December 30, 2001 Galatians 4:4-7
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.
Today’s text starts out with a very interesting phrase that caught my attention, “when the time had fully come.” It’s the “fully come” that I thought was neat. What does that mean? Fully come? It literally reads “the fullness of time had come.” It’s not just referring to the clock striking midnight - but that all the chips were in place - everything was ready. God was measuring the circumstances, and now he determined that it was time for action.
There are several instances in the Bible where God talks about things coming to “full measure.” For instance, in Genesis 15 God said to Abraham that his descendants would return to Israel, but not for four generations, because “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” The picture I see here is God holding a big bowl of sins - waiting for the bowl to get full before he brings the Israelites back. And the same goes with time. How often, for instance, did things happen in “40’s”? For forty days Jesus was tempted in the desert, it rained for 40 days and nights, the Israelites were in the desert for 40 years - the list goes on. It’s as if God is in heaven, counting up the time, the circumstances - and designing exactly what he wants to happen. Today’s text presents one of those instances, where everything was set in place for God to act - so today we’ll see how -
The Fullness of Time Has Come
Today’s text is fitting for the Christmas season because Paul is talking about the coming of Christ. The fullness of time had come for God to send His Son. Why was this so? Notice that Paul connects the coming of Christ with the fulfillment of the law. And so when we look at the context of this passage we can understand better what kind of “fullness” Paul is talking about.
Therefore, let’s go through a short 101 course study of the book of Galatians. Paul had to explain to these Christians what the purpose of the law was, because some of them were being told that if they wanted to go to heaven they had to be circumcised like they were in the Old Testament. So Paul explained to them when and why God gave them the law. The Law was introduced 430 years after God had given the promise of the Savior as a “paidagogos”. A paidagogos was the slave who accompanied a schoolboy to make sure that he didn’t get into trouble on the way to school and that he actually got there. As the Israelites lived, they began straying further and further away from God, so God sent the law through Moses, as a “big brother” type to look over the Israelites - to keep them in line. The law kept on condemning the Israelites, so they would look forward to a Savior. The law kept the Israelites separate, so they could have the Savior through their race. The law kept the Israelites from going too far astray from God. God ultimately wanted Israelite believers to be living in Israel so the Savior could be born through them.
The history of the Israelites shows that they went through a lot. The law did it’s job. When the Israelites broke the law, they went into captivity. They were punished. But finally after two different captivities under the Assyrians and the Babylonians, a remnant was left to survive under foreign rule in the land of Israel. It wasn’t exactly they way it should have been or could have been from a physical standpoint, but nonetheless, in God’s eyes, the time was right. It was time to send His Son.
How would God send His Son? He wouldn’t just provide His Son with a fully grown human body from scratch, as he made Adam from dirt. No, first of all Paul says that God’s Son would be born of a woman. Notice he doesn’t say born of a woman and a man, but just born of a woman. This is the same as saying, born of a “virgin” then, because no man is mentioned. Of all the ways to come into the world - think about how difficult this kind of coming would be! Some people travel to different countries by packing themselves in baggage and trying to fly free of charge. But to sit in a woman’s womb for nine months? Wow.
If this wasn’t bad enough, Paul then said that His Son would also be, “born under the law.” Imagine how difficult it would be for you - as an adult having moved out of your home - to have to move back in with your parents and live by THEIR rules. What would be worse is if they would treat you like a child - and tell you when to go to bed and when to eat, etc. Just think about how difficult it would be for us as parents to live under the rules we set for our own children - having to go to bed by a certain time, etc. But here Jesus - the one who made the universe and made the laws for man to live under, now had to be born under the law.
Why? To redeem those under the law. In the Old Testament, sometimes the Israelites would get into such great debt that they would become what we would call “indentured servants.” In other words, they made an agreement to work a certain number of years to pay off a debt. Sometimes their debt would be so great that they would end up working for people their entire lives, never to truly be free again. Jesus came to “redeem those under law” by being born “under the law.” Do you understand the concept this brings out then? The laws of had many demands. Don’t drink this, don’t eat that. Don’t covet your neighbor’s wife, even if she looks better than yours. Don’t covet your neighbor’s house, even if it’s better than yours. Don’t hate. Don’t lust. And if you do - you deserve to die and go to hell. That’s what the law had done to the Israelites - it had beat them down and enslaved them - kept them captive to their own sins. From a physical aspect, you could compare this then to putting blinders on a horse. The horse doesn’t like the blinders. Yet they keep him from going astray or being distracted. But then, once the horse reaches it’s destination, the blinders can be taken off.
But now it was time for a change! God’s people were ready - the political situation was right - everything was in place for the coming of God’s son. So Paul said that Jesus had to be “born under the law to redeem those under the law” - it means that Jesus had to buy us back from our slavery to the law. Jesus volunteered and said, “I’ll serve in their place! I’ll do their chores for them! I’ll take their punishment for them!” And the law said, “that’s fine - as long as the law gets kept and the payment is made, that’s all I’m concerned about.” But the only way Jesus could do this, would be if he became a perfect infant and LIVED that life in our place. He couldn’t have made up for the sins of our youth if he hadn’t become a baby first. So Jesus was born of a woman, under the law.
And what’s the result of this? that we might receive the full rights of sons. Our status has been changed from slaves to sons! An early church father once put it this way - “the Son of God became a Son of man so that sons of men would become sons of God.” The blinders have been put off. The first destination has been met. The time has fully come. Jesus has come and we are now God’s children!
