REMADE TO BE ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD
Galatians 4:1-7 . . .
A Sunday school teacher was enrolling children in her class. She asked two brothers their ages and birthdates.
One of the lads spoke up, “We’re both seven. My birthday is April 8, 2004, and his is April 20, 2004”. Seeing that the teacher had a puzzled look on her face, the spokes-boy went on to say, “One of us is adopted”; and without thinking, the teacher asked, “Which one?”
The two brothers looked at each other and grinned. Then one of them said, “When we asked our dad, he just said that he loved both of us and couldn’t remember which one was adopted.”
As children of God, does it matter anymore what our biological, physical, geographical, cultural differences might have been at one time or another? No!
If you are in Christ, you are a child of the Lord God - born literally, adopted legally into the family of God. As children of God, Jesus is our brother and God is our Father. Thus, we have become heirs with Christ according to the promise God gave to Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29 . . .).
In Galatians 4, Paul makes the pungent point that the Father sent the Son on a mission to “redeem” (buy back) lost humanity . . . to free us from slavery to sin . . . to favor us with an inheritance that is not of this world – Galatians 4:1-7 . . .
We were saved, redeemed, bought back, purchased by the blood of Jesus, and given a new IDENTITY! “You are all sons of God!” Thus, we are very important people! V. I. P.s! Say: “God is my Father and Jesus is my Savior. Therefore, I am a very important person.”
Don’t know about you, but my joy over this thrilling new status that is ours was best put into an exclamation by the beloved Apostle John: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (I John 3:1)
You want to be rich? You already are - right now! God has blessed you with the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7) . . . the riches of His glory (Philippians 4:19) . . . the riches of His goodness (Romans 2:4) . . . the riches of His wisdom (Romans 11:33).
Don’t you just love it when a dear saint of God says to you, “I am blessed.” We are blessed to be children of God – made in God’s image . . . loved by our Lord even though we sinned . . . remade into something beautiful - a recipient worthy of an inheritance that is incorruptible and will never fade away!
“Mom, look how ugly I am. How can you love me”, said the little boy as he peered into the mirror, whereupon mom put her arm around her son and, with tears in her eyes, replied, “You’re not ugly, my son. You are beautiful, and I love you because you are mine.”
Folks: It’s not who we are but whose we are that matters! Identified with Christ, we are loved and blessed because we are His brothers and sisters, we are God’s children. Welcome to the Family of God!
Because of our identity with Christ, “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.” Don’t miss this wonderful truth: God not only sent Himself to us, He sent Himself into us! Yes! As children of God, we inherited the sanctifying presence of the Spirit of Christ which works in us and through us.
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since the Spirit came into my life to change the places I go and the things I do and the words I speak . . . When I wake up in the morning and realize that God will be with me all day long, it affects my plans accordingly. His presence influences my choices and decisions.
Because of our identity with Christ the Son (His brothers and sisters), and our identity with God the Father (His children), the Spirit of God dwells within us to keep us in line and in tune with the Father’s Will.
“Let us, therefore, approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Did you notice that it is the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father”? We have access to the Father not because of our correct grammar or polished speech, not because we know the right formula, not because we have done many good deeds – but because the indwelling Spirit of God intercedes on our behalf!
Did you know that we have unlimited, free access to God any day, any time, for whatever reason? The Son of God appears before the throne of God, and says, in effect, “O God My Father: My brother, my sister, needs to talk to you . . .”
With undivided attention, our Father listens while the Spirit communicates thoughts, yearnings, and groanings that we are unable to put into words. The Spirit within us knows, understands, and intercedes on our behalf.
What great gifts our Father has bestowed on us! Identity with Christ! Influence of the Spirit! Intimacy with the Father! As “sons” of God through genuine faith in His Son Jesus Christ, what a great Inheritance! Claim it!
“But I am adopted”! So? What difference does it make? None at all! Why? Let me explain: The biblical doctrine of “adoption” (acceptance into the family of God) is predicated upon one’s new birth experience. “Ye must be born again” . . .
To be born again is to erase any differences that might have existed in one’s relationships with God and with others prior to conversion. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.” Furthermore, “If you belong to Christ, you are heirs according to the promise”. Why did Paul bring up this subject of “heirs” . . . “joint heirs with Christ”?
The problem addressed in Galatians was that some folks were claiming that a disciple of Christ could, and should, “add something” to what Christ had done, to secure acceptance into the family of God. An insurance policy! Just to be sure!
“Not so,” objected Paul. “Your adoption and thereby your inheritance have been sealed by God’s promise to Abraham just as surely as it is legally so, that, once an adoptee is placed in a will, the will cannot be changed by any act or action on the part of anyone. It is a done deal.”
To further clarify his objection to the false teaching that a believer should “add to” his status as a child of God by doing this or that, Paul uses the analogy of a minor child being treated as a slave until a time set by the Father for the child’s status to change. When that time comes, it is what it is. The child’s status has now been changed by a previous action taken by the Father.
When the time was right in God’s sight, God the Father acted - sent His Son to redeem (buy back, to free from slavery to the law) whosoever would repent and truly believe. Anyone who repents and believes Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, is no longer a slave to sin but is set free to be a “son” of God. So,
Whereas we were like children, who were like servants - on the outside looking in - we have been literally and legally adopted, by Christ, into His Family - with all the privileges and benefits of a full-fledged heir.
Thus, there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, there is now no difference in our status (We are all sons of God through our faith in Christ) . . . our access to the Spirit (God sent the Spirit of His Son into the hearts of all who believe) . . . our inheritance (Since you are a son, God has made you also an heir).
Our inheritance of His presence, in the “here and now” and in the hereafter, is promised by the Father, procured by the Son, and protected by the Spirit!
And all that’s left for us to say is: “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God, I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood, joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, for I’m part of the family, the family of God.” Amen.
