THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 4:6-7 MESSAGE 12 – THE GREATNESS AND WONDER OF BEING MADE ADOPTED SONS AND HEIRS IN CHRIST - PART 1
[A]. SOME REVISION
In the last message we looked at Galatians 4:5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”}} and this verse concentrates on redemption and adoption. Redemption is a wonderful thing because like grace, we did not deserve it. We only brushed across it and today we will look a bit more into it before we proceed with verse 8. There is a verse in Ephesians I like and it is this – {{Ephesians 4:30 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were SEALED FOR THE DAY OF REDEMPTION.”}}
We have “the day of redemption” and that is a bit like what some call “the three tenses of salvation.” When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we are saved (have been saved) from the wrath of sin, and from all the PENALTY of sin; in this life we are being saved through the blood of Christ from the POWER of sin; but when we are in the Lord’s presence we will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin forever.
The day of redemption is that time when our redemption will be realised. When we were saved we were redeemed. In this life we walk as redeemed people, but in the presence of Jesus at the day of redemption, we will know in full, our redemption as we are in the presence of the Redeemer.
Getting back to where we left off we were at verses 6 and 7 –
{{Galatians 4:6 Because you are SONS, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, “Abba! Father!”
Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are NO LONGER A SLAVE, BUT A SON, AND IF A SON, then AN HEIR through God.}}
The children have passed from slave, through sonship to being an heir, actually a joint heir with Christ and that is so magnificent that we just can not contemplate that truth while we are earth-bound. No more a slave to sin but a royal son of the King of Kings, and the Holy Spirit who possesses all who belong to Christ, allows us to say, Abba, a simple childlike expression of love.
{{Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.}} If we remember, sonship belonged to the Jews as did heirship. Israel was in a covenant relationship through Abraham and later on the Law was added. We mentioned last time that blessings have come to the Gentiles through Israel’s fall. The truth of that is reinforced by Paul again in Ephesians in these verses – {{Ephesians 2:11-13 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands - remember that you were at that time SEPARATE FROM CHRIST, EXCLUDED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, and STRANGERS TO THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE, having no hope and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.”}}
That moves us to the next section which is being an heir, and that means an inheritance. That is where we want to go today.
[B]. SONS, HEIRS, AND INHERITANCE
I have stated once before that there is a great parallel between Romans and Galatians. I think Paul was composing the ideas at the same time. We are now going to look at many scriptures.
(1). SONS & ADOPTION
(a). {{Romans 8:14-17 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are SONS OF GOD. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of ADOPTION AS SONS by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are CHILDREN OF GOD, and if children, HEIRS ALSO, HEIRS OF GOD and FELLOW HEIRS with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.”}}
Take note of the capitalised (upper case) words to see the link with our Galatians verses. There is so much contained there. I would suggest that it does not profit much by reading through the verses and then moving on. Meditation is a necessary, an often-used word in the Psalms. Take up each word and group and really meditate on what God has done for you, what He has made you. There is no rush. Wait before the Lord and He will give you the delights of His word.
Adoption is our present theme and means so much. My maternal grandfather was born in the Workhouse at Marylebone in London in the 1870s. The Workhouse can be seen on the Internet and was for the poorest of people and the “misfortunates of society”. His mother was a servant, born in the very west of Denmark, and became pregnant to one we do not know in western England, probably Herefordshire; whether it was the lord of the manor or another servant. She was obviously impoverished. Hence the Workhouse.
We have no records of the next 7 years apart from the father’s name not being entered on the birth certificate. His mother moved to Australia to marry a German farmer in the Wellers Hill/Tarragingi area, now a suburb of Brisbane and my grandfather was left in England somewhere. When he was seven he was brought out by ship to Brisbane and was adopted by the farmer and bore his name.
God was gracious to my grandfather and he married a wonderful woman from Rocklea (that family also from Germany). Of the 15 grandchildren, only about 3 are not walking with the Lord. We owe our grandparents so much for their godliness and devotion to God.
The elements in my grandfather’s story are so like what we are thinking of today.
(a). Impoverished. We were servants of sin and impoverished. No real prospects.
(b). Adoption. Through the grace and mercy of our dear Lord Jesus, we have been adopted into our Heavenly Father’s family.
(c). Sonship. We were made sons of the living God, brought to the table of our Father in heaven, members of His adopted family.
(d). The Name. We too have had a name change in our new family; and we bear the name of our heavenly Father. We go by the name of saints or Christians, or Friends of Jesus.
(e). Inheritance. The inheritance granted to us in the future is immense. More will come on this shortly.
Continuing the verses connected with our adoption.
(b). {{Romans 8:23 “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our “ADOPTION AS SONS”, the redemption of our body.}} (We are sinful sons of Adam – the offspring through the faith of Abraham – but not the children of Israel [Jacob]. They are Jews by descent.)
Here Paul echoes the inner desire of Christians who are walking with the Lord and that is twofold. Firstly, the groaning for the realisation in the Lord’s presence when we will attain the adoption of sonship. Yes, we are adopted sons now of the Father, but this is special. It is like having it confirmed and seeing it all come to fruition. Secondly, “the redemption of our body” which I touched on earlier. We are redeemed now but the fruition of that also happens when in the Father’s presence. In our earthly confinement right now we can not properly grasp what all that will mean one day.
