Galatians 4:1-7
~17 min read
¹ Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; ² But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: ⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, ⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ⁶ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
TRANSCRIPT
In our previous message, we have learned how the Apostle Paul was explaining to the Galatians about salvation by faith. He knew that the Jews respected both Abraham and Moses very greatly, so he used them as examples.
Was Abraham saved by circumcision or by faith? It was by faith. What about Moses, who lived hundreds of years after Abraham? If the law was necessary for salvation, then Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the other Hebrew believers before Moses would be eternally lost. So the answer was Moses was also saved by faith. Before the cross, after the cross, all believers throughout the ages, were saved by faith and faith alone.
After giving biblical examples in chapter 3, now as Paul moves on to chapter 4, he gave analogies to illustrate and emphasise his point. He used the analogies of a servant, a child, and a son.
Can you imagine being a slave or a servant, living each day knowing that tomorrow, next week, next year will not change? Knowing that you will never have freedom, no rights, no options, and you have to serve under the master? That would be very frustrating, right?
What about children? Children are cute and nice to have around us. But can you imagine a child, a normal, healthy child who never grows up? Let's say your child is 30 years old and still asking you for pocket money. That would be most devastating.
Suddenly, a son is different. A son is someone who will inherit whatever the father has prepared for him. He can approach the father at any given moment. So unlike the status of a servant, which can be very frustrating. Unlike the situation of a child, which can be devastating if that child remains as a child always. Being a son brings great confidence and blessings. This is what we want to learn for today's message. The title of our message is "No More a Servant and Child, but a Son."
I. The Analogy
Our first point is the analogy. Let us begin with verse 1. "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, diferreth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;" As a child, he was the potential and rightful owner of everything that belonged to his father. But no father would give his inheritance to a child when he was still an infant. For example, a three or four years old child would never be in a condition to act as a master to rule over the father's household. That would never happen. So as long as he was still a child, he was no different from the servant because both the servant and the child would be under the master, although the child would eventually be the master. Or in fact, he was the master because the father was the master.
Most parents here would leave behind their estates to their children, right? Would you give your inheritance to your child now, while he is still in primary school? All your money in the bank, the title deeds to your houses, your car, whatever you have? Most certainly you will not do that. The reason is simply because the child does not understand the meaning of those things. And unless he understands the meaning of those things, he will not value those things, and he will not be able to be responsible to handle those things. Perhaps if you were to buy for your child a toy, like a big Lego house, he'll be much happier. But there will come a time when he will grow up, and he will understand the value of those things. Then he would inherit whatever you have prepared for him.
Verse 2, "But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father." So no matter how wealthy a father might be, his little child could not really enjoy the inheritance. The child was still under the supervision of tutors or guardians and governors. Governors are like managers appointed by the master to oversee the entire household. But when the appointed time by the father came, the child's status would change. Then he will no longer be like the servant. He will be a responsible adult taking care of the household. He will be a responsible adult to claim the inheritance. In ancient times, this was a common practice of the wealthy: to employ tutors and governance. So, the Galatians will be able to understand this. The question is: what does it mean to us, and how does it apply to our lives? Well, Paul went on to explain the reality of the analogy.
II. The Reality
Look at verse 3, "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:" Paul explained in a similar fashion: you and I, we were all under the law as unbelieving children, being held in bondage. The law opened up our eyes as regards to our sinfulness. The law condemned us. The law served as a schoolmaster to drive us to Jesus Christ.
The original word for elements is very interesting. It appears about seven times in the New Testament. For example, Colossians 2:8, let me read for you, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." The same word for elements was translated as rudiments, a reference to the deceptions, the principles of this world, including all the false religions.
At other times, it was used in a positive sense, referring to the basic teachings, basic principles of the Bible. For example, Hebrews 5:12, "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles", same word for elements, "of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." In other words, you should have grown in your spiritual knowledge by now; you should have been teachers already. But instead of being teachers, you need others to come along to teach you the basics, the elementary teachings of the scriptures, which is known as milk. You should be taking in strong meat; you should be a teacher now, but you are still taking in elementary teachings.
So, the phrase "the elements of the world" has caused much controversy. Very hard to point a finger as to what Paul was referring to in verse 3. Was he referring to the deceptions, including all the false religions of this world? Or was he referring to the elementary teachings? But we know that Paul was speaking about the law and faith. So, how could he be referring to the deceptions and false religions of this world? On the other hand, if he was speaking about the elementary teachings of the Bible, as in the law, why did he say "the elements of the world" as if it belongs to the world? That was why people find it very hard to confirm what he was referring to.
