Slaves to Sons | Galatians 3:25–4:7

Opening Statement: The Big Idea that catches the attention.

Hey Y’all, how is everyone doing? Who had a good thanksgiving break? Anyone go anywhere cool? Cool.

So I want you tho think about this phrase really quick. Slaves to Sons. Think about that, i’m not going to quiz you on it, but I want you to think about that phrase tonight.

Introduction Story: A story that invites the listener into that topic, creating credibility and connection immediately.

So question for you, how many of you know someone who is adopted or maybe you are adopted. I’d wager that everyone in here has been impacted by adoption in some way. Adoption is a wonderful thing. And if you were looking for any sort of clear analogy of the Gospel in normal life, Adoption is pretty dang close. This may be why practicing Christians are more than twice as likely to adopt than non christians.

When I was in New Orleans I went to church with two people families that had adopted, and it was pretty wild, I learned a ton about adoption by being friends with them. Learned that it is a hard process most of the time. There is adjustments that go on in all parties.

The first family that I was friends with adopted basically a 1 1/2 year old, they were abused, then pulled out of their home, then the foster care home abused them. It was a wild situation. And then he was given to my friends to foster him, and they eventually adopted him. And because of the abuse, he had an eating disorder, kinda still does, he’s doing better but it’s still a lot. He’s much smaller than he was would be normally. But he was taken out of this horrible situation, and rescued by the very selfless act of adoption.

The other family was actually my pastor back in New Orleans, there was an orphanage that did camps with pastors families. My pastors family already had a biological son about the age of one of the boys that they were hanging out with at the camp, and they really took the boy, and they felt called to adopt him. They did, i don’t know a ton of his backstory but i believe he was abandoned by his family. But my pastors family took him in and adopted him and he went from this very angry kid to a very kind compassionate kid. They just had a baby and the boy they adopted is the baby whisperer, if they cant get the baby to stop crying, they call him and he is able to calm the baby down. It’s wild.

Segue: How this message will tie into the introduction story.

So the theme of this text is pretty clear, we are talking about adoption, and not just adoption in this world. But what adoption means in a biblical sense, what it means for our relationship with God.

Remember the phrase, Slaves to Sons. Think about what is going on there, think about how it relates to the text we are going to look at

Background: Explain the background of what is happening in the text we are about to read.

So where are we in the text? We are in Galatians 3:25-4:7.

So does anyone need a bible? If you need a bible throw a hand up and we can get one to you. Anyone need one? cool cool. If you need one at home take that with you. I want you to all have a bible that is yours.

So a little refresher before we really get in to it, we were off last week, so Galatians is Paul’s letter to the people in Galatia, this was a church that Paul probably started on one of his missionary journeys. But what was going on was this idea of legalism and Christ plus something else to earn salvation.

Remember they were trying add the law to following Christ, so not only did you have to follow Christ, you had to also follow the law. This was a problem, because this is not what Jesus preached, this is not how salvation works.

So Paul is writing this letter imploring them to stop, to return to the Gospel they had first heard. They were leaving the gospel for a false gospel. A gospel that does not save.

So the passage leading up to this passage is talking all about how the law relates to Christ but is not Christ. Remember we talked about what the point of the Law was, why did the Lw exist is no one could follow it. It was to act as a mirror, that we need a savior. That there is nothing we can do to earn our way to God because we can never be good enough.

He talks about the sufficiency of Christ in salvation. That Christ, not the law is what has made a way for us to have relationship with God. There was a relationship, then it was broken by our sin, so God made a way through Christ for us to have relationship again with God.

So that brings us to this text, and here we see Paul switch from describing what salvation is, to how salvation works. To what Salvation means for us.

Lots of times we like to think that salvation is just momentary event. Like a high five, you’re walking down the hall, high five boom, keep walking. But salvation is so much more that just a transaction. If we think of salvation as transactional we are missing the point of salvation. Salvation is relational not transactional. Transactional implies that you have something to offer God, so think about that, what do you have that God doesn’t already have or that God needs? Anyone in here have something that God needs? Nope.

there is nothing that you can offer God that would make Him say, “Oh Yeah thank you for thinking of that! How’d I miss that?”

