How We Become Children Of God.

How To Become A Child Of God
(Gal. 4:4-7)

Today we will look at an aspect of salvation maybe we don’t give much thought to at all and that is adoption. There are many different aspects to our salvation in Christ but let us consider our “adoption as sons”. This word adoption gives us a wonderful understanding of our position we now have in Christ. It should make us aware of our relationship we now have with Father God. Let’s explore our relationship with God by understanding what “adoption” means and how it applies to us.
I. Adoption in Paul’s time (Eph. 1:5 – “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will”).
First thing we want to do is have a good understanding of what adoption was in Paul’s day and age. Adoption in the time of Paul was known by the standards of Roman law and as we look at adoption in the natural we will see some analogies in the supernatural. Adoption was the legal action by which a person takes into his family a child not his own with the purpose of treating him as and giving him all the privileges of his own natural child. An adopted child was legally entitled to all rights and privileges of a natural-born child. An adopted child could not be disinherited by the adopting parents. According to the Roman legal system the person who was adopted into a family gained all the legal rights of a legitimate son in the new family, but he lost all the rights, privileges and responsibilities in his old family. By becoming a member of the new family he gained all the rights of his new father’s estate. He was now an equal with the other sons and daughters in his new family. He was a co-heir with them according to the law. He was regarded as a new person who had a new life in a new family. Another wonderful thing about the Roman law was that the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out. All of his debts were cancelled. His past now had nothing to do with him. He was in a new relationship with a new family. I don’t know about you but reading about the adopted child gave me some fresh insight onto the truth of our relationship with God and it blessed my soul. Adoption is a beautiful analogy of God’s amazing sacrifice to save a lost and dying, sinful people and save them and by the process of salvation make them His own children with the rights and privileges that belong to those who are His children. We need to see what great lengths He did to make us, who have been saved through faith in Christ, into children of God.
II. Christ is our means of adoption (Gal.4:4-5 – “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”)
The Bible is very blunt about the relationship of mankind to God. According to Scripture we are mere creations of God and because of our sinful depravity of our souls we are seen as enemies of God. It says in Rom. 8:7, “…the carnal (sinful) mind is enmity (hostile enemy) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” and Col. 1:21, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…”, our sinful nature was at war against the holiness of God. So then we can see we were the sinful, hostile enemies of God not desiring to seek the things of God but our minds set on sinful living and pleasures of the flesh (Rom. 3:10-12, “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”). But in spite of our First Parents fall and the sinful condition of our souls, God provided a way of salvation through Jesus Christ. Verses 4 and 5 tells us that in God’s perfect timing and perfect will sent His Son to redeem us from the curse of sin and bring us into right relationship through Christ. God foreordained the plan of salvation in Jesus knowing full well that mankind would become sinful and fallen even before the world was created but Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, willingly purposed to become our one and only sacrifice for sin by His suffering and death on the cross. We can even see that in Rev. 13:8 where it calls Jesus the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. We have now in Christ have become the sons and daughters of God. We are now in a special relationship as the family of God through adoption. But we are only recognized as being His children through Christ and by nothing else (Gal. 3:26 – “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”).
III. Privileges and responsibilities of adoption (Gal. 4:6-7, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”)
Our new relationship of being a child of God allows us to cry out to God as Father, the particular term Paul uses here is Abba, and this is a term of endearment. I never called my father, ‘father’, I called him dad. Abba is like saying daddy, it shows a close personal relationship with your Father. What a privilege it is to call out to God and call Him “Daddy”. Because of our position in Christ, we are accepted, we are heard and we are recognized as His children. We have become heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus (Rom. 8:17). The rights and privileges in being a son and daughter of God are awesome. As I mentioned before, an adopted child did not have to worry about being disinherited they would always be that persons son or daughter. For the Christian once we are saved, adopted into the family of God, we are always saved, forever a child of God. If we are adopted, we are adopted for ever. If we are saved, we are saved for ever. If you are really saved, you are saved eternally. Our salvation and our adoption as the children of God is eternal and no one can break the bonds of adoption. So we belong to the family of God, and we are raised to the status of an heir of a son. No longer fearful of being lost in sin ever again and forever assured of our eternal salvation in Christ because we are forever accepted as a son or daughter of God. Another blessing of adoption was that upon being accepted into the new family that the adoptee was considered a new person with a new life and all that was in the old family was forgotten and gone. Any debt was forgiven and any part of their old life erased because of their acceptance into the new adoptive family, the adoptee’s identity was now with their new family and the old family ties were completely cut off. We when receive Jesus by faith as Lord and Savior, we become a new creation in Christ Jesus and our old life is forgiven and forgotten by the power of God (2 Co. 5:17 -Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.) I am also glad that all my sin debt was forgiven, the penalty that I had incurred was what I deserved, but Jesus Christ took the penalty for me and by His sacrifice paid the price (Col. 2:13-14 - And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross .). The great love and grace God has shown us through our Lord Jesus, our adoption made possible only through the Son. Because we are accepted as children by that heavenly adoption in Christ we have these great privileges and rights because they are ours by our Father’s will. But we must be led by the Spirit of God because we are the sons of God. We have a responsibility to show the world around us we are his children. Being led by the Spirit means we are obedient and willing children. We are to be obedient to His Word and living out the Word and His Will in our lives.
If we are thankful for our salvation and grateful for the acceptance as sons and daughters of God then we will represent our Father and show that we are truly His Children.

