[0:00] Well, good morning, everyone. Are we blessed this morning? I already have been blessed.
[0:12] It's very interesting to see how God works, and I've seen that this morning already. I have not shared my message notes with the worship team or with Brother Jake, and yet, you know, what they were talking about, the song selection, and as well as what Jake mentioned about freedom being loosed from those shackles, from that bondage, it ties in directly with our text this morning, the Scripture before us.
[0:47] So it's very interesting to see how God pulls things together. How much do we enjoy freedom?
[1:01] Out west here in North America, we are quite sheltered. There is so much freedom here. We don't think so much about bondage, and yet it is there.
[1:20] And even in our text here, the churches of Glatia, they had tasted freedom when they believed in Christ Jesus, and yet we know that they were considering turning away from that freedom, turning back to what had held them in bondage for so long.
[1:46] And so the question comes up, why would someone want to choose bondage again when they had tasted freedom?
[2:00] And to personalize it, are we there? Are we in a situation where we're considering choosing bondage over freedom?
[2:12] And so three points that I want to look at this morning. Number one, the bondage situation that Galatians is talking about.
[2:25] Secondly, they are newfound freedom and its benefits. And lastly, being lured back to bondage. And so the title of my message this morning is Free Sons and Daughters.
[2:47] Thank you, Deidre Hiswell, for reading the text for us. Let's begin by looking at the situation. It is brought out in verses 1 through 3 of our text.
[3:03] 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.
[3:15] Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. So chapter 4 here, it continues a thought from the end of chapter 3, where it talked of the law being a guardian and a tutor, a schoolmaster.
[3:36] It was placed, the law was a guard and a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we, through Christ, might be justified by faith. And so the example here of a, of one under a guard or a tutor, that one was not free.
[3:58] It was always someone watching over them. And I had that in the last message in the end of chapter 3, how a tutor who would be following the heir, the master's son, wherever he would go and continually watching out for him.
[4:16] There was no, no freedom. And yet now that Christ has come, those who put their faith in him are free.
[4:29] They are sons and they are heirs. The last part of chapter 3 talks of neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female.
[4:42] For you are all one in Christ Jesus, heirs according to the promise. There's no differentiation there.
[4:55] And so moving into chapter 4, in verses 1 and 2, we have a physical example. And it relates back to, to the Old Testament.
[5:05] In some countries, they may still practice this today. The heir to a family, but an heir, while he was a child, he did not differ from a slave.
[5:25] There was similarities there. He was the master's son, and yet, you know, his life he would consider himself maybe no different than a slave. You know, he would someday be the master, but until then, he was really no different than a slave.
[5:45] That tutor, that guard, was always there with him. He was no different than a slave, because his father had these guardians and stewards appointed over him.
[6:07] The inheritance that was coming was not his yet. He had no control or power over that inheritance until the time appointed by his father.
[6:24] And so it speaks of the heir as a child. And so as a child, the idea of being a minor, of not being of age to make decisions regarding that inheritance.
[6:38] He hadn't matured to the point where his father could entrust him with that inheritance. And so this child, he will grow up and someday receive that inheritance when the master, his father, decided the time was right.
[6:58] But until that time, this heir is in bondage. He's under someone's care. Freedom was not his until his father deemed him ready for it.
[7:13] And so it characterizes the Israelites of the Old Testament as well. They were heirs to the promise of Abraham.
[7:26] Still, they were children. They were under a guardian, which was the law, until the time appointed by the father. And so they remained children during this time.
[7:44] And as we read the accounts, we see that they turned more and more to the law. And they added new laws to protect God's laws.
[7:58] And all that served to do was to bring them deeper and deeper into bondage. Why? Because the law was not designed to release them from bondage.
[8:12] It was there to reveal sin, to cause them to see the need of a Savior. The law was to point them to Christ, and they missed Him.
[8:25] In verse 3, it starts off, even so we. So here now, Paul turns to the Galatians.
[8:37] He addresses them, and more generally, Gentile believers, which would include us today as well. We too were once children.
[8:50] We too were in bondage, not under the Mosaic law, that was for the Jews, but under the elements of the world, as verse 3 talks about.