So that brings us to our text tonight, and the theme is very clear we are talking about adoption here. Paul is talking about adoption here. It might be one of the best allegories to salvation that we come across in scripture.

So Starting in Galatians 3:25-Galatians 4:7 we are going read this text and break it down. But before we do that, let’s pray for our time in the word tonight.

pray

Text: Preaching Text for the day’s message. Just one major text.

Okay Cool, so let’s read this scripture . Galatians 3:25-4:7

Galatians 3:25–4:7 ESV

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. 1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has 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 an heir through God.

Alright, so what is going on here. We have already said that the theme of this passage is adoption.

But how do we get there? What does adoption have to do with this?

Remember how are we saved? Through faith and faith in Christ alone. What does that mean for us? It means we are Justified before God. Which in and of itself is good news, if that was all salvation was then that would still be pretty great news.

But it’s even better than that.

Justification is being made right before God, this is the momentary thing.

Think of it like you are in a court room on trial, you are standing before the judge, and you are guilty. You definitely did what it ever it is you are accused of. But someone comes in and is able to make right the wrong, able to take on your guilt and pay the debt owed.

We call that Justification, you were Justified before the judge. You were made right before the Judge. If you are a follower of Christ you are made write before the Judge. You are made right before God, because you have been given Christ’s righteousness.

This is what Christ did on the Cross, but this is not all that it achieved. Christ death on the cross, his resurrection bridged a gap in the relationship. It mended and restored the relation ship between us and God.

This is were adoption comes in.

Because Adoption goes further than justification, justification means you right before the judge, adoption means you are loved by the Father.

So let’s look at what adoption is.

We all have an idea of what adoption is. In short, it is someone who becomes a part of the family who is not biologically part of the family. In essence that is what it is, simple terms we get it. but let’s look at what adoption meant in biblical times and even for what it means for us today, even some of the legal tools created to do adoption today line up with some scriptural stuff, i don’t think it was intended to do so by the creators of them in our system but it’s cool to see.

So adoption had very specific legal meanings in Paul’s day, in the Roman world. So in the Roman world adoption was a thing, which is why Paul uses this allegory, they would have understood what was going on here. So adoption was a thing, and had legal protections. Romans actually adopted a fair amount, it was how people’s names were carried on. Didn’t have any boys? Adopt one, it was a smart business thing to do in these times. So what did adoption do in Roman times? It did basically what it does today, one of my commentaries defined adoption as

a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relation between persons not related by blood; with the adopted child being entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child (including the right to inherit).

Basically it take someone not biologically related and creates through the legal system a relation. Boom you are now related and you have all rights and privileges. And this had protections that even biological relations didn’t have. Romans could just give up their kids, you don’t want to be related, you could legally disown them. Which does happen today, but Roman parents could do it one fell swoop, boom, you’re no longer a child of so and so. \

But if you were adopted in Roman times there was not way you could be disowned, there was no way to be unadopted. It had legal protections.

In roman society the first born kind of inherited everything, so if you didn’t have a first born, you could adopt someone to take on the name a title, so let’s say you do that. Boom you have an adopted son, but then let’s say you have a biological son afterwards, that biological son doesn't get special privileges. In the eyes of the law, the adopted son is just as much the first born as the biological son. Adoption creates a new relationship, and basically makes a new person.

Adoption was serious in Paul’s day. The Adopted person became an Heir. They were able to inherit things from the father.

So my friend Alex he has an adopted first son, he would be the first born son. He is the Heir to everything that is Alex’s. Legally there is no difference to a biological son.

So this is what Paul is getting at here in Galatians. Not only has the enemy been justified and made right before the judge, the Father has invited them in to eat at His table as part of the family.

Build: How does this story answer the question, solve the problem or relieve the tension that the Introduction Story began with? JUST ONE POINT, PEOPLE.

So what is going on here on in the text. Paul is trying to get us to see that Salvation is not just get in to heaven coupon or get out of Hell free card. Eternal life is not the end goal of Salvation, eternal life is a byproduct. The end goal of salvation is to have relationship with God forever, to know him as Father.