Allow me to explain and give my thoughts about this. The law was good, but it was the Jews who added unto the laws all the external rules and regulations, and they taught the people that by obeying those traditions, a man could be made right with God. As far as the Jews were concerned, they could get closer to God by those elements, those principles. But as far as God was concerned, they were only elementary, basic principles, and they were of the world. I believe Paul was speaking in this regard.
My friends, it is important that a person knows his basics, the elementary teachings, like ABCs, for example, because they are the foundation for understanding the entire English language. But the moment you trust only in your ABCs, you are stuck with the elementary, and it cannot help you to get beyond the stage. You are like a man who sits in a huge library reciting your ABCs instead of reading all the great literature that surrounds you. Instead of becoming wise and mature, you remain immature and ignorant.
The law is good. We are not referring to the law as in the Jews adding all the rules and regulations onto it. But the law by itself, it is good. But you cannot remain in the law. You must let the law take you to Jesus Christ. Therefore, legalism is not a step toward maturity. In fact, it is a step back to childhood, and you will always remain there. The law was not God's final revelation. It was only the preparation for the final revelation in Jesus Christ.
John Wesley was a graduate of Oxford University, an ordained minister in the Church of England, very orthodox in theology. He was active in practical good works. Often, he would visit the inmates and prisons in London. He would also help to distribute food and clothing to slum children and orphans. He studied the Bible diligently, attended several Sunday services, as well as various other services during the week. He gave generous offerings to the church and helped the poor. He prayed and fasted, lived an exemplary moral life. He even spent several years as a missionary to the American Indians. Yet, upon returning to England, he confessed in his journal. This was what he wrote: "I went to America to convert others but was never myself converted to God."
Wesley did everything he could to live a life acceptable to God, yet he knew something was missing in his life. And that's something Paul would explain in the next few verses. It was not until one day when he unwillingly went to a service in Aldersgate Street that he discovered and claimed true Christian life. He wrote, "I felt my heart strangely warm. I felt I did trust in Christ and Christ alone for salvation. And assurance was given to me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."
My friends, salvation is not about "do this, don't do that; touch this, don't touch that." Salvation can only be found in a person. For many centuries, the Jews had been in kindergarten, so to speak, learning the spiritual ABCs. And they were happy to remain there. In fact, they were so happy to remain there that they added onto the law all the other rules and regulations, which were unbiblical. But if they never got beyond the elementary state, they would be eternally lost, just like all the other religions in this world that hold to a system of works for salvation.
Some people say there are so many religions in this world. Harry Ironside, the Bible theologian, said there are only two religions in this world. One is that salvation is accomplished through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The other is that you must keep on working for your salvation. There could be thousands and thousands of religions out there. They may come to you in different shapes and forms, but they are all the same: salvation by works. And it cannot save you.
III. The Plan
This brings us to our third and final point: the plan. Let us look at verses 4 and 5. "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
Just as a human father in ancient times would appoint a time whereby his son would be an adult, so God the Father had also appointed a time special to send forth his Only Begotten Son to be the Saviour of the world. The fullness of the time refers to God's sovereign timetable of redemption.
Have you ever wondered why did Jesus come at a time when Israel was under the Romans? If the Jews were in control of the land, do you think the people would ever talk about looking forward to the Messiah? Why did Jesus come at a time when Alexander the Great had established the Greek culture so much so that the people understood and spoke a common language so that the gospel could be preached so easily? Why did Jesus come at a time when the Romans could provide the economic and political stability whereby the disciples of Jesus Christ could travel from one city to the next city to share the gospel, all because of the magnificent system of roads built by the Romans? Was it a coincidence? No, it was exactly at God's appointed time.
The fullness of the time when the law had accomplished his purpose: showing man his utter sinfulness and inability to live up to God's standard of righteousness. In the fullness of the time, in God's appointed time, He sent forth His Only Begotten Son to provide the righteousness which man could not provide for himself. "God sent forth his Son" speaks of His complete deity: Jesus is God. He was “made of a woman”, means born of a woman. This was in fulfilment of Genesis 3:15.
Remember, we have discussed about the First Gospel message or the First Gospel verse in the Bible where the seed of the woman shall come, shall bruise the head of serpent and then he shall bruise his heels. It speaks of His complete Humanity. Jesus is 100% God, 100% man. Is believing in Jesus Christ as 100% God and 100% man really that important? It is most important because otherwise, He could not be the Saviour of the world.
To be the Saviour of the world, Jesus had to be 100% God in order for His sacrifice to be perfect and to be able to atone for the sins of mankind. To be 100% man, Jesus would be able to represent mankind and take the penalty of sin upon Himself on man's behalf. It was man who sinned against God. It was man who was under the curse of God. It was man who was condemned. And unless and until a perfect substitute was able to bear our sins, we cannot be saved.
