Galatians 4:1-20

Where Paul is in his letter…

In our last session we concluded with Galatians 3:27–29 (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.

God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Christ, therefore everyone from every tribe, tongue, and nation, that believes in Jesus is an heir to the promise God made to Abraham.

Righteousness is viewed like a covering or clothing. If you have faith in Christ then you are saved, you receive the Holy Spirit. Paul calls those who are baptized… signifiying that the cleansing work of God is what saves, not the works of men.

Rather than being clothed in the sin stained garments of your own works, you are now clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

In Christ there we lose our distinctions and find our new identity as Christians.

If you belong to Christ, then you are an heir to the promise God made to Abraham of righteousness and eternal life.

Galatians 4:1–3 (CSB)

“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.”

Before Christ you are in bondage

The Jews were in bondage under the lawThe Gentiles were in bondage to the spiritual forces of evil

Regardless of your religious heritage, you are in bondage to sin and to self until you are redeemed by God.

Galatians 4:4–7 (CSB)

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.

Christ came at the appointed time

This seems simple, but it is important to note and to trust that God’s plan is unfolding according to His sovereign desires.

Christ came under the law to redeem those under the law

God condemned sin in the flesh, the flesh of His SonGod receives as righteous all those who trust in Christ as their substitute for the debt they could not pay.

Christ came to make us sons of God

We are adopted by God’s grace out of bondage to sin and into sonship. This is a radical transformation of both the relationship and the person.

The relationship with God changes

Adoption with full rights

The person is transformed

You are saved and receive the Holy Spirit. Again Paul points to the reception of the Holy Spirit as evidence of the salvation God has promised. The Christian is transformed in their relationship, but also in his or her person.

Adoption into the family of God involves what the New Testament calls being born again.

The pursuit of righteousness through the law is no different than living in unrighteousness

Galatians 4:8–11 (CSB)

8 But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. 9 But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? 10 You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. 11 I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

The Bible always keeps grace in view when it comes to our righteousness. There is never a point in your life where your works alter your standing before God.

There is a correlation to your purity and your usefulness to God’s Kingdom. But, this is not a bearing on your salvation. Though, I think there is a case to be made that those who claim Christ but continually live according to the elemental and evil ways of the world will eventually reveal themselves as lost and falsely converted.

Faithfulness to God is a fruit of the Spirit of God within you. The pursuit of ungodliness is inconsistent with the radical transformation we call salvation.

Repentance is consistent with being saved… and this is key. Sin does happen, and where the Holy Spirit is- the person cries out “Abba Father” because the relationship has changed. But where the Holy Spirit is the person also cries out “Father forgive me.”

Paul is grieving the way the Galatians are living.

It made sense for them to live according to sin and the spiritual forces of the world before Christ. But, now, when they know Jesus it is puzzling and heart wrenching to see them walking back to things that are worthless.

Notice that Paul qualifies the legalism of the false teachers as the same as living according to the ways of the world. Neither of these can save, therefore to turn from grace and pursue the law is the same as turning from grace to pursue the world.

For both Jews and Gentiles it is worthless to turn away from grace to then live by the law.

Paul’s ultimate concern is that his effort has been wasted and they are in fact not saved and not heirs of the promise of God.

I think we have to speak for a moment to the idea of grace versus the law.

Living according to grace does not mean living in sin. Too often religious people today will hear that when talking about grace. Living by grace means being faithful to Jesus because He has made you righteous. Living by the law means being faithful to the law because you believe it has made you righteous.

When you are saved you are justified. You will never be more justified than the day you are saved.

Some confuse the word sanctification with justification. Sanctification is the process of growing in your faithfulness and holiness. Sanctification does not save you, and it does not make you more justified.

Sanctification is the process of a Christian growing into the justification that Christ has given them.

Sanctification is the process of learning to live a new and different life. Sanctification is the process of learning to live like one of the family. Once you are in the family (justified) you are in. Your inheritance is secure and your relationships with God has been changed. Once you are in the family you have been given the Holy Spirit, and He is at work in you perfecting you and renewing you to be more like Jesus.

Sanctification does not save, but it is an evidence that you are saved.

In the modern church we have built some of our own rules that are in addition to the law.

I believe that we have a good understanding of justification and a poor understanding of sanctification. Because we often misunderstand sanctification we have developed our own rules to what it looks like to be mature in Christ.

This is similar to how the Jews had added rules the law of God. We have added extras to the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I think we have done this to the point that many ignore the actual fruits of the Spirit and focus solely on the extras.

The extras change from church to church, denomination to denomination, and even region of the country.

And, correcting false teachers and those who focus on the extras often feels tense.

Galatians 4:12–20 (CSB)

12 I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have not wronged me; 13 you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a weakness of the flesh. 14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth? 17 They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them. 18 But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. 19 My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. 20 I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.

Correction is a regular part of the Christian life

This section of Galatians is very personal between Paul and the church. He reminds them of his physical condition when he came to them. He reminds them that their lives were changed by the power of the Gospel and not by his power or might. He came in weakness and confronted them with the gospel, but they received him and as a result they received salvation and the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel is confrontational in that it involves bad news and good news.

Paul has come to them again with and news and good news, and this time they receive and respond to him like an enemy.

Paul is willing to be their enemy if it is ultimately for their good. That was the basis of his relationship in the first place. He was willing to tell them of their sin and their condemnation to hell so that they could be saved.

And, now, Paul is willing to tell them what they don’t want to hear and oppose those who are false teachers so they can be corrected in their relationship with God.

This is the relationship that every pastor and preacher must be willing to have with the people of God.

And, it often feels like Paul describes as God begins the work.

(I can remember my first few months here at HBC. There were some who didn’t like the corrective aspect of preaching through the Bible. But, it’s always unavoidable, and like Paul mentions tone is important and can change depending on the circumstances.)

But, every Christian can focus on the extras and not on the essentials. Every church can build its own “laws” and focus on them and not the bedrock of Scripture. And, it’s the pastors responsibility to lovingly confront and be willing to be the enemy if it means the ultimate good of the church.

Closing Applications:

1. Adoption equals regeneration (born again)

2. Justification is complete, Sanctification is a process

3. Faithfulness to God is our goal with the way we live (Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples) Ultimately this means glorifying God

4. Correction is a regular part of the Christian life, and how we receive it says a lot about our maturity.