Hope for a Troubled World

Introduction

Our troubled world:

COVID-19

Fear

Tension and distrust between people

Government overreach

Businesses being destroyed

Fiscal fallout will be catastrophic

Sickness/death

Political turmoil & the potential for much more

Social turmoil, often fanned by the MSM, with clear political and fiscal motivations

Growing lack of trust in our institutions

Terrorism

Just to name a few!

We need to find hope for ourselves and give hope to others in the midst of troubled times. But how?

How do we find hope in a troubled world?

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV

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.

The purpose of the book Galatians...

“But when the fullness of time had come...”

At the exact right time in history:

Pax Romana unites the ANE and Europe under one banner.

Koine Greek is the common tongue...

The Roman roads...

National and tribal barriers were weakening...

The generations through the Jewish genealogies...

“…God sent forth his Son...”

Since Paul has been talking about heirs, the picture of Christ as the Son of God is perfect.

Jesus is not the son, like Isaac is my son. Jesus is the Son, meaning the exact representation of the Father.

Jesus as fully God…Without this, Jesus would just be a tragic story of a good religious teacher. But, because He is fully God, His atonement is the only one of infinite worth.

Therefore, at the exact right time, God sent the pre-existent Son, His Word, into the world with the mission to redeem the people to Himself.

“…born of woman...”

Though he is God, his is also man, born of a woman.

Not just fully God, but fully man as well.

Thus he was not only the perfect sacrificial atonement for sins, but also man’s substitute.

“…born under the law...”

Biblically, the greatest role of the law is to reveals man’s unrighteousness before God and show him his need for God’s atonement.

Jesus being born “under the law” shows us that He can identify with us, sinners. This, even though He never sinned and didn’t inherit a sin nature as us. He was still under the God’s law, just like us.

Here’s the amazing thing: Jesus is the only one who could perfectly obey the law. As His adopted children, He imputes (or lays upon) His own righteousness on us.

So, when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our utter sinfulness, but Christ’s righteousness.

“…to redeem those who were under the law...”

Each person is under the law. And since, as Paul points out throughout Galatians, no one can perfectly follow the law, then we are all under a curse.

The people Paul writes this too were being taught that you must do works in order to be seen as righteous.

Paul says, works could never be enough. We need a redeemer.

So why did God do all this? To redeem us.

Truly, this is the joy of Christmas!

Jesus bought us with a high price!

“…so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Instead of being heirs of unrighteousness, we have been adopted as His own dearly loved sons and daughters!

God takes us into His family, not as slaves, but as dearly loved children!

Challenge

How do you find hope in a troubled world?

Focus your attention on the reason for the great joy of the season.

If you’ve trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are an adopted son or daughter of God, not because of your righteousness, but because of Christ’s.

Live so that others can experience the love of Christ as well.

Share Jesus

Show compassion.