II. For you to be God’s sons
But what does that mean? As long as you’re living under the same household, does it really matter if you’re a servant of a child? Some think it doesn’t. As long as the servant still gets food and drink and shelter, and as long as the children also have chores to do, what’s the difference? In the eyes of the world - there is no big difference. It doesn’t matter whether your Christian or Jewish or Buddhist, because we all enjoy God’s blessings on this earth. When the Buddhist Boy Scout can perform the same good works as the Christian Boy Scout, it doesn’t matter what you call yourself, as long as you follow some god and try to please him. “Just do your duty and you’ll be fine,” they think.
But to Paul it makes all the difference in the world! When the Judaizers were trying to get the Galatians to be circumcised, Paul said, “if that’s the gospel they’re preaching they can go to hell!” (1:8) Pretty strong words, huh? Why was he so harsh? Because God isn’t just concerned with the outward act. He is more concerned with the motivation than the action. Think of Cain and Abel. It wasn’t the different offering that impressed God about Abel. It was that fact that he gave it in faith. (Hebrews 11:4)
What does this mean? If you’re just going through the motions, God isn’t impressed. Think about it in modern day examples. There was once an employer of a TV station who had two men come to apply for the same job as news anchor. The first one came in and said, “I heard you are paying 70,000 a year! I really want that kind of money! I really don’t like talking in front of a camera, but I can do a great job at it. And I think I’d like the idea of being a popular TV star.” The second man then came in and said, “I’ve always liked your TV station. You run a very quality program. I love broadcasting. I’m not the greatest at it but I’m willing to learn. I don’t care what you pay me - I just feel like it would be a privilege to work for you!” Which one would you pick? The one who was in it for himself, or the one who wanted to serve? The two might do the exact same job - and one might actually do it “better” than the other. But attitude matters!
God has changed our status from slaves to sons! And it’s neat how He does it. Paul says that God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. Here you see the whole Trinity at work. The Son lives and dies for us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith in this. And then through faith worked in the Gospel the Holy Spirit establishes us and adopts us as God the Father’s children. A new relationship is formed. This is important! We aren’t just working in God’s household to pay off a debt. We aren’t there because we have to be. We aren’t there to get a paycheck and that’s all. We’re there because God made us a part of his household! And so Paul says, Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” There’s a whole new relationship here. God is no longer your slave master. Instead of calling him, “sir” or “master,” you can simply call him “father.” The picture God wants to draw for you is a loving and protective person who will take care of your every need. Someone who is willing to listen to your sighs and needs.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t get this concept. Why? Because many children grow up without a father in their households. And many who do have fathers think that they are doing their job if they teach their kids to be tough. They think they are doing their jobs as Christian fathers by forcing their kids to come to church and putting food on their plates. They are not role model fathers - ones who follow in the Father’s footsteps - as firm figure heads who are still there to listen and help - provide loving leadership. But God is different. He wants to listen to our cries. He wants to respond and help. He encourages us to come to Him because he is an approachable God! How can a holy God be approachable? Only through the sacrifice of Christ! As children of God, then we have the privilege and comfort in knowing that our God is not only a holy and righteous God but also a loving and forgiving Father! What a wonderful blessing!
But this isn’t the only blessing of being children of God! When God promised Abraham a son, he was going to have the promise of the Savior come through him. But Abraham didn’t think that would work due to his and Sarah’s old age. So at first he said to God, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” God wouldn’t allow a slave to receive the inheritance. Abraham’s own SON had to. Even though the slave Eliezer may have been able to enjoy Abraham’s food and clothing - he would not be able to enjoy the inheritance. He would die a servant - with nothing of what Abraham had - and he had a lot!
What’s the point? Even though unbelievers may be able to enjoy the fruits of living “good” lives - by not going to prison and having job raises and receiving temporal benefits, they will not be able to take any of their fruits with them. Even if these people looked very impressive and appeared to be good workers for their church or their mosque - they will inherit nothing on Judgment Day except a nice fiery corner of hell. Why? Because Romans 4 says, It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. Jesus said that “no one comes to the Father except through ME.” Being a “son” makes all the difference in the world!
Therefore, Paul says another blessing of Christmas is the fact that since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Right now you have an eternal inheritance in your hands. Through faith in Christ you are going to live forever. Your soul will never die, your body will live again. Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:20 All things are yours, 22 whether . . . the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. You already own the world - because God uses all things to your good! And not only is this so, but God says you will inherit a special place to live in heaven as well. What a blessing!
Isn’t it sad then, that so many of us as Christians are not completely joyful? Some kids were probably sad that they didn’t get a gift they wanted for Christmas. Some adults may have been sad that they couldn’t see their grandchildren for Christmas. We mope around as if God had taken the oxygen from the air and the hope from faith. We talk as if our true time of happiness is off in the future when “our ship comes in.” We complain that our Father has deprived us of life’s greatest riches and left us to starve, when it reality He has given us all things - even His own Son and his Holy Spirit.
Remember Paul’s words to you this morning! Open your ears and eyes to the wonderful gifts around you. You are not a slave - not a slave of greed, a slave of sex, a slave of the law, a slave of anything. Jesus’ blood has changed your status to a son. The Father has lavished all righteousness and holiness upon you. He has given you His Holy Spirit which cries from within you - and recognizes that the Father is not a blood thirsty evil tyrant, but a loving and kind Father who wants nothing but the best for you! How do we know this? Because that’s what the Gospel promises. God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law.
When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son. When Jesus came the first time, amazing things happened! We were set free from sin! We were given eternal life. Now the clock has been set again - and it’s counting down for Jesus’ second coming. But it’s not full yet. God is still waiting for more martyrs to sacrifice their lives (Rev. 6:10), more people to be brought to faith (Romans 11:25). When this time fully comes, you can look forward to greater things! Complete freedom from sin, Satan, and the world! A rich inheritance of eternal joy in heaven! Things that are impossible to describe with words! All “when the fullness of time has come!” Amen.
