The Epistle to the Galatians July 11, 2010 Bob Eckel 1 Now Sons and Heirs: Galatians 4:4-7 Gal 4:4 – NKJV ‘But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,’ –Note verse 2 – ‘until the time appointed of the Father’ God is not haphazard in His planning – Eph 1:10, Psalms 102:13 –Consider the plethora of prophecy related to this timing. –And God became proactive (also in verse 6) What does ‘sent forth’ or ‘sent out of’ (exapostellō) imply? –His Son already existed! – Phil 2:6, John 8:42 –Out of a woman.- born or made (anew) And under the demanding system of bondage. –Gal 3:10,13 –And like every other Jew? – Matt 5:17 The true God-man.

The Epistle to the Galatians July 11, 2010 Bob Eckel 2 Now Sons and Heirs: Galatians 4:4-7 Gal 4:5 – NKJV ‘to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.’ –Two purposes redeem them under the law –Jews only or Gentiles too? »There’s no article before law here. »‘Here he changed from ‘them’, the third person, to ‘we’, the first person, so in Gal 4:6 he changes from ‘ye’, the second person, to ‘our’, the first person: this he does to identify their case as Gentiles, with his own and that of his believing fellow countrymen, as Jews.’ - JFB –Redeem – again, Gal 3:13 »buy out »rescue from loss »purchase out of a condition with no idea of selling back »pay a price to recover from the power of another adopt ‘us’ as sons –Adoption, huiothesia – signifies the place and condition of a son given to one to whom it does not naturally belong (Vine)

The Epistle to the Galatians July 11, 2010 Bob Eckel 3 Now Sons and Heirs: Galatians 4:4-7 –Not as infants or small children, but sons or full grown heirs – why? »Eph 1:5-12 Gal 4:6 – NKJV ‘And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" –Positional truth – John 1:12 And not as to an infant or children – Gal 4:1 –Notice that the sending forth the Spirit of His Son is conditional. Are you a son? What is the principle role of the HS? –John 15:26; 16:13,14 –crying out not tears but croaking like a raven; being vociferous; a proclamation –Abba, Father Abba is simply the Syriac for father In Aramaic - ‘papa’ –‘The identity-trust expression of a feeble infant’ - Merryman –Yet, we are sons not infants.

The Epistle to the Galatians July 11, 2010 Bob Eckel 4 Now Sons and Heirs: Galatians 4:4-7 »Implies intimacy »Christ Himself declared this relationship - Mark 14:36 –Father »‘Identity-confidence expression that springs from a knowledgeable, intelligent,understanding of identity.’ – Merryman –‘By faith ye are one with the Son, so that what is His is yours; His Sonship ensures your sonship; His Spirit ensures for you a share in the same.’ JFB Rom 8:15-17 The application – Heb 4:16 Gal 4:7 – NKJV ‘Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ –Therefore – what’s it there for? –The slave here is to the Law (Israel) not to sin. –This is not ‘law-works-merit’ but ‘grace-promise-faith’ – Merryman Gal 3:18, Gal 5:1 –II Cor 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

The Epistle to the Galatians July 11, 2010 Bob Eckel 5 Now Sons and Heirs: Galatians 4:4-7 –He shows us that we are free and set at liberty in such a way that while here we are governed by the Spirit of Christ who while reigning in our hearts, may teach us the true service of the Father. But this is not to serve as a slave, but rather to enjoy true liberty, as it is fitting for true sons and heirs. –By that which follows He gathers that which went before, i.e. Calvary: for if we have His Spirit, we are His sons, and if we are His sons, then we are free. Keep looking down!