Lesson 36
September 1, 2002
4:4-6 Their
present status as adult sons
4:4 First a timing marker
But when the fullness of the time
came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
What God did!
God sent forth His Son
born of a woman born
under the Law,
Summary 4:4
1. One
thing that we can count on is that God's timing is never wrong! There are many historic factors that make
this time a unique time. The fullness of time. Convergence!
a. Roman
empire essentially ruled the world, had brought about a comparative timeframe of peace.
b. A road system
had been developed which
facilitated travel.
c.
Grecian civilization provided (via Alexander the Great) a language which was adopted as the lingua of
the Empire. koinh Greek
d.
Historically the stage was set of the greatest event in all of human
history.
Short
Rabbit trail Eph 1:9-10
Human
history is moving toward an objective, it is going somewhere!
2. It
was then that God sent His Son, the
pre-existent One, out from heaven and to
the earth on a mission. John 1:1-3,14
3. Jesus
Christ as the future heir, humbled Himself becoming a slave in becoming
humanity putting Himself under the Law. Phil. 2:5-8
4. Although Christ is heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
He was willing to condescend to an inferior position in becoming a
man. Did so to meet man's need in
justification.
5. Often an
heir was tested before receiving the inheritance.
6. Jesus
Christ was tested by being under the law and then bore the curse of the law for
us.
4:5 Two fold purpose of God sending His Son
1st Purpose clause
so that He might redeem
those who were under the Law,
His point here is Galatians think, Christ redeemed you
from the curse of the law and he redeemed you from bondage to the law. Your free!
Why would you now want to place yourself back under bondage to the law.
2nd [more of a result clause]
that we might receive the
adoption as sons.
Summary 4:5
1. Jesus
Christ's obedience to God the Father's will, secured for us in the Church age
the potential of being adopted as sons.
2.
Believers become adopted sons, not real sons.
3. There
are two principle points to be made by adoption:
a. adoption
stresses the release from slavery, where the former slave is granted all the
rights and privileges as a son in the family; and
b. adoption
is used to stress heirship -- that as a son, one is fully qualified to share in
the inheritance of the father.
Col
1:12-13
4. Since we
as believers are adopted sons in Christ we share in an inheritance secured by
Jesus Christ. Rom 8:17
5. The
badge or seal of our adoption is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Gal. 4:6.
6. The full
benefits of our adoption will be realized at the time of the rapture Rom. 8:23.
7. As an
adopted son we are not under the slavery of the Law or any other law
performance system with its purpose to acquire salvation/justification or to
maintain ones spiritual status by keeping it.
8. Paul's
argument here for the Galatians is this: Since Christ redeemed you and set you
free from enslavement to the Law, why
would you Gentile believers want to put yourself under its bondage.
9. Jesus
Christ as the heir of all things (Heb. 1:2) and
will distribute a portion of our inheritance at the judgement seat of
Christ. 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Cor. 5:10
10. There
is a eternal aspect also to the inheritance promised in 1 Pet. 1:4.
11. Our
sharing in all this inheritance is based on Positional truth.