It’s Time to Grow Up! Galatians 4: 1-18

Legalism leads the believers into “second childhood” –Judaizers believe the law makes them better Christians –Attraction for the law Law enabled them to do things Law enabled them to measure results –Sense of accomplishments and pride –They were regressing (going or coming back) instead of moving forward He explains Their Adoption (4:1-7) –Adoption: to place as an adult son

–To get in God’s family is by regeneration, being born again (John 3:3) Our standing in the family of God –Children of God vs sons of god Children of God by faith Sons of God were placed and have all the legal rights and privileges Spiritual babes need to grow while the sons of God is placed concerning position drawing on God’s wealth –“If son, then heir of god through Christ” (4:7) What we were: children in bondage (v. 1-3) –In Roman world the children of wealthy people were care for by the slaves

–Children were not different from slaves who guarded them –Slaves were commanded by the master and the child was commanded by the slave Law was the guardian that disciplined the nation and prepared the people for the coming of Christ (3: 23-25) Judaizers led the Galatians back into religious, moral, and spiritual bankruptcy and immaturity Jews were in bondage to “the elements “ – the basic principles, ABC’s –For 1500 years Israel in kindergarten and grade school learning spiritual ABC’s to be prepared for Christ’s coming. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. Under the law Jews ere children in bondage, not sons enjoying the liberty

–What God did: redeemed us (v.4-5) Fullness of time (4:4) – time when the world was ready for the birth of the Savior Romans were waiting for a deliver when Jesus was born –Old religion were dying –Philosophy were powerless to change lives –Spiritual hunger and religious bankruptcy Christ’s birth an appointment, not an accident Dual nature of Jesus Christ (4:4) –Both man and God –Of woman’s seed (Gen 3:15) –Fulfilled the promise (Isa 7:14, Matt 18:25) Paul told us who came, when, how, and why –Who – God’s Son

–Why – “to redeem them that were under the law” (4:5) »Redeem – to set free by paying the price »Jesus purchased to make us the sons, not slaves »Under the law the Jews were children, but under the grace the believers are the sons of God –What we are: sons and heirs (v. 6-7) Trinity –Father sent the Son to die for us and the Son sent the Spirit to dwell in us Servant vs son –Prodigal son: Galatians wants their Father to accept them as servant when they were really sons (Luke 15: 18-19) –The son has the same nature as the father but not the servant

»“Partakers of divine nature” (Peter 1:4) »Law couldn’t give God’s nature »Believer returning to law is denying God’s nature –The son has a father while the servant has a master »No servant could say “Father” tc “Abba, Father” (4:6, Rom 8:15) »Abba in Aramic means papa and it shows the closeness of the child to his father –The son obeys out of love while the servant obeys out of fear »“The fruit of the Spirit is love” (5:22) »“The love of god is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5) –The son is rich while the servant is poor »Riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7, 2:7) »Riches of His glory (Philippians 4:19) »Riches of His goodness (Romans 2:4)

»Riches of His wisdom (Romans 11:33ff) »All riches are found in Christ (Colossians 1:19, 2:3) »The son has a future while the servant does not »The father always provides for the son »Our adoption is not final, but we are waiting for the return of Christ and the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23) »Roman ceremony of adoption »Private ceremony when a son was purchased »Public ceremony when the adoption was declared openly before the officials »Christians were purchased by Christ and dwelt by the Spirit in first stage »In second stage at the return of Jesus Christ “we shall be lile Him” (I John 3:1-3) He laments regression (4:8-11)

–They abandoned liberty for bondage –Dropping out of school of grace and enrolling in kindergarten of law –“Weak and beggarly elements” refer to extent of regression Giving up the power of the gospel for the weakness of the law Giving up wealth of the gospel for the poverty of the law –Law could only reveals man’s weakness and spiritual poverty Observances: Christmas, etc.

If we hope to gain merits then we are sinning If we express our liberty in Christ the observance can be a special blessing –Don’t legislate the religious observance for another (Rom 14) –Guilty of legalism if he think he is saving soul or growing in grace –It’s wrong to compare, criticize, or condemn churches with observances »It leads to pride and make the outward event a substitute for inward experience He seeks affection (4:12-18) –Paul balanced rebuke with love –Paul reminded them of his love for hem and theirs for him

Judaizers came and stole their affection –Paul was in Galatia because of his bodily infirmity (Acts 13-14) Infirmity – malaria, eye (4:15) –The marks of false teachers He tries to attract other man’s converts to himself and not to the truth of the Word or person of Jesus Christ He is not winning lost sinners to Christ, but stealing from those who are truly serving the Lord –“Become as they were: identifying himself with them (4:12) –Paul vs Jusaizers

Truths vs lies Glorifying Christ vs glorifying themselves and converts (4:17) True servants of God don’t use people to build himself or his work True servants of God minister in love to help people to know Jesus better and glorify him The task of the spiritual leader is to get people to love and follow Jesus, not to promote himself and ministry –“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov.27:6) Galatian believers were still believers who had not lost salvation experience, but they were losing the enjoyment of salvation and finding satisfaction in their works

Is your Christian life moving forward into liberty or backward into bondage?