Sermons from Galatians: God's Purpose for the Law (Galatians 3:15-29

God’s Purpose of the Law

(Galatians 3:15-29)

6/28/09

The study of Galatians has brought us to the understanding that salvation is God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That no works of man (religious or morally good actions) can save us, it is only by the Person and work of Christ. With all of this truth given to us here in Galatians we come to the question, “What was and is the purpose of the Law (commandments of God) given to Moses, if the Law does not save then what is it’s intent?” Today we will see the purpose of the Law in view of the grace of God.

I. The Law is Inferior (vv. 15-18)

A. It is inferior to the Covenant made to Abraham (v.15)- The Law is inferior to the Promise of Abraham because even though the law was given it did not change or do away with the promise of salvation in Christ made to Abraham (“in your Seed shall all nations be blessed”, see v. 16). This promise to Abraham was unconditionally initiated and established by God alone. That means it was done not on the basis of what Abraham could do or was, it was solely based on the unconditional grace of God. God’s basis for this covenant with Abraham was that God wanted to do it. There were no conditions to the promise made to Abraham. God called out Abraham and made the covenant promise to him and Abraham responded to God’s Promise by faith. In Genesis 15, we see that in verses 1-7 that Abraham asked God in light of the promise made to him “who shall be my seed come through since I am childless, my only heir is Eliezer, who was born in my household but he is not my offspring [my paraphrase]?” and God told Abraham to look at the stars in the night sky and told him “just as innumerable as the stars, so will be your descendants”. And Abraham believed God (put his faith in God). But Abraham then asked God, “And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8) and God sealed the covenant with Abraham by performing a ceremony that was common at that time in that Far East culture. Abraham received instructions from God to take a heifer, a she goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon, to cut them in half and lay the halves opposite of each other having a path in between the halves. Gen. 15:12-17 then tells us that God caused a great sleep to fall upon Abraham and then it describes that God symbolically walked between the pieces as a “smoking furnace and a flaming torch”. The practice ordinarily required both parties to walk between the pieces to signify a covenant between them but only God sealed this covenant. Only God walked through there which meant although Abram and his descendants would receive the promise made by God, that the obligation to fulfill the promise was upon God Himself. The blessing of the Promise would be unconditional upon the recipients. So the eternal promise of that promised Seed is Christ and the salvation of Christ (the New Covenant) is an unconditional, free gift of God’s grace that is in no way dependent upon us (Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”). God initiated and instituted that promised New Covenant of Christ and it is unchangeable and permanent. The Law in no way set aside or amended that promise (Abrahamic), and the obligation to fulfilling that covenant was on God alone so that means it could not fail and would be fulfilled. The Fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant was the New Covenant in Christ.