Therefore, Jesus could not be the substitute for sinful man, if He was not 100% God and 100% man, if He was not willing to come into this world as a man. He had to be 100% God to be powerful enough to save. He had to be 100% man to be qualified to be the Saviour of the world. And our Lord Jesus was willing to do that, and He did just that.
So it is not just any ordinary man who can save the people from their sins. Buddha cannot save, Sai Baba cannot save, Joseph Smith cannot save, Mary cannot save. They are all man. They all need a saviour to save them from their sins. Jesus not only came into this world as a man, but He was also made under the law or born under the law. In other words, like every other Jew, He was under the obligation to obey and keep the law. If He broke any one of them, He would be guilty. If He broke any one of them, He would be disqualified to be the Saviour. But unlike any other Jew, our Lord Jesus lived in perfect obedience to the requirements of the laws of God. That was why He was able to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
My friends, you and I are under the law. We cannot keep the laws of God perfectly. We are unworthy of God. As sinful men and women, we are naturally not the children of God. In fact, we are the enemies of God. The only way we can become the sons and daughters of God is by adoption. And it is only because of Jesus Christ that you and I can be accepted as God's adopted sons and daughters.
To redeem means to set free by paying a price. A man could purchase a slave in those days in any Roman city, either to keep the slave for himself or to set the slave free. According to history, at that time, there were about 60 million slaves in the entire Roman Empire. Imagine a slave being set free, and yet he returns back to be a slave again. Jesus came to set us free. And once we have been freed, to go back to the law, to go back to that which is elementary, would be to undo what our Lord Jesus had done on the cross. He did not die to make us slaves; He died to make us sons.
Verse 6, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." How do we know that we have truly been adopted as children of God? Firstly, we know that we are sons and daughters of God because the Bible tells us so. For example, in the previous chapter, Galatians 3:26, we were told that "ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a child of God.
Secondly, we know that we are sons and daughters of God because of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our hearts. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to cry out with full confidence, "Abba, Father." The word "Abba" is a term of endearment used by young children for their fathers. In our modern term, the equivalent will be "Papa." The Holy Spirit brings us into a personal, intimate relationship with our heavenly Father whom we may approach at any time and under any circumstances, knowing that He will always hear us and He lovingly cares for us because we are truly His own.
If you ever question your own salvation, "Am I a true believer?" ask yourself this question: in your greatest struggle, in the darkest moments of your life, when you lose a loved one, a child, when it seems as if the whole world has collapsed on you, it hurts so badly, what is the first thing you do? You run to God and you cry out, "Abba, Father." Why do you do that? Because you are His son, you are His daughter. Like those little children running around us in the church, sometimes we do not know who their parents are, but the moment they fall and it hurts, all we need to do is to watch who they run to. They will always run to the parents. They will know, "Oh, that is the parents." The true believers will always run to the heavenly Father, and it is the Holy Spirit that will enable them to cry out.
Just now we mentioned that John Wesley felt something was missing. That something was none other than the Spirit of God that caused him to cry out to the heavenly Father. Without the Holy Spirit, he would be just like running around doing a lot of things, but it seems so empty.
Have you ever felt that you have been doing a lot of things? Like you go through one program to another program. You may be serving, you may be attending fellowship meetings after fellowship meetings, worship services after worship services. But then it seems that something is missing. Have you truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ so much so that as John said, he felt this warmness in his heart when on that day, "I believe that the Lord took away my sins." How did he know that? Through the wonderworking of the Holy Spirit. Surely on that day, he would cry out, "Abba, Father."
Finally, verse 7 says this: "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." A person who believes in Jesus Christ is no longer a servant as in a servant to the law. Not that the law is useless. The law is good. We will always share an intimate relationship with the law, but we do not need the law as a schoolmaster to drive us to Jesus Christ because we are already in Him. And because we are in Him, we are a son. And if we are a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Before we end, I just like to take a moment to consider the phrase "an heir of God." Very seldom will we use this word "heir" because we know it is always a reference to a huge inheritance awaiting us. So we do not have this huge, massive inheritance, so we very seldom use this word "heir." But let's say you are an heir of the Rockefeller Foundation or of Bill Gates Foundation or Elon Musk, whoever, or one of the royal families. That would mean you have a massive, massive inheritance, right? You are an heir of such and such a person.
But Paul says, "You are an heir of God." Imagine that! Everything that God has belongs to you. All the heavenly blessings, your eternal mansion where the streets are made of pure gold and garnished with precious stones of all sorts, where the gates are made of pearls, each one gigantic pearl, and you will dwell in the presence of God for all eternity. All these are your inheritance. Our finite minds can never fathom the things of God. We are an heir of God, and it is only possible through one person and one person only: Jesus Christ.
