Galatians 4:6-9—”And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?”
How many times do we do as ‘we were taught’? Every thing from brushing teeth, talking, writing and even praying has been taught to us. Given the schedule, the familiarity, the comfort, we stick to what we were taught despite changing times, for example, typing a manuscript on a typewriter. Then, scanning this image, printing it out and filing it away in cabinets to store the content as done by our fathers, rather than using a computer. In this example, do you see how times have changed and things are made simpler for us by the invention of the computer?
The churches in Galatia were formed of converted Jews and of Gentile converts. In this chapter, Paul speaks to confirm the Galatian churches in the faith of Christ. The churches followed the law of Moses. Some urged the law of Moses together with the gospel of Christ, trying to bring believers under its bondage. (They could not fully understand the meaning of the law given by Moses. This was a dispensation of darkness, so of bondage; they were tied to many burdensome rites and observances by these tutors)
In our spiritual life, much like the churches of Galatia whom Paul addressed, we hold on to the traditions, rites and rituals of prayer and manifestations of our faith. Although Jesus came to die for us, to wipe away our sins, to justify us, to sanctify us, to make us whole, to make us an heir of God, we still hold on to our old bondages, and are slaves to the ways of the world like we used to be before Jesus died for us. How can we know that God sent the Spirit of His Son to cry out Abba Father on our behalf and still go back to our old ways, our traditions, our bondages, the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, our idols that keep us away from our Father?
We believers have a happier state under the gospel. In these verses, we see the wonders of Divine love and mercy:
– God the Father: sent his Son into the world to redeem and save us
– The Son of God: submitted so low and suffered so much for us
– The Holy Spirit: dwells in the hearts of believers.
By nature we are children of wrath and disobedience, but by grace we have become children of love and partake of the nature and resemblance of God.
In the old days, only the eldest son was the heir among men. But through the dispensation of the gospel of Christ, all God’s children have the inheritance of eldest sons. This means we are also responsible to have the temper and conduct as one adopted of God. We ought to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit that the Holy Spirit may witness with our spirits that we are children and heirs of God.
Plan and go about your day as one adopted by God. You are the heir of God!