This should change how we view God. We should see God not as just a person who did us a solid one time, but we should see God as an adoptive father.

So there are some things I want us to see here. God sent His son so that we might become sons, we become the position of sons of the King.

Think about this is terms of adoption.

Adoption requires someone who comes at the right time. Adoptions are intentional things, they are not accidental, no one is accidentally adopted. Parents don’t wake up one day and all the sudden they have adopted a child. Honestly more planning comes in adopting a child that biologically having one.

Both Galatians 3:25 and Galatians 4:4 say,

“25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,” and

“4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son”

God Planned this adoption in to His family.

One of the cool things about watching a family adopt was seeing how the legal things work. When my pastor in New Orleans adopted their son, he was telling us about his birth certificates. Their last name is Tipton, and one of the cool things that happens when you adopt is the last name goes on all the documents, even all the way to the birth certificate. It is like the name Tipton has been there the entire time.

In the same way, if you are a follower of Christ, God knew who you were from before the foundations of the earth. HE knew you before you knew you.

Adoption also requires someone with the right qualifications.

They don’t let just anyone adopt kids, they have to meet the right qualifications. There is only one who could have made us right and adopted us as sons. God is the only one who could do this. Look at verse 3:28 and the verse 4:4-5

Galatians 3:27 “27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Galatians 4:4-5 “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Only Christ could have paid the debt to make us right and adopt us as Son and Daughters.

This Changes how we view God, this makes our view of God higher, more elevated view, we start to see God for who he is. God is Father, God has planned for u to be his children, God has loved us before we loved Him.

Statement: Same as opening statement. Some may refer to The Big Idea or Bottom Line. I don’t use those terms because I think they’re tacky.

Remember the statement I said at the beginning. Slaves to Sons. This is what is happening. We were once enemies of God, we were living in sin, we were living in open rebellion to God. That is what sin is, it is rebelling against God. We have gone from Slaves to Sons.

Look here at what this means for us as adopted sons and daughters of the King.

We get to experience the privileges of Sonship. Remember, as sons and daughters we are now Heirs with Christ, we are Heirs to the king. So what does this mean?

We now get to live with a new identity in Christ, a new identity before God. No longer Slaves, no longer enemies but sons and daughters.

Look at verse 3:28 Galatians 3:28 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

We are made new in Christ. We are given a new Identity in Christ.

As sons and Daughters we get to experience relationship with God, and we are guaranteed an inheritance fro God. We are given Himself, we get to be apart of his glory and plan. We are given His spirit.

Crescendo: How does The Gospel ultimately solve this problem? Preaching is about pointing to Christ & the Gospel, not good works, trying harder or moralism.

So what does this mean for us, why are we talking about this tonight?

This idea of Adoption should give us hope.

All of us in this room are going to experience suffering in this life, we are still living in a world that sin exists in. Bad things are going to happen, and there are things that are not going to be fun, life will kick you while you are down. If it has not done so, trust me it is coming. Some of you in here have experienced being kicked around by life. Some of you are currently being kick around.

This passage should give you hope that God is there with you in the suffering. God does not forget about His kids. God does not sit back and let things happen for no reason. We may not be able to see a reason for some suffering, but that does not mean it is pointless.

What should give us hope is that our Father has a plan in place to redeem and restore the World. He has already made a way for us to have relationship with him. His plan of restoration is not done though, Christ is going to come and make all things new, all wrongs will be righted and all sin will be done away with. One of my favorite authors puts it as “everything sad will come untrue.”

This should give us hope.

If you are a follower of Christ, this calling us to come sit at the table with your Father, to come see him not as a distant father but as one who wants to be there next to you, who wants to show you the way to joy like only he can do. If you are following after Christ, press in to Him, know him deeper, see him for who he is.

if you are not a follower of Christ, this text is telling you what the gospel is. This is the Gospel, Christ died for you so that you could be adopted as a son and daughter of the king. If you aren’t a follower of Christ or do not know what you believe, this text is asking you who are you going to follow. Do you know Christ? This is calling you to experience God as father for the first time. This gives you hope that you can go from Slave to Son. Come see Christ as Lord, See him as King, See him as Father.

Y’all pray with me.