The proof of Christ coming.

Opening Comments:

Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word this morning in Galatians 4:1-7. As we continue in our series through the book of Galatians titled “Freedom through Christ.”

The key topic of the book of Galatians is Justification by grace through faith in Christ. The false teachers in the Galatian churches came pushing a Law and works plan of salvation and Galatians was written to combat that false teaching.

Galatians begins with Paul sharing personal details regarding his calling and ministry. Then chapters three and four, are the meat of the book where he lays out the doctrine of Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Then chapters 5-6 are more application of what living in that salvation looks like in the life of the believer.

We are knee deep in the doctrinal portion of the book this morning. Up to this point, Paul is laying his argument for Justification by faith alone being far greater than law keeping and he is laying out his argument by giving us six evidences that prove his point.

The proof of their experience.

The proof of scripture.

The proof of God’s covenant and promise.

The proof of the laws inability.

The proof of the power of faith.

Today, we will lay out the sixth and final proof of Paul’s argument to prove that salvation is found by placing our faith in Christ alone and not in our our effort of law keeping and good deeds.

I’ve titled the message this morning “The proof of Christ coming.”

This is the Word of the Lord:

Galatians 4:1–7 NKJV

1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Introduction:

The argument for Justification by faith alone is not a belief that completely ignores being good or being religious. Christians should be good people who constantly strive to be better and better people. We should be faithful in worshipping the Lord corporately with the gathered church. We should do the best we can, always. But, those are things we do because we have been justified not in order to be justified. Scripture is clear over and over again a person is not saved from their sin by these things. No amount of effort on our part can make us perfect and thereby acceptable to God.

We are justified and made acceptable by God becuase of Christ. In the fullness of time, God sent Christ into the world to deliver us rom the power and bondage of our sin.

There was a time when we were dominated and controlled by the sin nature that lies within us.

Paul begins his presentation of Christ coming and the great work it accomplished by laying out an illustration for us in v.1-3.

It is a brief yet very powerful illustration taken from the Roman culture that they lived in.

Paul likens a person, before placing their faith in Christ, as an heir who is still a child under the care of guardians and managers until the time that his father has appointed for him to receive the inheritance that is due him. Until that appointed time arrives, the child has as much right to that inheritance as a slave would.

Paul here likens the person without Christ to the child heir in roman society.

In v.3 he says there was a time when we were held in bondage under the “elements of the world” or some translations read “the elementary principles of the world.”

The phrase “elements” or “elementary” things of the world is referring to mankind's elementary notions or ideas about God and the various ways men try to approach God. It’s referring to all the things that mankind uses to try and be right with God and secure his approval. By comparing scripture with scripture where this phrase is used we can see it is anything that a person may use to justify himself before God through his own effort and energy.

Law keeping

Good works

religious ritual and ceremony.

church membership

ordinances.

astrology or science

philosophy or religion.

You see, before Christ, all of these kind of approaches to God were elementary at best. No approach was the correct approach. At best we had an elementary knowledge that required discipline through the guidance of the law.

But, like a child heir coming of age when everything was ready Christ came to release mankind from the law and to reveal that God’s design was for us to have a father-son relationship with Him. In Christ we are no longer slaves to the law but sons of God ready to enter into the inheritance the Father has given.

It is the entrance of Christ into the world that changes everything.

However, it had to happen according to God’s divine plan. God had a providentially set time table for Christ coming into the world.

Returning to Paul’s illustration of an heir, a child in roman society who was placed under the control of guardians was under their complete control until the date fixed by the Father.

v.4 tells us “when the fullness of time had come...” at just the right time when the world was fully prepared for Christ coming he came.

What is meant by “fulness of time”?

1. The law had done its educational work.

2. The world was full of people spiritually starved. The worship of self, pleasure, gods, philosophical ethics—all had left many empty and barren.

3. The world was at peace under Roman rule. The world was an open door for the spread of the gospel—without any restraint.

4. The world spoke Greek as a basic language, making communication possible with many from all over the world.

5. The world had a system of roads for mass travel which allowed Christian missionaries to reach the farthest parts of the earth and the gospel to easily spread through merchant ports.

Paul says in v.4 that at just the right time, Christ was born of a particular person, in a particular way (incarnation), under a particular system (law). As a man he lived under the same frustration and agony of being subjected to the very system from which he came to save people.

Because of Christ coming into this world to redeem mankind from the penalty of sin brought by the law, we can now approach God through faith in the finished work of Christ and be accepted not on the merits of our own works but on the work of Christ.

When we come to Christ in faith there are some wonderful results that occur. Results that only faith in Christ can bring.

