops. Until then he’s a slave to whatever those training wheels allow. When they come off he’ll be free, but he’ll have the wisdom to know what’s good to do and what isn’t.

The law is slavery, but faith in Jesus is freedom. When we put our faith in Jesus, we a freed from the bondage of trying to be good enough in our own effort to living by faith in Jesus. JP Pokluda is a pastor in Texas, he talks about it like this.

You are God’s child, not God’s slave. It is very important that we understand how this relationship works so that we reap the full benefit of knowing The Father through The Son.

Slavery says, “do what I ask for my benefit”. Sonship says, “do what I ask for your benefit.”

Slavery says, “do what I ask for my benefit”. Sonship says, “do what I ask for your benefit.”

Slavery says, “work the estate out of obligation.” Sonship says, “work the estate, because it will be your estate.”

Slavery says, “do what I say or else you will be harmed.” Sonship says, “do what I say and you will be blessed.”

When we put our faith in Jesus we are adopted and become children of God, no longer slaves because God sent Jesus!

v4-7; God sent Jesus at the right time to uphold the law in our place so we could be freed from it and be adopted by Him!

And we receive benefits from this adoption. We receive the Holy Spirit.

It’s the Holy Spirit who guides us to become more like Jesus.

“Abba” is a term that shows closeness and intimacy. This is a real adoption that happens. God is our Father when we join with Christ.

That doesn’t mean we don’t belong to our family He’s given us here anymore, but He is our great Father. And we are his children. He loves us. He cares for us. He blesses us. He disciplines us for our good.

He is a perfect Father. He loves perfectly. Cares perfectly. Blesses perfectly. Leads perfectly. And He is an eternal Father.

1 John 3:1–2 HCSB

Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

1 John

We also receive brothers and sisters through this adoption. All our brothers and sisters in Jesus, and including Jesus!

Romans 8:29 HCSB

For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

v7

This adoption is an amazing thing. It brings incredible hope. You may not be able to relate to a loving Father, you can find one here.

You may think you have the best Father ever. There is a better one here.

If you know Him, then you understand this. We’re going to sing a song in a minute (No Longer Slaves) that will let you praise Him for your adoption.

If you don’t know Him it’s because of your sin. We have all rebelled against Him and deserve to be punished. We owe a debt we can’t pay. But He send his Son to live a perfect life in our place and to endure the punishment in our place. If we put our faith in Jesus for our forgiveness and justification, then we will receive those things and adoption by an eternal Father into an eternal family!