[9:04] And so what are the elements of the world? Well, if we look back to Galatians 3, verse 22, but the Scripture has confined all under sin.
[9:23] The first part of the verse there. All are confined under sin, the whole world. So an element of the world, something that is always there, a constant there, is sin.
[9:35] And as a result of this sin nature, there was death. There's a constant as well, right? And as we think along those lines, who rules this world?
[9:54] I'd like to turn to Ephesians 2 and look at verses 1 and 2. Ephesians 2, verses 1 and 2.
[10:09] And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.
[10:25] So who rules this world? It talks about the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, who is the devil.
[10:42] The world is under the influence, or as 1 John 5, 19 talks about, the world is under the sway of the wicked one, under the sway of Satan and his demons, who promote false religion and idol worship, anything but worshiping God.
[11:08] Are there any other elements of the world? As I pondered on this a bit and trying to figure out what it is talking of here, a thought that came to mind is, you know, anything that lends itself to us trying to justify ourselves.
[11:35] And I thought back to the evangelism course that we did here a while back. We saw how, as these men went and witnessed on the streets, talking to these non-believers and asking them, you know, do you think you're a good person or do you think you're going to go to heaven?
[12:00] And so here were, there were so many non-believers thinking that, yeah, they thought they would go to heaven. And why was that? Well, because I've done more good than bad. I think I'm a good person.
[12:13] And so, you know, trying to justify ourselves, it is our own works, what we do ourselves that makes us a good person.
[12:27] And yet, Paul here is writing from a past tense in verse 3. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
[12:42] It's who we were. It's who we used to be. And so what changed? How were we freed and released from this bondage?
[12:56] He exposes that in the following verses, starting in verse 4. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
[13:14] 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.
[13:26] And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. So when the fullness of time had come, when the time was right, God sent forth His Son.
[13:44] God looked down on the earth and He saw that the time was right. His people, the Israelites, they were struggling under the law, unable to keep it.
[13:59] They were in bondage, not only to the law, but to the Romans as well. They were desperately awaiting the Savior. Not only the Israelites, the whole world needed a Savior.
[14:21] And the timing was right. It was time for the next phase of God's salvation plan to move forward. And so, He sent His Son.
[14:35] How did He send His Son? Born of a woman, born under the law. The Christmas season is approaching.
[14:47] We got a taste of it this morning already. We will hear again in word and song the manner of Christ's coming. Why did He come?
[15:02] Why did the Savior of the world come to be born of a woman and born under the law? It was to leave us without excuse.
[15:17] He became like us. He put on mortality. And He experienced all that we experience. in His well.
[15:32] He was born while His people, the Jews, were living under the law and unfailing to keep it. It was the fullness of the time.
[15:51] Israel and the world were ready to witness Messiah come as a human and face all that mankind faces and He would keep the law that no one could keep.
[16:09] He proved that it was possible. There is a way to keep the law and it is through Him and Him alone for He alone was able to keep the law.
[16:21] He was the one and only sacrifice fit to please God once for all.
[16:55] And He did sacrifice Himself. He bought us out of that slavery. His shed blood was the steep price necessary to bring us out of bondage to purchase our freedom.
[17:11] Him. Was it to our benefit that Christ did this?
[17:24] Absolutely it was. It was even necessary. It was the only way back to the Father to have that restored relationship with our Creator.
[17:36] And because of Jesus' obedience and His victory to everyone who puts their faith in Him as Lord of their life God the Father adopts him or her as sons and daughters.
[17:59] The benefit doesn't end there. Now that we're a son or a daughter God has sent His Spirit into the heart of each and every believer.
[18:15] Never are we alone. Jesus is always with us. By His Spirit He dwells in our hearts.
[18:29] Everything that we face everything that we go through Jesus has gone through it all Himself. He understands and He is there with us ready to lead us through it as well.
[18:45] He cares for us. And so this relationship it is personal. God has embraced us.
[18:57] He has accepted us as a son or a daughter and we are all equally dear to Him. And we in return lovingly call Him Abba Father.
[19:16] Now as dear as any child might be to their earthly father it does not compare to the connection between a son and daughter and their heavenly father.
