We Are Family Series

Galatians 3:26-4:7

We are family

In Christ, We are Family

We are family by Faith Galatians 3:26-27

We are family without Distinction Galatians 3:28

We are family by adoption and heirs

according to the promise Galatians 3:29

The stages of children in the Family Galatians 4:1-7

Child as a Minor Galatians 4:1-3

Child as an Adult Galatians 4:4-6

Child as an Heir Galatians 4:7

Slide 1

Families have changed a lot over the years. A lot of the ways families have changed can be seen in the television shows that portray family life.

Back in the 50’s it was

The “Cleavers” of Leave it to Beaver’ or

Slide 1 The Andersons from “Father Knows Best”

The Nelsons from the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

That is how some people experienced family life.

Nowadays, there are many people who not only don’t experience family life like that, but are experiencing it more like

A different Ozzie as in the Ozzie from “The Osbornes”

A show that shows the life of Ozzie Osborne and his wife and 2 kids. Talk about dysfunctional.

But the reality is there are a great many people today and even back then and even back in Bible times that have grown up in dysfunctional families.

But for most of us, even if we grew up in a dysfunctional family, there are still going to be positive aspects of our family life.

It means something to be part of a family. Even a dysfunctional one.

We are going to be looking at another family today. A family that you can be part of and enjoy

regardless of your upbringing.

Regardless of whatever dysfunctions went on in your Physical family.

And that family is your spiritual family

I want us to see the importance of a spiritual family in our lives and what that means for us.

Slide 2

Slide 2 We are continuing on in our study of Galatians and we are going to be looking at Galatians 3:26-4:7 (p. 825)

To recap were we have been,

Paul has written a letter to the Galatians defending the essential message of the Gospel which is that we are saved by Grace.

There were some Judaizers who had come into the church after Paul had left and said that

Yes Jesus died for your sins, but you also need to first become a Jew and be circumcised if you are going to be saved.

Paul writes the Galatians and tells them that is not the case. And furthermore, we need to continue living in God’s grace to experience the Christian life in its fullness.

The Judaisers were saying that you had to follow the law.

Paul was saying that the purpose of the Law was not to draw us closer to God but show us our need for Christ.

And then he begins talking about how our acceptance of Christ puts us in relationship with the Father by describing it with the family relationship of being a son.

And this is where we pick up in

Galatians 3:26-4:7

26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Gal 4:1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are 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 a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

The first thing we see is that

We are family by Faith

Slide 3

Galatians 3:26-27

Slide 3 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Some people will say that every person is a child of God. We are all God’s children.

And in a creative sense that is true. Every person who has ever lived is created by God in His image.

That is why we need to show love for everyone regardless of if they are a Christian or not.