From Bondage to Blessing!

 

 

TITLE: From Bondage to Blessing!

TEXT: Galatians 4:1--7

TONE: Encouragement

TARGET: Believers

TASK: To remind believers of their new identify and the blessing of calling on God as “Abba.”

TEACH: Imagine a caterpillar, inching along a branch, bound by its own limitations. It crawls slowly, constantly aware of its vulnerability to predators and environmental dangers. The caterpillar’s life is marked by a sense of bondage; it is confirmed to the earth, unable to soar through the sky or experience the beauty of life from above. Its world is small, limited by what it can see and where it can go.

 

But then, something remarkable begins to happen. The caterpillar instinctively knows that it’s time for a change. It climbs to a safe place, where it can start the process of transformation. It wraps itself in a cocoon, isolating itself from the outside world. This stage is crucial; it involves a struggle as the caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis. Inside the cocoon, its body breaks down and reorganizes, a painful but necessary process.

 

When the time is right, the cocoon cracks open. The caterpillar emerges, not as the same creature, but transformed into a beautiful butterfly. It spreads its wings and for the first time, it experiences the freedom of flight. No longer bound by the limitations of its former self. In a certainly more profound sense, we have been regenerated by the Spirit through the gospel and endowed with a divine nature, why would we ever go back?

 

TRUTH: In the preceding verses Paul’s point is that the law could never give a person God’s nature within. All it could do was reveal to the person his desperate need for God’s nature. So, when the believer goes back into the law, he is denying the very divine nature within, and he is giving the old nature (the flesh) opportunity to go to work.

 

We have several lessons to learn from this passage.

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Lesson One: Relates to…….

 

I.                             Sinful Man’s Past Position (vv.1-3)

Explanation: Here Paul provides an analogy of a man before salvation. The main point being that life under the law was mean to be a preparatory work for salvation in Christ. The illustration of a child coming of age was easily understood by both Jews and Gentile. They were all aware that as long as the heir was a child, he was under the conditions that did not differ at all from those of a slave.

 

As a matter of fact, families would assign certain capable and trusted slaves to act as guardians over the child until he was grown. During that time the child was subservient to them. But at the date set by the father, the child’s status changed radically. Paul does not specify what the elemental things of the world represent. Some believe that it refers to demon spirits who rule to present world system, still others believe it refers to human religion. Contextually, this interpretation seems appropriate.

 

In Colossians 2:8 Paul warns, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Here, it is clearly in reference to human tradition.

 

In similar way, so also we, while we were under the law as unbelieving children, were held in bondage to its requirements. This is who we were.

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Lesson Two: Speaks of…..

 

II.                         Holy God’s Providential Provision (vv.4-5)

Explanation: The Time- The fullness of time refers to the compilation of the period of preparation in God’s sovereign timetable of redemption. When the law had fully accomplished its purpose showing man his utter sinfulness and inability to live up to God’s perfect standard of righteousness, God ushered in a new era of redemption.

 

The Manner- Born of a woman. Our beautiful Savior was not born like other men, but was formed in the womb of a pure virgin by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Born under the Law. Like every other Jew He was under obligation to obey and be judged by conformity to God’s written law in the OT. But unlike others He satisfied the requirements of that law by living in perfect obedience to it. And because of His perfect obedience He was able to redeem those under the law.

 

The End- to redeem those who were under the law. The word redeem is from exagorazo, which literally means to buy out or buy back and was used of slaves whose freedom was purchased. Through payment of the required price, slaves were redeemed and became free men and more than that, they received adoption as sons. So that we might receive adoption as sons. The word adoption (Huiothesia is a compound of huios (son) and thesis (a placing) and refers to a man’s giving the status of sonship to someone who is not a natural child.

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Lesson Three: Describes the……

 

III.                      Adopted Child’s Precious Privileges (vv.6-7)

Explanation: God confirms believers as His adopted sons through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of His Son. A human father cannot give his own nature to an adopted child, but God can and does by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within the hearts of believers (see Romans 8:14-16).

 

 The word “Abba’ is an Aramaic word for father. It was a term of endearment used by young children of their fathers and could be translated “daddy.’ From this adoptive reality we learn several key truths to our new identity as blessed:

 

1.        Speaks of the intimacy of our relationship. It expresses a familial bond, highlighting that we are beloved children.

 

2.        Speaks of security and assurance. Just as a loving Father provides, protects, and guides His children.

 

3.        Speaks of power in prayer. We can approach Him confidently, as we are now in covenant with Him, which promotes heartfelt communication with the Father.

 

4.        Speaks of encouragement and comfort. It reassures that we have a heavenly Father in heaven who cares.

 

5.        Speaks of obedience. We are to live in a way to please our good Father. Trusting that His heart is for our best.

 

6.        Speaks of hope for the future. It reminds us of our eternal inheritance and the ultimate restoration of all things.

 

7.        Speaks of a larger family. We are reminded that we will in a community of faith.

 

TAKE-AWAY: When we allow God to work in our lives, we can emerge from our bondage transformed, much like the butterfly. The blessings we receive are not only for our own benefit but also for those around us. It all begins with embracing the gospel and calling on God as Father. We are not called to crawl on the ground, under the bondage of the law, but to soar like a butterfly freed and transformed by the gospel.

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