Sermon: Fatherhood of God and Sonship of Believers
Bible Passage: Gal 3:26-29, 4:4-7
I. “In Christ Jesus” believers have a new status (verse 26, 4:4-5)
1. God’s children, i.e., sons and daughters—
a. Verse 26: y’all are God’s children—check the expression “are”
b. Verses 4:4-5 But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God’s children
2. A status that transcends all human boundaries
a. 3:28 So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus
3. An internal spiritual affirmation
a. 4:6 To show that you are his sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, “Father, my Father.”
4. A new transformation
a. verse 4:7a you are no longer a slave but a son or daughter
5. A new inheritance
a. 4:7b God will give you all that he has for his heirs
6. A new realm of existence 3:26 “in Christ”
II. “In Christ Jesus” believers have a new look (verse 27)
1. “Clothed yourselves with Christ”—
a. “Clothed yourselves with Christ” means “a life shaped by Christ” or a “Christ-formed life”
b. Lives, destinies, and own identities became bound up with Christ
2. Their earlier identities are replaced
a. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus
b. The new status and identity reshapes/redefines social relationships (verse 28)
III. Observations
1. The status and identity change are amazingly “Trinitarian”—The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work in unity in the status change of believers (4:4-7)
a. The Father sent His son, redeems the helpless who were in bondage through His Son’s death, burial, and resurrection, and adopts those who believe in His Son (verse 4:4)
b. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to address God as “Abba, Father” (4:5-6)
2. Those who place their trust in Jesus have become Abraham’s seed and thus an heir of the promise to Abraham (verse 29)
3. Therefore, they do not need to do anything more to gain a special status (cf. verse 29)
a. Through adoption, believers become legal heirs of God (4:7)
b. Same inheritance, same rights, same last name
c. Enjoyment of the full rights and privileges of God’s Son
4. Believers need not live with a slave mindset
Take Away:
Focus on your status and identity, and behave like God’s children