Galatians
4:1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child,
he does not differ at all from a slave although he is
owner of everything, 2 but he is under
guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3
So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage
under the elemental things of the world. 4 But
when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so
that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we
might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because
you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son
into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a
son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
THE
GREATEST
GIFT
EVER/GALATIANS 4:1-7
Think with me for a moment about the
greatest gift you have ever received for Christmas.
I would suggest that the greatest gift that we, as
Christians, receive is the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I know, it could be argued that the greatest gift is Jesus
and salvation, but I would contend that receiving Jesus
and the salvation He brings is dependent upon the ministry
of the Holy Spirit. Have you received Him? Do
you desire this gift above all others? Paul gives us
some insights into this greatest of gifts in our
text. Paul begins with ...
I)
AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX–VV.1-2
A) We all suffer, to one degree or another, with feelings
of inferiority. For some it is a small issue with
little effect, but for others it is huge with catastrophic
effect. Paul is using an illustration to help the
Galatians understand the inferior condition of a person
under the law, called both a “minor” and a
“slave.” This is in contrast to the person who
is in Christ by faith, called an “heir,” “a son,”
who is free. Have you experienced this kind of
freedom? You can! Come to Christ today and be
saved! The desire to come is from the Holy Spirit
... the greatest gift of all ...
1) Now the text of vv.1-2. The Galatians were once
under-aged heirs (entitled by a promise to an
inheritance). According to the law of Paul’s day,
such heirs were considered no differently than a slave,
“although [they are] the [owners] of everything”
(v.1). Because of this, the under-aged heirs were placed
under the control of guardians and trustees until a
date/time that the father set/determined (v.2).
Next, we consider how we move ...
II)
FROM INFERIORITY TO CONFIDENCE–VV.3-7
A) Paul in these verses applies his illustration/analogy
to his hearers. While they were considered children
they were held in bondage under the elemental things of
the world (v.3). Paul doesn’t linger long on this,
but he moves on to the time of liberation from these
elemental things (v.4). Paul says that the time came
for liberation, and it was God the Father who determined
it. That time is the coming of God’s Son at His
first advent. Note He was born under the law’s
requirements, but that was so He could redeem/buy those
under the law out of slavery to the law (v.5a). This
was good news to the Galatians! They were free from
the laws death sentence, because they continued to violate
the law in thought and deed cf. Galatians 3:10. It
is also good news for us today, as we violate the law of
God written in our hearts (Romans
2:14
-15), and we are just as guilty as the Jews to whom the
law was originally given.
B) The result of this redemption is that they, and we,
“receive the adoption as sons” (v.5b). Here’s
the point: all who have been redeemed by Christ have been
adopted into God’s family. We were once orphans
living with a cruel father who used us for his own sick
purposes. But God in the fullness of time redeemed
us in Christ, and brought us, whom no one wanted because
of our condition, into His family. In spite of our
condition, He loved us!
C) This is not the greatest gift ... there’s more
... It’s like opening all your Christmas gifts
with great excitement at what you received, and just when
you thought it couldn’t get any better, the final box is
brought out. What is this gift? According to
verse 6, it is the Holy Spirit. It is “the Spirit
of His Son” given to us. And, it is this Spirit
that connects us to a loving Father. We need not
feel inferior again, as the Spirit brings us to call the
Father, “Abba! Father!” This phrase
“Abba! Father!” is interpreted as
“Daddy! Daddy!” No sweeter words are heard
by a parent. This is why I submit to you, that the
greatest gift you could ever receive is the gift of the
Holy Spirit. Do you possess it? Hear these
words from Luke
11:13
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Ask
Him now to give this gift to you! Enjoy the only
gift that truly keeps on giving.
D) Finally, and briefly, Paul concludes in verse 7 by
saying that we are no longer slaves to the law, sin, or
anything, but we are sons, and therefore heirs.
What’s important here is that all of this is through the
gracious act of God. Praise be to God for His gift!
