Galatians 4:7

Galatians 4:7

Thoughts from Josh Talbot

Dive Deeper

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“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Galatians 4:7

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Today’s verse and the preceding passage allude to our adoption into the family of Christ. Before we say yes to Jesus, we are slaves to our sin. As humans, it impossible for us to achieve God’s standard of righteousness that would allow us to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Because of the choice that Adam and Eve made in the garden of Eden, our sinful selves are precluded from entering the gates of heaven. That sounds pretty dismal doesn’t it?

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The first passage in Galatians 4, Paul compares sons set to inherit their family’s fortune to slaves. Before the son was of age, he was constrained by the rules and regulations set by his parents and church leaders. He was required to follow and obey the instructions set before him. However, different from the slaves, when the son was of age, he was set to inherit his family’s wealth and became responsible for carrying on the family name.

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This pattern of passing on the family inheritance is still (generally) practiced today. Through the establishment of wills, many children are set to inherit the wealth (however large or small this may be) of their seniors when they pass. In addition, we are often given a surname that is carried down through generations.

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Adoption is the act of welcoming someone who is not biologically your son or daughter into the fold of your family unit. I have many friends and family members who have either been adopted or chosen to adopt. What has been heart-warming to me in watching my loved ones walk this journey, has been seeing how unconditional the love is for these children who did not come from their flesh and blood.

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My uncle was adopted as an infant, and I did not know he was adopted until later in my life when my mom told me. My grandparents loved and treated him the same way they loved and treated my mother, who was biologically theirs. My uncle was in their will and received an equal portion of the family inheritance when my grandparents passed. His roots were irrelevant to his claim on the family inheritance – the day my grandparents brought him home he became their son and in their eyes, NOTHING would change his new identity.

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I have observed the same in other family and friends’ adoption stories. Every one of them fiercely loves their adopted son or daughter as if he/she was from their own flesh and blood. Each of them has a seat at the family table and each of them bears the family name. And do you know what? Their stories are not so different from yours and mine – because when we say “Yes” to Jesus, we all have an adoption story to share.

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As we see in Galatians 4:7, through Christ Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God – heirs to a heavenly and eternal legacy. It doesn’t matter what our past is like or where we come from; it doesn’t matter how badly we sinned or how far we ran from God; He has prepared a seat at the family table and yearns for us to join Him for the feast.

Slide

Although our sinful natures have precluded us from entering the gates and taking our seat at the table, God made a way. “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.” (Galatians 4:4-5) Jesus Christ came to earth as a sinless and perfect sacrifice, to pave a way for our adoption into the family of God. When we acknowledge this sacrifice, we put our old, sinful selves aside and step into a new identity – that of a sanctified son or daughter of the Most High King!

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The next step in the adoption process is believing and embracing your new identity given to us by Christ. YOU are an heir to the heavenly inheritance. YOU are the child of a King. YOU are redeemed, restored, and set apart from the sins of the world. And YOU are called to pass on the family legacy!

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This gift of adoption into the heavenly family is extended to all who believe and trust in the Lord. In the same way that Christ welcomed us with open arms, let’s invite our brothers and sisters into this unconditionally loving, life-giving, eternal family.

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Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the gift of adoption into your family. Thank you for providing a way for me to become part of the most loving, caring, and steadfast family I will ever know. It is an honor to be your heir and I pray that you would help me exemplify the family legacy today and every day.

I love you Father,

Amen

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“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” 

Galatians 4:7

Behind the Scenes

Today’s verse and the preceding passage allude to our adoption into the family of Christ. Before we say yes to Jesus, we are slaves to our sin. As humans, it impossible for us to achieve God’s standard of righteousness that would allow us to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Because of the choice that Adam and Eve made in the garden of Eden, our sinful selves are precluded from entering the gates of heaven. That sounds pretty dismal doesn’t it?  

The first passage in Galatians 4, Paul compares sons set to inherit their family’s fortune to slaves. Before the son was of age, he was constrained by the rules and regulations set by his parents and church leaders. He was required to follow and obey the instructions set before him. However, different from the slaves, when the son was of age, he was set to inherit his family’s wealth and became responsible for carrying on the family name.  

This pattern of passing on the family inheritance is still (generally) practiced today. Through the establishment of wills, many children are set to inherit the wealth (however large or small this may be) of their seniors when they pass. In addition, we are often given a surname that is carried down through generations.  

Adoption is the act of welcoming someone who is not biologically your son or daughter into the fold of your family unit. I have many friends and family members who have either been adopted or chosen to adopt. What has been heart-warming to me in watching my loved ones walk this journey, has been seeing how unconditional the love is for these children who did not come from their flesh and blood. 

My uncle was adopted as an infant, and I did not know he was adopted until later in my life when my mom told me. My grandparents loved and treated him the same way they loved and treated my mother, who was biologically theirs. My uncle was in their will and received an equal portion of the family inheritance when my grandparents passed. His roots were irrelevant to his claim on the family inheritance – the day my grandparents brought him home he became their son and in their eyes, NOTHING would change his new identity.  

I have observed the same in other family and friends’ adoption stories. Every one of them fiercely loves their adopted son or daughter as if he/she was from their own flesh and blood. Each of them has a seat at the family table and each of them bears the family name. And do you know what? Their stories are not so different from yours and mine – because when we say “Yes” to Jesus, we all have an adoption story to share.  

Make it Real

As we see in Galatians 4:7, through Christ Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God – heirs to a heavenly and eternal legacy. It doesn’t matter what our past is like or where we come from; it doesn’t matter how badly we sinned or how far we ran from God; He has prepared a seat at the family table and yearns for us to join Him for the feast. 

Although our sinful natures have precluded us from entering the gates and taking our seat at the table, God made a way. “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.” (Galatians 4:4-5) Jesus Christ came to earth as a sinless and perfect sacrifice, to pave a way for our adoption into the family of God. When we acknowledge this sacrifice, we put our old, sinful selves aside and step into a new identity – that of a sanctified son or daughter of the Most High King!   

The next step in the adoption process is believing and embracing your new identity given to us by Christ. YOU are an heir to the heavenly inheritance. YOU are the child of a King. YOU are redeemed, restored, and set apart from the sins of the world. And YOU are called to pass on the family legacy!  

This gift of adoption into the heavenly family is extended to all who believe and trust in the Lord. In the same way that Christ welcomed us with open arms, let’s invite our brothers and sisters into this unconditionally loving, life-giving, eternal fam

Kristen Krimmel

Kristen Krimmel

ACF Devo Team

End in Prayer

Heavenly Father,  

Thank you for the gift of adoption into your family. Thank you for providing a way for me to become part of the most loving, caring, and steadfast family I will ever know. It is an honor to be your heir and I pray that you would help me exemplify the family legacy today and every day.  

I love you Father,  

Amen 

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