God’s Greatest Gift to Us

God’s Greatest Gift to Us (Galatians 4:4-7)

Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

When a mule's mind has been made, it takes a whole lot of persuading to get him to "unmake" it. A farmer had a mule he owned for many years. Over that time, he picked up on the mule's stubborn streaks. He got so good, he could see a stubborn streak coming and going. He also learned how to get the animal's attention. Whenever it acted up, he beat it on the head with a wooden board until it decided to obey him. One day, another farmer stopped by to return some borrowed tools. He watched the farmer hit his mule on the head and said, "Well, it looks like you've figured out how to fix his problem." The farmer said, "I just know how to get his attention. He hasn't been cured yet."

When God wanted to get the world's attention, He didn't beat us over the head with a board. He gave us His law so we would know that we were sinners who fell short of perfection (Galatians 3:24-25). The law showed us that our hatred was murder and our covetousness was idolatry, etc. It got our attention in a way nothing else ever could.

God is also merciful. Not only did He get our attention, but He also provided a cure for our problem. Paul wrote that God sent Jesus "to redeem them that were under the law". He was talking about each one of us. By ourselves, we could not be restored to a relationship with Him. But God wanted us to be freed from sin and to live in harmony with Him. So He sent Jesus "that we might receive the adoption as sons".

The fullness of time is the time that God appointed (Galatians 4:2). This was all according to God's timing “Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will...” (Ephesians 1:11). Just as the human father selected a date at which his son would receive the full rights of sonship, our Heavenly Father determined a time when the world would pass from its childhood under the law to sonship under grace.

God sent Jesus so, through faith in Him, we can receive all the rights and privileges of fully-grown children. Jesus came at just the right time to transform our relationship with God. Because we are God’s sons, or children, He “sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father”. Abba is an informal and affectionate Aramaic term for “father”. It indicates intimacy as opposed to legalism or formality. Today, it would be referred to as “daddy” or “poppa”. In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin or any religion; we are God’s children and, therefore, His heirs.

The picture of adoption is a beautiful picture of what God does for the Christian. In the ancient world, the family was based on a Roman law called "patria potestas", the father's power. The law gave the father absolute authority over his children so long as the father lived. Adoption was a serious matter. Yet, it was a common practice to ensure that a family would not become extinct by having no male children. And when a child was adopted, three legal steps were taken.
1. The adopted son was adopted permanently. He could not be adopted today and disinherited tomorrow. He became a son of the father, forever. He was eternally secure as a son.
2. The adopted son immediately had all the rights of a legitimate son in the new family.
3. The adopted son completely lost all rights in his old family. The adopted son was looked upon as a new person, so new that old debts and obligations connected with his former family were cancelled out and abolished, as if they never existed.

He sent His Son to die and shed His blood to pay for all of our sins so we could go to Heaven. Once we get saved, God starts to work in our lives to help us be like Christ. God loves you and wants a personal relationship with you. He wants you to be part of His family. It is His gift and it is available to each of us. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Saviour, that person is adopted into the family of God. The implications of this new sonship include eternal life and cleansing from all sins. If the believer needs further assurance, God has provided it in His Word. There’s no doubt about it, Christian. When you put your trust in Christ, you’re in the family — for good. Don’t second-guess it. Don’t doubt it. Just live like it. Today. Has God been trying to get your attention lately? Maybe you heard a preacher give an invitation to put your trust in Christ. You were convicted about your sins, but you never accepted Christ as your Saviour. Get the matter settled today, once and for all. God doesn't try to get your attention to hurt you, but to get you to try His cure. Won't you trust in Christ right now?

Prayer, Father, thank You for sending Jesus. Thank You that I could be adopted into Your family. Thank you for being my Father. In His name. Amen.

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