Joel M Bradshaw

1I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.–Galatians 4

I recommend you view this text from the lens of the 1st century Roman world. Families consisted of parents, children, and slaves. Slaves would often serve in advisory and training roles for the children until the father of the household took over their training. So the child was not a slave, but was also not technically in control over his slave teacher. When a child’s ‘fullness of time’ had come, he came alongside his father and prepared to lead the family.

Each one of us used to be enslaved to other things. We marched to the drumbeat set by the world. Culture and popularity determined many of our motivations. We were each on the path of self. We were enslaved by our passions and desires. We on our own had no answer, no hope. We were each stuck on our selfish paths with no exit ramp.

But when the Father set the time, he sent the Son. In Jesus we slaves are redeemed from our slavery to ourselves. And when we trust in the person and work of Jesus alone for salvation we are saved by that faith. This faith is a gift of grace. God made it possible. You were not leaving your selfish path on your own. I certainly wasn’t leaving the ‘Joel’ path and trodding the ‘Jesus’ path unless God made it possible to do so and brought me to Him.

One of the great hopes of the slave in Paul’s day was adoption. Roman fathers could adopt the slave and therefore make him an official son with all the rights and blessings therein. Caesars had even adopted sons to make them official heirs. This is what happened to you, Christian.

God not only freed you from your slavery to sin but adopted you into his family. Therefore, you are not just a son or daughter but also an heir. A Gentile sinner like me who had no business claiming anything of God is now a precious member of God’s family. I am a son and an heir with the greatest of eternal inheritance hopes!

To bring this back to the main point of Galatians, this is all the work of God and not of man. The same Holy Spirit who drew me off of the Joel path and onto the Jesus path now shouts in my very soul the great reminder that I can call God “Father.” I am reminded in my darkest hours that I was intentionally chosen to be adopted by God into his family. I am loved and have hope that will not disappoint. I was the slave that received greatest of possible news. I was freed and adopted. My friend, Jesus is your only hope.–JMB