(c). {{Ephesians 1:4-5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to “ADOPTION AS SONS” through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.}} (Lower down I want to mention something on predestination.)
There is so much in these two verses and we don’t have the time to explore too much in depth as it would move us away from Galatians. I do want to cover some of it though. The first thing is “being chosen in Him”. The Father chose us in Christ in eternity past. That is something to get your head around! People just can’t come to Christ when they feel like it. The Holy Spirit must draw them and left to our own sinful selves we would never have chosen Christ.
The reason for God’s choosing us is provided, and it is that we might be “holy and blameless” in the sight/presence of God. Without that we could never be acceptable in any way. The end of the verse 5 is also wonderful, relating all this to the kind intention of God’s will. Kindness is there and that is related to fellowship, but after the fall, kindness sent the Son of God as the Redeemer. Then the will of God is his great desire for us, and all He did to bring it about.
That brings us to the part we are considering, the adoption as sons. I feel that is the highlight of these verses and everything was working towards that achievement. The adoption as sons (and daughters of course) is the kindness in the intention of God’s will.
(2). HEIRS & INHERITANCE
(a). {{Romans 4:13 “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be HEIR of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”}}
Both in Romans and Galatians, Abraham and the promises to, and through him, are covered carefully. This verse is just one of those promises that Abraham would be heir of the world. The benefits of that belong to his descendants but we must not forget that it applies both to the earthly people the Jews, and to all of faith (let’s say to the Church). It’s not a biblical term but maybe we could say “Abraham is the father of heirship”.
We know that in the Romans studies, Paul is concentrating here on the promises of God graciously given to Abraham, and those are related to faith, not the Law.
(b). {{Ephesians 3:4-6 “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the MYSTERY of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit - to be specific, that the Gentiles are FELLOW HEIRS and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”}}
God’s grace made the above possible. It may have sounded an impossibility to the Ephesian Gentiles, considered outsiders for so long by the Jews, separated from all the promises that the Jews had. This new revelation that applied to the Gentiles was that they are now FELLOW HEIRS of the Body of Christ. Paul repeats the word “fellow” as in “fellow members” and “fellow partakers”, all brought about through the gospel which means all the associated promises to those in Christ Jesus.
On a couple of occasions I have taken up the mysteries of the New Testament but a mystery is a brand new revelation not previously known that God is now opening up for the first time. One other mystery dear to me is the opening of the Rapture passage in Corinthians – {{1Corinthians 15:51 “Behold, I tell you a MYSTERY. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed”}}
In the Ephesian verses above Paul is saying that the mystery of Christ regarding the position of the Gentiles was revealed to the Apostles and Prophets through the Holy Spirit, and that revelation is that Gentiles are fellow heirs of God’s promises. Gentiles ought to be thankful for what God has done for them and I think too many just take it for granted and become blasé about it all. Churches need to wake up as to their great heritage in Jesus Christ. I am afraid it is symptomatic of the decline in the western church. Does “fellow heirs” not excite you?
(c). Titus 3:7 “that being JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE we might be made HEIRS according to the hope of eternal life.”}}
Justified through grace, and justified by grace, seem the same but I think there is a subtle difference. Justified through grace points to the One who arranged that, God. It was the grace of God that planned and led to justification. Justified by grace is more the operation of grace leading to repentance and turning to Jesus Christ in faith. Grace did it, bought justification to us by believing. I know it may be hard to understand what I am saying here.
Paul says that being justified, we become heirs and that is related both to hope and eternal life. HOPE in the New Testament usage of the word, is not the way we often use it as in having a wish for something to happen. It means a settled assurance, a firm position of belief without doubt or wavering. We have been made heirs. Wonderful.
(d). {{Hebrews 1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed HEIR of all things, through whom also He made the world.”}}
There is a change of emphasis here. It is not us here who are heirs but Christ Himself. Christ our heir – He will receive His inheritance – His Bride, His Kingdom, His proper place in this world/universe. Heir of all things means all things are to be subject under Him, what is rightfully belonging to God and rightfully what He has redeemed.
Here is a verse that is placed after the Second Coming even though prophetically it is already assumed to have happened because of its certainty, and is cited half way through the Tribulation. That is not uncommon in prophetic writings – {{Revelation 11:15 “The seventh angel sounded and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”}}
The beautiful things about all this is that the Lord as Heir will share so much with His glorious Bride who returns to earth with Him at the Second Coming.
(e). {{James 2:5 “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and HEIRS of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”}}
Ahh, it is not the conceited; the arrogant and manipulative rich; those who lord it over others; the greedy and selfish; those who bask in self-sufficiency – it is not those who will be heirs of the glorious things God has promised to those who love Him, but it will be the poor of this world, the ones despised as Christians and believers, who will the heirs. The greatest treasure now in all the world is to be rich in faith!
We are going to have to end there because our time is running out and there is still more to come on inheritance and a little look at predestination. There is much to think about today. We will cover those things in the nest message. God bless you all.