[19:27] in Christ we have gained our freedom. No longer are we slaves under guard and steward.
[19:42] We have come of age and because we chose Christ we have become a son and if a son or a daughter then we are an heir of God.
[19:57] God and so what Paul wrote here it shows God's grace on full display. Had the Lord not made the first move in obtaining our freedom then we would still be in bondage.
[20:22] Glory to God for His grace and His goodness. God yet there is a dilemma there was for the Galatians and there is for us as well.
[20:40] Our enemy never sleeps he never stops prowling looking for someone vulnerable to attack whom he might overpower and consume.
[20:56] It was the reason for Paul's letter to the Galatian churches he wrote to them because they were in danger of turning back again into the very things that had held them in bondage for so long.
[21:10] Again the question why after having tasted this freedom in Christ why were they considering turning back into bondage?
[21:24] Paul reminds the Galatians of their former state in verse 8. But then indeed when you did not know God you served those which by nature are not gods.
[21:40] Where had they been before they knew God? Serving those which by nature are not gods. we use the saying worshipping creation not the creator.
[21:57] For context the Gentiles the Gentile world in the Old Testament they worshipped and served false gods.
[22:08] They had their carved images created by the hand of man which represented the many false gods and goddesses.
[22:20] This worship was often very obscene or sensual just pure evil. And even the Israelites God's chosen people were drawn to worshipping these false gods of the nations around them.
[22:42] how often did God not remind them by the prophets of what would become of them because they turned away from him time and again to these false gods.
[23:04] Paul continues in verse 9 God to God to God how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage.
[23:23] They're reminded of God's grace here again. It was God's drawing them that brought them to him in the first place. God made the first move.
[23:39] He sent his son to die for us and his spirit draws us before we make our move in accepting his gift of salvation.
[23:52] We find that in John chapter 6 verse 44. 44. And I do find it interesting. We've just started another round of baptism classes and it seems every week as we look at different scripture, you know, the next Sunday, the scriptures that we have looked at in these baptism classes, they fit in with the scripture text.
[24:21] So again, interesting how God works there. John chapter 6 verse 44. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day.
[24:38] Jesus is speaking and he says, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. We have the Trinity at work.
[24:51] No one can come to Christ unless God draws him. It doesn't specifically mention the Holy Spirit but it is through the Holy Spirit that God draws people to himself and to his Son.
[25:11] So it is the Spirit drawing us, bringing us to the place where we even have a desire to know God. going back to our text.
[25:26] And so why was it after accepting that free gift of salvation, after tasting freedom from bondage, that the Galatians were again considering turning back?
[25:39] weak and beggarly elements, Paul calls the bondage that they were again considering. You know, in their day, there were false teachers.
[25:53] It was the problem with the Galatian churches. There were false teachers called Judaizers who couldn't see past the law.
[26:05] and they were targeting the Christians with their teachings. They were trying to deceive them into believing that they needed to continue keeping the law on top of their faith in Christ.
[26:20] And if not the whole law, at least parts of it. And a key one to the Galatian churches was circumcision. That was often a key part of their deception.
[26:33] They tried it in Antioch. In chapter 15 of Acts, we have the account there where men came to Antioch from Jerusalem and they were spreading this lie that these new converts, these believers, they needed to be circumcised on top of their faith in Christ.
[26:56] And so there was the council in Jerusalem where Paul and Barnabas as well as others went to deal with this very issue. And so now again Paul is dealing with it here in Galatia.
[27:13] Do these dangers exist today? Are we lured into desiring to be in bondage again?
[27:25] we might not be dealing with Judaizers as the early churches were, but we do have our fair share of false teachers to watch out for.
[27:43] And I've only got a very short list. There's definitely more, but a few that came to mind. Prosperity gospel teachers false teachers or faith healers.
[27:56] False teachers to be wary of, to watch out for, that are misleading. Other things to watch out for, different denominations that hold to keeping such and such rules along with putting our faith in Christ.
[28:16] So maybe it's not circumcision or the law, but there's different rules that have been brought in that these are as necessary for your faith as believing in Christ.
[28:28] So they're adding to the gospel in that sense. So something to be wary of as well. Others, teachers, pastors that gain popularity have a huge following because they have a talent for tickling people's ears, telling them, what they want to hear.
