In this chapter, Paul continues to urge the Galatians to return to God, to the true gospel. Paul’s primary goal is the restoration of his children in the faith. He keeps reminding them that they have been freed from all the rules and regulations that existed before Christ because as he says in Galatians 4:8-10;
8 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!” (Galatians 4:8-10)
Like Galatians, many of us often go back to our prior way of living but what we forget is that now we have been freed. Christ freed us from all those things that were captivating us, those things that the world dictate us to follow. Paul continues by reminding the Galatians how they treated him so well when he was with them and sick, they took him as a true messenger of Jesus Christ but now he is wondering if they are treating him as an enemy since they are starting to follow teachings that contradict his. His teaching is the truth. (See Galatians 4:12-16).
To remind them whose they are, and teach them about salvation, Paul used the example of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah had a promise from God of having a son, an heir. They waited so long that they started to think that they can no longer have a son since Sarah was old, they even laughed about the idea of having a son (Genesis 21:7). So Abraham and Sarah decided ” to help God” in accomplishing His promise by having a son to Hagar, who was Abraham’s servant. Later on, Sarah had a son, as God promised (Genesis 21:6). Their son was a miracle, it was beyond human imagination that they could have a son but God fulfilled His promise.
Abraham having a child with Hagar represents people’s attempt to obtain God’s favor, to attain their promise by their means. Since God is merciful, He forgave Abraham and Sarah and still fulfilled His promise. Hagar’s son was obtained by flesh while Sarah’s son was a divine promise. In this chapter, the two women represent two covenants; the Jerusalem on Earth and the one above (Heaven) (Galatians 4: 21-31). We are born from the Jerusalem of Heaven but live on Earth. The world gives us some laws to follow and asks us to live by and it also persecutes us because we are not from this world. It does not recognize us but we sometimes forget that and tend to live by it which makes us exhausted. We are not meant to be slaves, we are free.
Have you found yourself going back to your old habits and finding yourself far from God? You are not alone. Have you found yourself obeying the world and not God? The good news is that God is full of mercy and is waiting for you to come back to Him. We often try “to help God” and decide our next moves without involving God because we are tired of waiting for Him. However, God’s timing is perfect, and His ways are perfect. While waiting, let us surrender ourselves to Him so that He equips us to handle well His promise and still make Him first in our lives when living His promise.
“What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4:1-7)
We have been adopted when God sent His son. Jesus was born under the law, which means that He was fully a man who was born and lived the same life as us and died for us, to redeem us from the law, from living a certain way to gain the heart of Christ.
In the US, when in court in the process of adopting a child, they also ask the child (if able to speak) if they accept to be adopted. This made me think about our adoption into God’s family. If we did not accept Jesus in our lives and said Yes to following Him, we wouldn’t be called God’s children. But today we are, God is a father who graciously adopts believers in Christ into his spiritual family and grants them all the privileges of heirship. Let’s stop identifying ourselves with this world and embrace our true identity of being an heir to the Kingdom of God. We have an inheritance, and rewards in Heaven, let us live by this truth every day of our lives and live as free men and women.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for loving me and adopting me into your family. I ask you to always remind me whose I am, and what truth to live by every day. Help me to live by your word and not by this world. Help me to always serve others and your Kingdom not expecting a reward here but the rewards in Heaven. Help me to always remember that I am a child of God, my true identity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blog posts 