Paul tells us what those 3 results are in vs.5-7 and that is the focus of the message this morning

1.) Because of Christ coming we can be adopted as sons. (v.5b)

When we place our faith in Christ, scripture tells us that God takes that faith and credits us as being in Christ. Since Christ is God’s son, the believer is then counted as the son of God because he is seen as being in Christ. When we place our faith in Christ, God the father adopts us as a son.

This is a beautiful picture both in the ancient world and in our world today.

In the ancient Roman culture in Paul’s day. The family was governed by the Roman law called “patria potestas” (the fathers power). The law gave absolute authority to the Father over his children as long as he lived. He could work, enslave, sell and even pronounce the death penalty over his children if he wished. Regardless of the child's age, the father held all power over personal and property rights. Needless to say “adoption” was a very serious matter in Roman society and was a very common practice to ensure that a family would not become extinct because they had no male heirs.

Upon completion of the adoption, the adopted son had privileges that a born child would not have:

The adopted son was adopted permanently. (unlike a natural son). He was a son forever and could never be disinherited. He was eternally secure as a son.

An adopted son immediately had all the rights that a legitimate son would have in the family.

An adopted son lost all rights in his old family and was looked upon as a new person.This meant that the old debts and obligations of his previous family were cancelled and wiped away like they never existed.

Can you see the parallels to faith in Christ?

Expound on the parralells of becoming a child of God.

John 1:12 NKJV

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Modern Adoption is very expensive and very extensive. It entails mountains of paperwork and a lot of money. Not to mention the emotional and mental preparedness you have to have for the lengthy and taxing process.

Tell a little bit of my friends story adopting his daughter and son.

Expound on the effort God put forth in sending his son to die for our salvation.

2.) Because of Christ coming we can receive assurance from the Spirit.(v.6)

When we place our faith in Christ, the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit) is sent by God to dwell in our hearts and give us that personal relationship with God.

It is through the indwelling presence of the Spirt that we can have communication and communion with the father.

Paul says our hearts cry our “Abba, Father.”

Abba- is an Aramaic term of endearment that is rarely found when referring to God because it is likely felt to be too familiar.

In fact, the only other person who used this phrase is the Lord jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was staring his death in the face and his soul was in anguish.

Mark 14:36 NKJV

36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

Abba, Father is the sons cry of distress to his loving Father in heaven. It is a cry of intimacy and dependence. It is something one utters in the face of suffering and in the midst of hardship.

Because we have the Spirit of Christ, we can cry the same cry he does when facing distress and hardship in our time of need.

A Parent will recognize the cry of their child over another:

DID YOU KNOW a baby’s cry matches its mother’s language? A newborn child, just two or three days old, cries in a distinctive way, mimicking the sound of the child’s mother. Researchers recently studied sixty healthy newborn children from both French and German families. What they found was fascinating: each newborn baby has its own “cry melody,” a specific pattern of sounds that is unique to his or her cry. But more than that, they found that babies will match their cry to the sounds and intonations of their mother’s voice.

“Babies cry in mothers tongue.” BBC News, November 6, 2009.

Of course a mother doesn't need this evidence to know that she can here her baby cry from a mile away.

This is the great privilege of being a child of God through faith. The cry “Abba,Father” identifies who we belong to and who our Father is.

Romans 8:15–16 NKJV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

3.) Because of Christ coming we can be made heirs of God. (v.7)

Both our sonship and heirship come through faith in Christ alone.

The gentile converts in Galatia to whom Paul was writing were not slaves to the law as they were being told. They were sons of God by faith. The ultimate outcome of our relationship with the father through Christ is the inheritance of our Father’s estate.

Just as it was in the ancient adoption laws so it is in the family of God. Sonship means heirship.

Romans 8:17 NKJV

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

No longer are we in bondage to our sin but we have gone from slavery to sonship. All that the Father has will one day be mine. Not through my efforts but because of the coming of Christ.

Conclusion:

Galatians 2. There Was an Appointed Time When God Delivered the World (vv. 4–7)

The single red rose placed at the front of the church was there to honor the newest member of the church family. A little boy had been born and would be raised by parents who would raise him in a loving, Christian home.

But this little boy was fortunate, for he was almost aborted. His nine months in his mother’s womb were spent in great uncertainty. He was conceived in sin and his mother did not want to care for him. Her options ranged from abortion to adoption. Thankfully, she chose to give the gift of life to this little baby boy.

While she was waiting to deliver, adoptive parents were sought out and secured. These willing parents wanted this little boy to become their own. He would be given their name. He would become an heir to the parents. He would become a legal member of their family—and would not be given away to anyone else again.

This is exactly what God has done for us. He has given all those who come to Christ in faith a new name (his). We have become join-heirs with Jesus. We are now in the family of God- and that can never be taken away.

Have you been adopted today?

God sent Christ to save us from our sin. He did it at just the right time and it was a once for all time act. We can be adopted as God’s sons through the Lord Jesus alone.