That is why Paul says, "an heir of God through Christ." If you believe in Him, well, this will be your eternal inheritance. But if you reject Him, you will have nothing. But then you would have something even worse than nothing for all eternity. You'll be sent to a place the Bible says the fire never stops burning.
I pray that for those of us who are still lingering outside the kingdom of God, please do not harden your heart. Today is the day of salvation because tomorrow may never come. Just this week, we just said we have one funeral and then we have the passing away of a baby. God is teaching us our life is like a vapour. Today we may be here, tomorrow we may be gone.
So please do not harden your heart. Come and believe in the Lord Jesus. Turn to Him, the only one who can save you. Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner. I cannot save myself. No matter how hard I try, I cannot. I know You are the only one who can save me. And in the fullness of God's time, You came into this world, You died on the cross, shed Your precious blood that is able to wash away all my sins. You died, You were buried, but You did not remain in the grave. On the third day, You rose again from the grave. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the Resurrection. Those who believe in You will also be raised from the grave. Lord Jesus, I believe in You. Save me.
When Jesus saves you, the Holy Spirit indwells in you, and you will be able to cry out, "Abba, Father." Let us pray.
Father in heaven, we thank Thee for this blessed Lord's day that we are able to consider this portion of scriptures. Help us to apply Thy truth into our lives.
For those of us who are believers, we are eternally grateful that we are the sons and daughters of God, all because of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And we are able to cry out, "Abba, Father," because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are no longer servants, we are no longer children; we are now the sons and daughters of the Almighty God. And as sons, we are heirs of God. We do not deserve all the heavenly blessings, but Thou art so good to us. Our heavenly Father loves us, and all those things He has prepared for us, we are eternally grateful.
For those who are still outside the Kingdom, may Thou convict their hearts of their sins, that they will know that there's no one who can save them, only Jesus saves. So that even though our life may be so short, in this shortness, they may have the opportunity to turn to Christ, believe in Him, and receive Thy salvation so rich and free.
We give Thee thanks, and we pray all this in Jesus' name, amen.
SERMON OUTLINE
THE BOOK OF GALATIANSA Letter To The GalatiansA Letter To The GalatiansGalatians 1:1-5
The Danger of Preaching Another GospelThe Danger of Preaching Another GospelGalatians 1:6-9
Be a God-Pleaser, not a Men-PleaserBe a God-Pleaser, not a Men-PleaserGalatians 1:10-12
But When It Pleased GodBut When It Pleased GodGalatians 1:13-24
Standing for the Truth of the GospelStanding for the Truth of the GospelGalatians 2:1-5
One Gospel, Different MinistriesOne Gospel, Different MinistriesGalatians 2:6-10
The Need to Confront Sin (Part 2)The Need to Confront Sin (Part 2)Galatians 2:14-16
The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)Galatians 2:17-19
Dead, Yet Alive!Dead, Yet Alive!Galatians 2:20-21
Remember How You Were Saved!Remember How You Were Saved!Galatians 3:1-5
Saved by FaithSaved by FaithGalatians 3:6-9
The Age Old Promise of the GospelThe Age Old Promise of the GospelGalatians 3:6-18
Christ Bore Our CurseChrist Bore Our CurseGalatians 3:10-14
Will God Keep His Promise?Will God Keep His Promise?Galatians 3:15-18
Why Then Have the Law?Why Then Have the Law?Galatians 3:19-22
What the Law Meant to Us?What the Law Meant to Us?Galatians 3:23-29
The Son of God Became the Son of ManThe Son of God Became the Son of ManGalatians 4:1-7
No More a Servant and Child, But a SonNo More a Servant and Child, But a SonGalatians 4:1-7
Until Christ Be Formed In YouUntil Christ Be Formed In YouGalatians 4:8-20
Freedom in Christ or Bondage to WorksFreedom in Christ or Bondage to WorksGalatians 4:21-5:1
By Faith Or By Works!By Faith Or By Works!Galatians 5:2-6
The Dangers of False TeachersThe Dangers of False TeachersGalatians 5:7-12
The Christian FreedomThe Christian FreedomGalatians 5:13-15
The Works of the FleshThe Works of the FleshGalatians 5:19-21
The Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)The Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)Galatians 5:22-25
Restoring the Sinning BrotherRestoring the Sinning BrotherGalatians 5:26-6:5
Restoring the Sinning BrethrenRestoring the Sinning BrethrenGalatians 5:26-6:6
You Shall Reap What You SowYou Shall Reap What You SowGalatians 6:7-10
Living for the Praise of MenLiving for the Praise of MenGalatians 6:11-13
Living for the Glory of GodLiving for the Glory of GodGalatians 6:14-18
