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Sunnyside Baptist Church Study in Galatians Josiah DeForest
We'll be in Galatians chapter 3 starting out, reading through the first couple verses of chapter 4. What is the Christian's relationship with God? Is it a distant one where the believer hopes the man upstairs hears him and notices him?
Is it one that is dependent on some other human priest praying for the believer? Or is it something more? The text for tonight answers the question, God speaks on the matter. What type of relationship do born again believers have with the Lord?
And this text also reveals how this relationship is possible. For we know that the word teaches us that fallen man is estranged from God at spiritual war against him. And so how are we reconciled to him?
By the grace of God there is a way to be reconciled, to be redeemed and forgiven, to be saved. And to gain a new identity and a new relationship with God. One that is better than our first relationship.
And so what is the Christian's relationship with God? By faith in Christ we are sons of God. Sons of God. So the text for tonight is Galatians 3 starting in verse chapter 6 going through chapter 4 verse 7.
So let's read the word together. Chapter 3 verse 26. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek.
There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Now I say that the heir as long as he is a child does not differ at all from a slave.
Though he is master of all. But is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman.
Born under the law to redeem those under the law. That we might receive the adoption as sons. 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. This is God's word. Let's go ahead and pray. Father we thank you for tonight. Once more we thank you for this day Lord to reflect on you to hear from your word.
I thank you for this body of believers Lord. And we thank you for the grace that you have shown us. And we pray that you would continue to help us and to guide us Lord in this coming week. And it's in Christ's name we pray.
Amen. So we know from Galatians that Paul has been contending for the true gospel in this letter. He's been contending for the gospel fighting against the false ideas and the lies brought in by the Judaizers.
Jews who came in and taught that one was right with God through faith and works. The false teachers it was Jesus plus law plus your works made you right saved you in the end. Adding another element to God's gospel of grace twisted it into something else entirely.
A lie a dangerous lie that kept people from the truth kept people from the light. Kept people in darkness. And the apostle knows what is at stake and enters into this fight to defend his gospel. The true and only gospel and to help the believers at Galatia know.
That their relationship with God is not dependent on their works or efforts to follow the law. But as Paul wrote earlier a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. In chapter 3 Paul has just gone through in the in the previous verses.
His examination of the law how God has designed it and its intended use in salvation. In the previous verses the apostle has described how the law confines all under sin. And how it serves as a tutor to lead sinners to Christ showing them their need for a Savior.
And once the sinner has come to Christ they are no longer under a tutor. And we know that this tutor was an image of a household slave that would take. Pretty much guardianship over the family child and watch over him protect him guide him.
Until that child reached maturity and reached a new level of freedom and a new identity in that household. So the apostle knows that the Galatians are tempted to go back to the law back to the tutor. They've been falsely instructed that the tutor was still a necessary part for their justification.
That it was needed to have right relationship with God. Verse 26 Paul now continues to utilize this imagery of sons coming to maturity. And he sprinkles it throughout the text. He writes in verse 26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
The Galatians have a newfound liberty freedom and identity in Christ through faith in him. And what is this liberty and identity? It's being sons of God and having freedom from bondage under the old tutor the law.
An identity of a son an heir. And how is this status possible? How is this new relationship with God made possible? It's plainly stated by the apostle through faith in Jesus Christ. He's basically been saying you Galatians don't have right relationship with God because of your following the law.
You don't have right relationship with God because of your works. But on faith alone through Christ alone. You have a glorious identity of sonship in Jesus Christ through faith. And Paul continues in verse 27 for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Those who have faith in Christ have been baptized into him. That is baptized by the Spirit experiencing real salvation. I don't think this is referring to water baptism but rather the internal baptism that happens at conversion.
Being crucified with Christ and being raised spiritually to new life in him. And of course Paul wrote earlier his letter I have been crucified with Christ is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. The old is done away with and there is now a new life in Christ a new identity by faith for the Galatians.
And those who have been saved who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. That is the Galatians are clothed with Christ no longer wearing dirty rags of their own works but clean robes of Christ's righteousness.
Verse 28 there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Having put on Christ the Galatians now have union with Christ and therefore union with each other.
I remember an old quote by A .W. Tozer and he was talking about the union that Christians have with one another. And he likened it to a bunch of grand pianos. If you were to tune each piano to each other they would never be in tune with each other.
But if you had a tuning fork and if they were all tuned to that one fork they'd all be in unison. And that was a great picture that helps us realize and a bit more clearly understand that in Christ we have union with him and therefore union with each other.
