As most of you know, for the past 3 weeks we have been in the book of Galatians & today, we pick up in chapter 3 verse 25-4:7.
I have been so ecstatic all week to share this good news with yall. As I was studying and preparing I felt the Holy spirit so strong and I felt like I was getting revelation after revelation and it’s nothing new. It’s all here, I’ve read it before but WOW! Have you ever read something 10x’s but that 11th time you see something you didn’t see before? That’s how I have felt this week.
This morning’s text is going to blow your mind. It did mine! But before we jump in, lets review what we already know:
1. We know that is was written by Paul formerly known as Saul because he was dedicated to killing the early followers of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem. Then meets the resurrected Jesus and like most of us his life is dramatically and radically changed.
2. 13 (some would even argue 14) of the 27 books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to Paul
3. He clearly had a lot to say, we read in his writings that he is passionate about the Gospel, about justification by faith, about the Church.
4. See Paul was a Church planter at heart and what we know about this letter is that Paul starts a Church in Galatia
and then moves on to other missionary journeys and THEN gets word that the Gospel he preached is now being tweaked.
A little bit of law and a little bit of culture, among other things are being added to what Paul taught.
AND THEY WERE MISSING IT! THESE LITTLE THINGS CHANGED THE WHOLE GOSPEL
The book of Galatians is really a letter to the Church in Galatia written by Paul. His main theme throughout the letter is that the Gospel is and has to be enough.
That we are saved by Grace and nothing else.
The Galatians had a lifestyle before Christ and then they accepted the good news of the gospel
But what they were doing was taking their old lifestyle and their new life style and mixing them together..
Pauls like “no” you cant work hard enough to get to Christ, you are justified by grace alone.
ENTER: Jesus who was sent and was the ultimate sacrifice for us. No law is needed. No extra anything from us
Today’s scripture: Lets read 3:25-4:7
My tagline for us this morning is going to be:
“Adopted and Clothed Heirs”
And that is exciting and radical news, and we are going to unpack why in just a bit…
STORY:
Ever since I was a little girl I have always been interested in the clothes people choose to wear. I find it fascinating the things people spend money on and how fashion is such a big part of who we are.
Now, don’t hear me wrong this morning. I have zero fashion sense.
I can’t keep up with whats in... MC Hammer pants were in in the 80’s and 90’s but then I thought they left us for good, but now their back.
I grew up thinking you wanted to match but you don’t want to be too matchy matchy and now people wear one pattern jumpsuits that give you a headache or they just don’t match at all.
So I just don’t get it, but I remember at a young age my grandmother always buying really nice clothes. Top of the line suits and dresses and shoes. Everywhere we went people would compliment her on what she was wearing.
My uncle was an iron worker and wore torn t-shirts, old jeans and suspenders to work and he was know for his hard work. You knew by looking at him that he worked hard.
My father was a correction officer and he wore a really nice, crisp uniform and everywhere we went, people gave him respect and he acted a certain way when he wore his suit. He was very professional and upstanding. I knew that when he was wearing his suit, he was also carrying a gun. So great responsibility came with wearing his uniform.
Clothing
So at a very young age, I knew that often times what people wore, was an expression of who they were or thought they were.
Even the reporters ask “who are you wearing” at red carpet events. Because it’s important to many people know who they decided to represent that night.
When I was baptized in 2001 I remember reading this Galatians 27 passage and thinking “what the heck does being clothed with Christ mean?” Do I have to start dressing like a nun and wear turtlenecks? Literally the year after I became a believer I gave up 2 piece swimsuits. I didn’t put on a 2 piece until about 3-4 years ago! -I’m not even kidding.
Note verse 26: So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Paul uses a clothing metaphor
in several other places. He is identifying clothing as an expression who an inward identity.…
But in verse 26 Paul is saying we are all children of God through faith and ever since the moment you accepted Jesus, you have put on Christ.
The ways of him
the character of him
the covering by him
the identity in him
the closeness of Him.
It’s a beautiful illustration since…
Clothing covers our nakedness and God has covered our shame since the fall.
He took on our shame and mistakes and sins at the cross and now he calls us righteous.
Take note of the word “All”- I believe Paul is most concerned with this one word,
“And ALL who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes”
Then Paul goes on to make more statements in verse 28-29 saying this,
“28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and 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.”
He is reminding them that there are no longer
social divisions that once separated people.
-Cultural barrier
Class barriers
Gender barrier is no longer.
The gospel goes beyond race: where your from,
The gospel goes beyond gender: if your male and female.
When the father looks at us he looks at us like created images in him.
The Gospel goes beyond rank: slave and free.
Its not the best of the best that get to be Christians it’s not for the smartest, wisest, prettiest, funniest. It’s not just the lowly, the poor. It goes beyond.
