Galatians 3:26 – 4:7 Heirs of God

It is an exciting thing to discover that you are an heir, to know that someone wants you to benefit from their assets when they die.  The promised legacy may be large or small, but the fact of being an heir can be an encouraging thought and in some cases it can be life-transforming.  Such is the case with regard to the salvation of the people of God.  We now consider Galatians 3:26-4:7 Heirs of God

1. The status of believers

The conclusion of Paul’s argument – ‘You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus’ (v26).  Here is the new status that obedience to the law could never confer.  ‘Sons’ does not exclude women but indicates they have the same status spiritually as men.  Paul asserts the fundamental equality of all of God’s people – ‘all’ embraces Jews and Gentiles.  There are no ‘second class’ Christians.  All believers are united to Christ, a fact which is depicted in baptism (v27).  By faith we enter a covenant union with Christ in the Covenant of Grace – having ‘clothed yourselves with Christ’, a very vivid description.  Worldly distinctions no longer matter (v28).  They are irrelevant to our spiritual standing.  Our spiritual link to Abraham is restated in v29 – we are ‘Abraham’s seed’ united to Christ the Seed, and ‘heirs according to the promise’.  All the blessings of God’s covenant await believers.

2. The liberation of believers

            (i). Our slavery.  As Paul has stated in v23, before conversion we were ‘held prisoners by the law’.  Now he uses the illustration of an heir who is a minor and cannot yet receive his inheritance.  We were subject to ‘the basic principles of the world’ – its belief systems which offer only slavery.  Only in Christ can we be set free.

            (ii). Our redemption.  Liberation is possible ‘when the time had fully come’ (v4) – the coming of the Saviour, sharing our nature (‘born of a woman’), rendering perfect obedience to God’s law in our place, with the goal ‘to redeem those under law’ (v5).  We are redeemed – bought out of bondage – by the blood of Jesus shed for sinners (1 Corinthians 6:20).

3. The adoption of believers

Our adoption as God’s children is the supreme blessing, the highest privilege we receive:

(i). Full rights.  Though faith in Christ we have the status of adult sons, no longer minors, enjoying all the rights and privileges of belonging to the family of God.

            (ii). The Holy Spirit.  God makes rich provision for his children – he ‘sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts’ (v6).  He is ‘the Spirit of adoption’ (Romans 8:15), who enables us to enjoy God’s blessings and equips us for life in the family of ‘Abba, Father’ whom we love.

            (iii). Heirs.  The transformation wrought by grace is summed up in v7.  We are sons of God and therefore heirs.  We are ‘heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ’ (Romans 8:17).  The blessedness of Christ is shared with us, in God’s infinite love and grace.

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