So and thinking about this idea of no longer Jew nor Greek having put on Christ the Galatians have union with him and union with each other. And Paul is saying with regards to salvation with regards to unity in Christ there are no outward distinctions that gain any extra merit or make any difference.
No distinctions of race or social status or gender determine any superiority with regards to salvation in Christ. And this type of mindset was a mindset that was coming into the church of Galatia of relying on outward distinctions that help your relationship with God.
That's what Paul is contending against here. For the false teachers had come in and said that one needed to follow the law in order to be right with God. One had to be circumcised and the troublers compelled Gentile believers to live as Jews.
They said that your relationship and identity with God was dependent on following the law. And outward distinctions your efforts made a difference. That's what the false teachers said. And so Paul speaks on this truth that in Christ there are no outward distinctions that assist one's relationship with God.
And of course Paul is not saying that those outward distinctions are completely done away with. That there's no longer Jew or Greek. Yes there are Christians who are still Jew and Greek, male and female, slave and free.
And he often described himself as a preacher to the Gentiles bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. And so he by no means says that these outward distinctions are done away with. And the Bible does tell us and preach to us about the diversity in the body of Christ.
Which is a glorious thing because Christ goes out, he builds his church through the gospel spreading throughout all the world. And he brings in many different people from different tongues and tribes and backgrounds and different walks of life.
And that diversity is a glorious thing because we see how the gospel is transcendent above all this stuff. But in regards to salvation in Jesus Christ it's we're all sinners and through faith in him we are saved.
And there are no outward distinctions that help in this matter of salvation. These outward distinctions are not a part of the Galatians identity in Christ. Verse 29, and if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.
If the Galatians were Christ's then this makes them Abraham's seed for they are in the seed who is Jesus. And Paul identifies Jesus as such earlier. He said and he said now to Abraham and his seed capital S where the promise is made.
He does not say and to seeds as of many but as of one and to your seed who is Christ. And the believers at Galatia being united to the seed are heirs according to the promise. The promise made to Abraham that God would bless the nations through Abraham and through his descendant through Christ.
It's not through the law the old tutor that the Galatians are Abraham's seed or heirs to the promise. Outward distinctions do not in any way benefit them in their identity with God. It's not through circumcision or any other work that they are sons of God.
It is you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Now let's examine the first three verses of chapter four. Now I say that the heir as long as he is a child does not differ at all from a slave.
Though he is master of all but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world. So Paul uses this picture of again of a child who is immature under the care and direction of slaves.
He shows that the child at this moment being cared for under tutors and guardians and stewards. At this moment in time is no better than another slave. The child does not exercise any freedom of his own but there comes a day where that will change.
Where the child will come of age and step into newfound freedom and identity. And that's the day appointed by the father. Verses four and five of chapter four says,. But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth his spirit born of a woman born under the law.
To redeem those under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. So we see that in his sovereignty the heavenly father appointed a day where the son comes. Where he sends the son and the advent of Christ is the advent of spiritual freedom for those he will save.
Here is the incarnation the son being with the father in eternity past comes in human flesh. Who is truly God but yet he is born of a woman. A woman who is a fallen human woman as a sinner is just like you and I.
Christ came to our level truly for he was truly man. Being born of a woman and also being born under the law. Being truly man Christ was underneath the laws requirements and direction. But the difference with Jesus was unlike every other human that has ever lived throughout all of time.
Jesus kept the commandments. He loved God above all else. He loved his neighbor rightly. And he did all of this perfectly and completely. And every private thought he had and every public action he did.
He did all of this and he kept the law completely and perfectly. Christ was sinless. He was born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. And this is incredible because when we start to think about this we see in this particular text the need for the incarnation.
For Christ to come to our level to be underneath the law so that he might redeem us out from under the law. And it's a glorious thing. He had to be fully man so he could take upon himself the penalty of sin as substitute for man.
I really appreciate a quote by John MacArthur. He says, Jesus had to be fully God for his sacrifice to be of the infinite worth needed to atone for sin. But he also had to be fully man so he could take upon himself the penalty of sin as the substitute for man.
What a glorious God we serve and what glorious mystery there is in the incarnation. And glorious mysteries and stuff we can somewhat ponder and think about and work through theologically. But there are some things we just can't fully understand.
And what glorious mystery there is in the God we serve and the God who has saved us. Who became truly man for us. I think about an old joke. What was it like to be in the household of Joseph and Mary and Jesus and his other brothers?
And when his other brothers would get into trouble, his parents would ask, why can't you be more like Jesus? Well, there's somewhat of a difference there. But he was truly man, yet sinless. Christ is the one who redeems sinners so that we might receive the adoptions as sons.