[28:56] Sometimes they are so very close to the truth while still falling just short of it. It reminds me of the serpent in Genesis when he came to the woman.
[29:13] How far off from the truth was the serpent when he deceived the woman. He wasn't very far off at all, right? He stayed oh so close to the truth and yet he twisted it just enough to bring in deception and to cause their fall.
[29:31] people. There is such easy access to all flavors of teachings the world over these days with technology.
[29:46] It is dangerous navigating when it comes to what we choose to hear. that is why it is so vital, so key for us to be in the word daily ourselves, seeking for ourselves what the word of God says.
[30:07] What we hear from others, does it line up with what scripture teaches? don't take just anyone's word for it. Seek the truth out for yourselves.
[30:22] Ask the Lord for discernment. He knows the truth and he will reveal it to us if we but ask him. The devil has so many tactics when it comes to trying to drag us back into bondage.
[30:44] These false teachers are only a part of his arsenal. What else might lure us back into bondage, away from the freedom that we have in Christ?
[31:01] One that comes to a mind, addictions. Things like alcohol, drugs, pornography, how many countless lives are in ruins because of these three things.
[31:18] And that's not an exclusive list, there's other things as well. How many lives have been ruined by these things? Other allurements, the world's offerings, fame, fortune, obsessions with all kinds of things, such as sports and sports teams, the latest and greatest in tech, in vehicles, and etc.
[31:50] You know, being consumed with work. All these things that consume us, that consume our time, Scripture refers to them as idols.
[32:03] If we are consumed by them, we are worshipping these things. It is what our world revolves around. The world promotes self-indulgence and self-glorification.
[32:19] It's all about me, myself, and I with the world. There's no room for God. who is behind all of this?
[32:38] Behind all of these things that I mentioned, and more as well, there stands the devil. He's rubbing his hands together.
[32:51] He is just waiting for us again to turn back to these old pleasures that we once knew, that we once walked in, that held us in bondage.
[33:04] The pleasures that we realized were empty. They didn't bring us peace and joy. We were still searching for that. And today, if we have found the Lord and put our life into His hands, we are experiencing that freedom, that peace, that joy.
[33:29] Brothers and sisters, we are free if we are known by God. And not only are we free, but we are adopted as sons and daughters of the living God, and as such, we are heirs of God through Christ.
[33:50] that freedom is so joyous and pure. Don't let the enemy lure you back into those old chains.
[34:04] Jesus shed His blood that we might be free. No longer are we slaves under guards and stewards. we walk in freedom as sons and as heirs.
[34:22] Keep walking in freedom. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning. Lord, we thank you for your grace, for your love, your goodness toward us.
[34:40] Lord, while we were lost in sin, in chains, in bondage, with no desire to seek you, still you sought, you desired that relationship with us, and you made the first move.
[35:01] Lord, you sent your Son to sacrifice himself for all, for each one. Lord, you sent out your Spirit to draw us while we still did not seek you.
[35:22] And as your Spirit tugged on our heart strings and drew us, brought us to the point where we started seeking, seeking answers, because we were wrestling with these chains.
[35:40] there was no peace, there was no freedom. We were seeking it, and your Spirit drew us to the place where we could find that freedom that we long for, and we found it in you and in your Son, Jesus, and we accepted it.
[35:59] Lord, thank you for that free gift of freedom, of salvation. salvation. Lord, my prayer is here for this morning for anyone here that is still wrapped up in these chains, still struggling to be released of them.
[36:22] Lord, continue drawing them. may the Spirit continue his work in drawing them to you, Lord, that they too can taste and experience the freedom that is in you.
[36:45] And Lord, for those of us who have this freedom, Lord, help us to keep our eyes focused on you to ever be moving forward closer to you.
[37:00] Lord, don't let us turn and look back at the pleasures we once knew, the chains that were once ours that are calling us back.
[37:15] Lord, keep us focused on you. So, Lord, as we go on from here this morning, we just pray that you bless the rest of our day before us, continue walking alongside of us as we walk in freedom as sons and daughters of the living God, fully walking in freedom.
[37:44] Thank you for this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.