SONS & HEIRS Galatians 3:26-4:7

1. SONS & HEIRS Galatians 3:26-4:7 www.worshipharvest.org

2. Galatians 3:26-4:7 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

3. 1Now 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,2but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, bornof a woman, born under the law,…

4. …that we might receive the adoption as sons.6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir ofGod through Christ.

5. A CASE OF ADOPTION To appreciate the full significance of the apostle’s figures in Galatians 3 and 4 they must be viewed in the light of the law of adoption - and more particularly, the Greek law of adoption. At the same time it must be remembered that Paul also uses the term in Romans, so that we must also bear in mind the Roman law on the subject.

6. The adopted son became a member of the family, just as if he had been born of the blood of the adopter;and he was invested with all the privileges of the family. • The father in Roman law had absolute control over his family, possessing the same rights over his children as over his slaves. The son was deprived of the right to own property, and the father could inflict any punishment he thought fit, even to the extent of the death penalty. He could even sell his son into bondage.

7. 3. When the person to be adopted was his own master, he was adopted by the form called adrogation (from the latin word for ‘ask’, since in this case the adopter, the adopted, and the people were ‘asked’) 4. Adrogation brought the adrogatus (adopted one) out of his previous state and into a new father-son relationship within his adopting family. 5. The adrogatus and children in his power, if any, passed into the power of the adrogator (one adopting)

8. 6. All the debts of the adrogatus were cancelled, and in effect he started a new life. The adopted person did, though, lose all rights in his old family, but gained all the rights of a fully legitimate some in his new family.The adopted person did, though, lose all rights in his new family. http://www.bibleunderstanding.com/adoption.htm http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/murray-adoption.shtml

9. 1. By FAITH we enter into the lineage of Abraham and become heirs according to the promise! Promise = Heirs of the world. No matter what our race, tribe, sex, religious views, etc....once we are IN CHRIST we become ONE and heirs of the SAME promise.

10. “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, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.” Just as slaves in Roman times lived under fear of punishment, making them lowly in status and inferior- so we too lived in fear because of the LAW which was our slave driver which ruled us by fear of punishment if we broke the rules.

11. Ephesians 1:4-6 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

12. Romans 8:15-17 “You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs” The spirit of adoption is not one of fear! (1 John 4:18) The Spirit Himself is witness to the adoption process- irrefutably sealed!

13. Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, bornof a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. The Roman fathers could estrange their own biological sons, selling them and even issuing the death penalty- this would often trigger the adoption of a new son or slave to carry on the Fathers lineage/rule.

14. Galatians 4:6-7 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” The process of adoption was called Adrogation. It consisted of the verbal will of the Father and child being adopted -witnessed by the people.

15. Eph. 1:13,14 ‘In Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory’. ‘Redemption of the purchased possession’ was accomplished by the act of the heir ‘taking possession’. We too receive our inheritance by the act of taking possession by faith!

17. Rights of Adoption • Loose all rights to your old family, Gaining ALL rights as a legitimate son in new family with a new Father. • Become irrefutable heir of all of the Fathers belongings/estate • Old life is wiped out, all debts payed: regarded as a new person not linked with a past life. • Protection: God cannot do to us what He did to Jesus for our sake. Permanent sonship.

18. CONCLUSION: EMBRACE YOUR SONSHIP IN CHRIST!