There are ultimately two sides in life, ultimately two families. The family of Adam which is fallen and sinful and deserving of condemnation. And the family of God. And it's Christ who brings us out of our original family and adopts us into the family of God.
And this is through faith in Christ who redeems us. Who buys us up with his blood so that we are adopted. So that we are now sons of God through faith in Christ. Verse 6 of chapter 4, take a look. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out, Abba, Father.
Because of the supernatural adoption in Christ, God sends forth his Holy Spirit into the very hearts of believers. The spirit, the great helper who is the seal of our new life. Who confirms our adoption within us by conforming believers to see and to recognize God as our Heavenly Father.
What does the word Abba mean? What does it signify? It's an Aramaic word that means father. And conveys the idea of a young child's intimately and instinctively recognizing his own father. So if you were to take that child and place him between two adults, one is the father, one is not.
The child is going to instinctively know, that's Papa. The Aramaic language was known and used by the Jews during those days. And this word was used by Christ himself even when speaking with the father in the garden on the night of his betrayal.
And absolutely this was right and proper for our Lord, for he was the son to refer to the father this way. To call God, Abba, Father during that night of prayer. And now through Christ and due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, believers can call God, Father.
And the Jews with their Aramaic language can use the word Abba to call God, Father. And Paul then translates this word into the Greek. He goes from the Aramaic into the Greek, Abba, Father. And this shows us a unity with both the Jews and the Gentiles.
In that they both come to God. They have gone through the same Christ. They've been redeemed by the same Christ. They have the same spirit within them. So that they both might use different words, but in their hearts they cry out to the father.
And they recognize him as Father. And again, this is because they have unity in Christ. They are in the same Christ, the true and only Christ. And they have the same spirit. Their racial difference did not matter.
It does not gain either party any merit with salvation in Jesus. And now verse 7, the last verse we'll look at tonight. Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
No longer are the Galatians slaves under the law, for they have a new relationship and identity in Christ. They are sons and heirs through Christ. And this is all true through God, through his son, and through the spirit.
The Galatians had gone from being children under the direction of slaves to being children who had stepped into their heritage. They had grown up into Jesus Christ and the liberty he provides. So this text demonstrates that the believer's identity with God as sons of God is in Jesus Christ alone, and it's by faith alone.
It's in no one else and by no other means. This was true for the Galatians, and it's true for us today. Our old identity of being sinners condemned under law, unable to meet its requirements, is done away with.
Our old identity dies in Christ. And then comes the new life, the new identity, which is sons of God. And this new identity is in Christ. It's not dependent on our works, for by grace we have been saved.
We have no hope whatsoever to keep the law ourselves, and our race, our social status, whether we are male or female, does not contribute to our salvation. These are not a part of our identity in Christ.
Rather, our identity and our very relationship with God is being sons of God. And again, this is possible because we have union with Christ. We are one in him, and through him we become sons and heirs, for he is the Son.
We have put on Christ his righteousness, and God sees us as such. We are reconciled to the Heavenly Father, for the Son has opened the way, for he is the way, the truth and the life. And it's a glorious thing to consider the priestly difference between Christ, how he operates as our priest, and the priests of old, the priests who were in the Israelite nation, who would go into the Holy of Holies once every year, who would intercede for the people, but no one else could go into the Holy of Holies, otherwise they'd be struck dead.
But now in Christ, a more supreme and sovereign high priest, the great high priest, through him we have access to the Father. We have a direct access. We can pray to him, we can talk to him, we can ask of him, we can speak with him wherever we are and in whatever state we're in, because we're his sons, and through Christ we have access to him, a new relationship with him.
What a blessed thought, what a blessed reality, that through the Son, our great high priest, we have access to the Father. Therefore, knowing that our new identity is in Christ by faith, we must continue to rely on him alone, and on no one else and nothing else.
We must not allow any idea to convince us that something else is required for our spiritual justification and adoption. Paul said elsewhere, and bear with me one moment. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ, yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
And we take this truth that we are sons of God through faith in Christ. It's not dependent on our works or our efforts. We apply that to our life now as believers in our walk of faith. If we have a really bad week and we've messed up big time, that doesn't change our relationship with God.
We're still his son and he's still our father because it's dependent on Jesus Christ who never changes. So even though we might fail, even though we might not follow God's will, we're still his son and he'll still lead us and take care of us.
So, by faith in Christ we are sons of God, having a new identity in him and having a new relationship with God, by him and only him through faith. Any thoughts on the text tonight or any thoughts on Galatians?
Thank you, Dwight.
The Lord is good and his word is powerful. Ken, do you want to close us out?
