From Slave to Son

“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

(Galatians 4:1-7 ESV)

We live in a society where, we’re told, we can do anything we want to do. We live in a society where, we’re told, we can be anything we want to be. However, this is not typical.

In most of the world, status means everything. If you are of low social status, you aren’t likely to attain a high status. If you’re a person of high status, you will retain your status unless you do something to mess it up. And, no matter what we tell ourselves, this is also true, to an extent, right here in America.

The poor tend to remain poor. The rich tend to remain rich. Masters tend to remain masters, and slaves tend to remain slaves. And even though we do see some rare exceptions to this principle, it generally remains true.

Paul is using this reality in his discussion with the Galatians. Just as the Jews had lived under the guardianship of the law, just as their status was similar to that of a slave, although they owned everything, the situation of the Gentiles was similar. They were enslaved to the elementary principles, or to the elementary spirits, of the world.

What are these principles? Paul defines them in verses 9 & 10. They’re the observation of days and months and seasons and years. In other words, it’s the strict observance of festivals and sacrifices intending to, in this way, attain our salvation.

However, all of that changed with the coming of Jesus. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son. In other words, when God deemed the time right, he sent forth his Son. And he sent forth his Son to redeem those who were under the law.

Jesus was born into the world that he might redeem us, that he might deliver us, from the law. God sent Jesus that he might pay the price, securing our release from our bondage to the law. And he did so that we might receive adoption as sons.

What we were unable to do for ourselves, Jesus did on our behalf. While we were unable to change our status, while we were unable to secure our release, Jesus did everything necessary to make it possible. And he did so by his death on the cross.

For this reason, we are no longer slaves, but sons. And because we are sons, we receive the blessing given to sons. God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. In other words, we receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

And the Spirit of God, dwelling within us, cries out to God in an intimate way. It cries out to God as the source of all blessing. It cries out to God in acknowledgment of the fact that he is our provider in all things.

Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves. We are sons. And, because we are sons, we are heirs. We are inheritors of every blessing that God has to offer.