When I Get Older … Galatians 4:1-7 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10

The Childish Art of Dreaming …

“What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” – Galatians 4:1-7

Inheritance is a major focus of Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Inheritance customs in first century times stated that one was not able to collect on an inheritance until that person became an adult – somewhere between 21 and 25 years old. In this case, the child’s inheritance was given to a trustee who would manage the inheritance until the child was old enough to manage it himself.

Many of those referred to as slaves were bond-servants – people working off debts that they were unable to cover otherwise. Though slaves were considered part of one’s household and practically family members, they were prevented from inheriting anything. Heirs, like slaves, did not have any real additional freedom in the household, that is, until they received their inheritance.

We know that the people of Israel ran into conflict with those serving foreign gods. We do not know for sure what Paul meant by the phrase “basic principles of the world” in verse 3, but many commentators think that it might be connected to the Jewish thought that guardian angels or “deities” were assigned to watch over the other nations of the world, while Yahweh watched over the people of Israel. The mistake made by the other nations is that they sold themselves out by choosing to worship these guardian angels rather than God.

The Law and Pagan Worship Paul intimates that the Law became like a “guardian angel” for the people of Israel until Christ came. This would be amazingly offensive to a Jew—the Law was sacred, it was God’s law. Paul’s point is that rather than worship the one true God, the people of Israel had begun to worship the Law. In a very real way, the Law had supplanted God as the object of worship for the people of Israel. Just as the Gentiles needed to be freed from their futile worship of ‘created things’, so too did the Jews need to be freed from their futile worship of the Law.

An Example from Inheritance Customs an heir is only able to inherit his or her inheritance when they cease being a child.  while still a child, the heir is governed by a guardian. At this time, the heir is in reality no different than a slave, experiencing no more real freedom.  when an heir receives his or her inheritance, he or she is free from the ‘rule’ of the guardian.

The people of Israel were only able to inherit the promise given to Abraham when they ceased being a child, until the time set by the Father had been reached. While still “children”, the people of Israel were governed by the law. At this time, Israel was in no different a position than were the Gentiles – neither experienced any more real freedom than the other. Israel received their inheritance through the faithful witness of Jesus Christ. At this time, Israel is free from the ‘rules’ of the law, experiencing the freedom the Spirit allows.

Because of Jesus’ faithfulness—his submission to the Father through his death and resurrection— and our belonging to Him by faith, we all, Jew and Gentile, are now open to adoption by God the Father. What is it that allows us to be adopted as sons and daughters of God? Paul indicates that we are adopted when God sends Christ’s Spirit to us, who then enables us to cry out in faith “Abba” or “Daddy” to God.

How do we become heirs to the promise? We become heirs when we have been freed from our slavery to sin, through faith in Jesus. How are we freed from slavery to sin? We are freed when God sent the Spirit to us who then enables us to cry out to God as our Father. To whom is the Spirit sent—Jews or Gentiles? We know that the Spirit is poured out on the people of Israel at Pentecost in Acts 2, upon Samaritans in Acts 8, and upon Gentiles in Acts 10.

In our passage, Paul suddenly switches from a second person plural form of the word you (i.e. all of you) to a second person singular form of the word ‘you’ in verse 7. It is like Paul is pointing his finger directly at the reader saying “you are a son (or daughter) of God and an heir to his promise”. When we pair this with the intensely personal “Abba” or “Daddy” that Paul says the Spirit cries out through us, it highlights for us just how intimate the Christian life is to be.

Tracks in the Snow: A Modern Parable

Applications Just as the Jewish believers were astonished to see the Holy Spirit poured out on Gentiles, so too should we have an openness to God working in people we don’t necessarily expect him to. Have we grown up into our “sonship” in Christ in a way that meshes with today’s passage? Do I really see myself as a son of God, an heir with Christ in the promises of God, a younger brother of Jesus?

Is my faith is about an intimate interaction with God rather than stagnant legalism? It’s not about jettisoning the Law completely, but it is about determining the object of our faith. Just like the map could never effectively lead the brothers to Winnipeg, so too could the Law never establish our righteousness. In fact, just as the point of the older brother’s map was to lead him to the RCMP officer, so too was the Law to point us to Jesus Christ. And just like the RCMP officer pointed the way to Winnipeg, so too does Christ point us to salvation.