And right there at the tale end he says something that can be over looked and quickly passed by. But I want us to make note of it this morning:
“29 If you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Do yall remember what was promised to Abraham? Because I don’t know about yall, but when someone tells me I’m to be an heir of something I want to know what it is!
In short the promises to Abraham were/was 3 things:
PROMISES TO ABRAHAM:
• He was promised his decedents would be a great Nation that was fruitful and abundant
• He was promised A spiritual promise that all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
• He was promised spiritual and physical blessings and an everlasting covenant
The blessing of God caused Abraham to prosper wherever he went.
Since we are heirs of Abraham, those words were just as true for us as they were for him.
We are so loved by God. Our ultimate provider and protector. I don’t know about yall but I get super giddy when I read that. What incredible news we have before us this morning!
What an amazing way to end Chapter 3!
As if that wasn’t enough to fill you us all up and send us out thanking God for making us heirs, we move along to
Chapter 4 (there’s all this talk about being Guardians, trustees, slavery)
READ 4:1-3
Gal 4:1-3 “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[a] of the world.”
He uses this example being cultural heirs in chapter 4 verse 1 He’s speaking their language now because this was something that happened in their culture.
From age 6-16 young boys who were heirs to a throne had “guardians and managers/trustees” and they would manage the young boys and encourage him, rebuke him, show him the ways of the family business
So they understood what Paul meant when he was talking about being an heir and having a specific date set by the father when you will receive your inheritance.
He uses the words, “when we were children/underage to represent the Jewish life under the law (and perhaps the Gentile life under the “law written in their hearts”
Then he goes on to explain that
God sent his son to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law so that we would be adopted as his own children.
Vs 5:
***“to redeem those under the law”
To redeem those, To buy back.
So that we could have adoption as sons.
Our status changes. We become sons. Adopted.
***From “shackles to sonship”
If you re a lady in the room, this very much applies to you as well. Paul uses the term, “sons” but it is powerful. But because women were not allowed to received the inheritance.
Sonship meant power and authority.
Very strong legal meaning in the Gentile world/Roman culture and he’s turning it around and using it for all Christians, male and female.
This is radically progressive.
And Paul is calling all of us sons. What an honor especially in that culture.
In the roman world this meant a lot because adoption would sometimes happen with young adult boys: If a man had not had a son, it was important for him to adopt one so that he could carry on the family name and business. But (as it is today) this was a huge deal. Because the sons:
1. Debts would canceled
2. Wealth of father became the wealth of son
3. Father becomes liable for what the son would do
4. Sons had this huge responsibility of carrying on the name.
The analogy Paul uses is one that compares to the history of Israel
Vs 6: “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Now when you believe you are sealed with the spirit.
We are not only sons in status, we get to experience the father with the spirit…
We cry out: Abba: which is the Aramaic term for “father” daddy, papa. How beautiful and personal is that!
You are adopted: Into the royal family
Clothing- Add: We no longer need the law, we no longer need anything else except for Jesus. He has adopted us, & clothed us with Jesus himself.
We are adopted and clothed heirs…
But often times, what we do is this:
We “put on Christ” we accept the Gospel, we say “Yea we love Grace, and we need it, so we’ll take it”… but then just like the Galatians we start to try and earn our salvation, earn brownie points with God. So we think we have to:
1. Add extra time to our quite times and when we forget we get put on the bad list. (Jesus’ isn’t santa) We gotta stop treating him like he is.
But if we are honest with ourselves, how often do we even forget that?
That there is nothing (everyone say nothing) we can do to earn our salvation.
Because down deep inside, we think this will help us.
And this letter to the Galatian church Paul is saying, “nope. You are all children through faith, you’ve been adopted, neither male nor female, jew nor greek. You belong. You’re a child, AND HEIR. Oh and guess what, everything that the father has, you also have.
When you truly understand what your inheritance means then your status and experience changes how you know the father. And how you walk around in your new clothes.
I wonder if any of you are bound up with guilt and shame and insecurity. Because if they only knew what I did then…
If the king of the universe, God himself says I have approved of you, loved you, sent my son to die for you, adopt you and bring you in…ENTER INTO MY PRESENCE.
My question for you this morning is:
Do you believe you are a “son of God” Do you believe you are wanted and adored and loved and adopted and clothed?
Because you’re the heir to the royal father. Abba.
Do you believe that when you accepted Christ you became joint heirs with Him?
Are you intimate with God, are you free from law’s awful curse, and are you led by the spirit?
We need to develop a mindset that we are heirs of Gods promises.
If Jesus is heir of all things, and we are joint heirs with Him, that makes us heirs of all
things as well.
5. We have inherited everything that Jesus inherited.
