Free the Slaves, Adopt the Children
Notes
Transcript
Today we’re looking at this weeks epistle reading from letter to Galatians
This letter written by Apostle Paul - was very clever & amazing academic
Which means have to think as we read so can understand what God is saying
So plug your thinking caps in as we tackle these few verses together
First lets start with why Paul wrote letter
Simple put Galatians got it in their heads that to be genuine christians...
Needed to believe in Jesus as Saviour but others came into church & convinced them...
They also needed to become Jews & keep Jewish law in order to be sure really saved
So we’re going to look at part of what Paul says about this... (slide)
Living As Slaves
Living As Slaves
So start in vs 3 - Paul tells us before Jesus came to earth - celebrated couple days ago
Before Jesus - all humanity were slaves to trying to keep moral laws - Jewish or other
And we were slaves to how world determined should live (slide)
If society said you must do one thing but not another - we were compelled to obey
And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.
Paul saw Jewish Law like like guardian or foster parent - kept guard over us -
stop us from doing anything that might stuff things up
But this protective guardian was really strict; told us exactly how to live (slide)
Told us what couldn’t eat, wear, say, do - said to exact detail what can do & when
Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
I like how this translation describes it living under law - protective custody
there;’s no escape, no getting away no choice about what you do or when you do it
You do what you’re told when you’re told - The law was like wearing a straight jacket
You were safe - couldn’t hurt yourself or someone else… but there was no freedom
Paul compared being under the law of religion & law of society like being a slave
Slaves were purchased & then were property of their masters
Their whole life revolved around their master’s commands - their lives were not their own
They had no identity of own, they owned no possessions, they had no life outside work
As slave only way you could survive was to do all you could to prove your worth to your master
If you washed floors, made food, kept house clean, mended clothes; did it all good enough
Then perhaps you’re master would be pleased enough to keep you…
maybe give you possessions of your own; some masters gave slaves some freedoms
But you lived to please - to improve your standing with your master
That’s what rules & laws do - they force us to conform & work hard to not break them
Otherwise we suffer consequences of breaking rules - for slaves could be beatings
Or they could be sold again, or simply discarded to die if sick or too weak (slide)
Slaves identity = determined by what they do & how well do it or suffer consequences
Illus - slavery - sense of being owned, having no identity, no life, being owned, living by rules
isn’t just from ancient world - its something that’s existed from very beginning until now
Here short clip of recording made from 1940’s of African American man...
who’d grown up as slave in American south as child [play video]
Now I don’t want you to think I’m diminishing the pain & horror of those who’ve suffered
As victims of racism, prejudice, and pure evil - But bible uses this picture of slavery...
Give us an idea what our lives look like without Christ;
Its life bound to rules where only way to find acceptance, love, meaning, identity
Is to do what rules tells us & through our own efforts save ourselves (slide)
The Son Frees, The Father Adopts
The Son Frees, The Father Adopts
That’s why Jesus came to earth - came free those living as slaves to laws religion/society’s rules
Jesus came to earth & lived under religious law - He fulfilled & kept perfectly every single one
And he also endured all pressures & temptations of society - but didn’t give in to them
He did what none of us could ever do - lived perfect obedient life to God
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
But how did Jesus set people free from being slaves ?
Jesus lived perfect life on our behalf - fulfilling all Laws God put in place to keep us safe & well
Then he did 1 thing that would set us all free - he purchased our freedom from slavery
He took punishment for all our failures to keep God’s laws & times we gave in to society
He sacrificed his life in place of ours / we received opportunity swap places with Him
& receive benefits of His perfect life & freedom that he had accomplished (slide)
Jesus has freed us from being enslaved to live under laws of religion & rules of society
So if someone accepts Jesus gift of freedom which he purchased for us with his life...
why would anyone want to go back to living as though they were still in slavery? (slide)
Illus - this is Elvira 50 year old Filipino woman who arrived at Heathrow Airport in London in 2014,
she’d escaped abusive employment situation as a domestic worker in Qatar - Middle East
When she arrived she was taken to luxury flat in Kensington by her boss,
She was then made to work 20 hours a day; given only 1 piece of bread & no wages.