B. It is inferior because the Abrahamic Covenant was based on the fulfillment of that promise, Jesus Christ (vv.16-17)- because it is based on the supreme New Covenant of Jesus Christ, the law cannot modify it or change that fact that all are forgiven only through the offering of Jesus Christ on the cross. The covenant with Abraham looked to it’s fulfillment in the New Covenant in Christ. Salvation comes from the finished work of Christ on the cross and not of any religious rituals or good works. The eternal work of Christ for salvation is a timeless act and it saves regardless of those before Christ or after Christ

C. It is inferior because the Abrahamic Covenant depends on the power of God and not man’s performance (v. 18) - if we compare the Law with the Promise we see that it is all dependent on God. The inheritance of the Promise is not based on our performance or keeping the Law but it is based on the powerful grace of God. We are saved and eternally secure in our salvation because it is based on God’s power and not our inability to keep the moral law of God. Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf (Matt. 5:17-18, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."). It was all fulfilled in the sinless life of Christ.

II. The Purpose and Accomplishment of the Law (vv.19-25)

If we have over and over again been told here in Galatians that salvation has always been about faith and not of works and the covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in Christ, then why do we have the Law, just what purpose does it serve? Paul says here in verse 19 that the Law was added because of “transgressions”. The Law was given to show mankind their sinfulness. It was given to show us our inability to keep the moral demands of God. It was given to show that we are in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace. It was given to show us we are unable to please God by our own works and in desperate need of a Savior. In v.24, which we will discuss more here in a minute, it tells us that the law was our “…schoolmaster (tutor) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”. The Law helped to us to realize that it is impossible for us to meet the moral demands of God. The standards that God demands to be in His presence or to enter His Heaven cannot be possible for us because we are utterly sinful. The impossibility of keeping the Law shows us that we are under God’s divine judgment because He holds us accountable for our sinful acts. The law convicts us of our sinfulness and drives us toward the mercy and forgiveness of God. The Law was not wrong but it is inferior (Rom. 7:12- “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good”), it cannot save but it leads us to God’s grace. It was not possible for the Law to save, v.21 says, “if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law”. The Bible says that we are unrighteous (Rom. 3:10- “there is none righteous”) and “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) and the only thing the law does is to condemn our actions. How can we not know our need for salvation in we don’t know we’re sinful. The law was not to do away with the promise but to only reinforce just how desperately we need Jesus. If the Law could save us then the death of Jesus Christ would have been needless (Gal. 2:21- “…if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”). The ultimate purpose of the law is summed up perfectly in v.22, “the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” And in verse 23, it says that we “we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.” These terms ‘confined’ and ‘guard’ are used for those who are in prison. The Law revealed that our sins condemned us in the eyes of God and basically that we are on death row awaiting our day of execution. The high, unattainable moral standards of God condemned me and showed me I needed Christ as my Savior and that word of God’s law convicted me with guilt of my sin. It caused me great discomfort and sorrow and pain but it brought me to a place of surrendering my life to Christ. God has made our bodies to let us know when something is wrong with us, a pain, a fever, or other discomfort let’s us know when something is wrong and in need of medical attention. If we ignore the symptoms, then we will pay the consequences such as permanent damage or even death. The pain is to warn and protect, so is the moral law of the Word of God, it shows us our spiritual infirmities and warns us of danger, but if ignored it will result in serious eternal consequences. The consequence of ignoring the warning of our spiritual condition is spiritual death (Ezek. 18:20- “The soul that sins, it shall die"; Rom. 6:23- “For the wages of sin is death”). But to let the Law be our schoolmaster or tutor to teach us our condition without Christ and guide us to Christ. In the ceremonial laws (specifically the sacrifices), was the picture and symbol of that perfect sacrifice and sinless offering of Christ. The Law always showed us our sins but graciously pointed to our only Savior, Jesus Christ. We cannot know the depths of the mercy and love of God if we are not shown the depth of our sinful depravity.

III. Freedom and Salvation in Christ (vv. 25-29)

Romans 6:14- “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” The ceremonial system of the law only symbolized what Christ has done for us on the cross. When we by faith received Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were no longer under the bondage and judgment of the law because of sin. We are free from sin and the judgment of sin because of the finished work of Christ. Because Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law on our behalf, we can by Christ now become the sons and daughters of God, baptized into His Body, and then we are the true, spiritual seed of Abraham.