She was trapped in life of servitude only metres away from bustling London shoppers.
She eventually managed to make bold escape, when her “employer” was taking nap
by before running to nearby church for sanctuary - She’s still waiting for justice
There is no way Elvira was going to stay in an abusive enslaved situation
Once she escaped she was never going to return because she knew value of freedom
When Jesus purchased our freedom from slavery to religion & society (slide)
He gives us something incredibly special - opportunity to be adopted as God’s children
God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Adoption as God’s children means we are legally considered part of GOd’s family
Its not based on where we’re born, what our ethnicity is, our social status
We’re legally given the position & title of God’s children which also means ...
We receive same name, same inheritance, same position, same rights...
As God’s Son - because its through his efforts & divine nature we can be adopted
That’s all very well to say & state as a fact but just changing our legal status doesn’t change us
We may not be bound by laws of religion & rules of society… (spirit)
But we still feel the same, we tend to revert back to how we thought & behaved before
The Spirit Makes Us God’s Children
The Spirit Makes Us God’s Children
You see the change in status that adoption brings is meaningless...
Unless we personal experience benefits adoption brings us
Unless we have a change of thinking & feeling that then leads to a change in behaviour
Which is why when God adopts us we receive Spirit of God’s Son (slide)
Its the Spirit that makes all the difference - his presence in our hearts & minds connect us to God
Without presence of Spirit we can never be truly free from sin, religion, world’s demands
We remain slaves to whatever laws & rules that forces us to do stuff, to meet standards...
So can convince God & ourselves we’re good enough to be forgiven, loved, accepted
But Spirit changes how we connect & relate to God (slide)
He’s no longer judge, ruler, old man with stick - He’s parent loving we’ve always wanted...
And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
When God legally adopts us & then transforms us into his actual children through Spirit
We can then legitimately call God our father, our mother, our loving parent
We have a new identity that is given us by God that replaces our old identity
We leave our identity of sin, fear, guilt, confusion, loneliness, doubt & death… (slide)
And we can experience & know without a doubt that we are God’s Child
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
The term Abba is Aramaic - it describes intimate, affectionate confident relationship...
children has with its father - a name of endearment only spoken at home as family
Its Spirit who enables us to have type of relationship with God
where we genuinely experience & relate to God as our loving parent
Illus - We shouldn’t underestimate our fundamental need to feel as though we belong
Need to feel loved & secure where our sense of identity comes from God [play video]
There are multiple videos on YouTube like this where parents & children announce adoptions
Revealing this innate human desire to feel like they belong & have an identity
So there are two questions I want you to ask yourselves as we head into a New Year
Do we believe God is happy with us only if we’re good?
Or do we genuinely experience God as our Abba, Father?
God wants us to experience this same sense security, same sense of confident trust...
Same desire for willing obedience through our new experience identity as God’s child
It genuinely changes everything about our relationship with God
We no longer try to define our identity through what we do...
Instead what we do comes out of who we are / our identity as God’s children
It means no more relating to God through keeping rules & laws
We instead relate to God through worship, prayer, & serving Him...
Through freedom & power given us by Spirit
God sent Jesus 2000 years ago to set you free from slavery to society standards & religious laws
So you could know for sure you are His loved & accepted Child… Let’s Pray
Loving God
You sent Christ to earth as a baby adopted by Joseph, in the loving care of Mary
so we could be adopt as your children and experience your loving care as our Mother & Father
Please help those of us here today who are still bound up in the chains of sin, fear, guilt, confusion, loneliness, doubt
To find the freedom you offer through faith in Jesus life, death, & resurrection
And experience the love, acceptance, & assurance from our loving Father
Amen