Heirs

Galatians 4:1-7 I’m saying that as long as the heirs are minors, they are no different from slaves, though they really are the owners of everything. ² However, they are placed under trustees and guardians until the date set by the parents. ³ In the same way, when we were minors, we were also enslaved by this world’s system. ⁴ But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son, born through a woman, and born under the Law. ⁵ This was so he could redeem those under the Law so that we could be adopted. ⁶ Because you are sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” ⁷ Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and if you are his child, then you are also an heir through God. 

When I read the first few verses of this, I am reminded that before I learned and knew about Jesus Christ, I would allow what everyone around me to tell me what was right. This, to me, is “being enslaved by this world’s system.” So what do you think enslaves you? This is something I do not think we consider very often.There are many things that attempt to “enslave” us: TV, money, sex, being better than everyone else, not feeling any value, etc. These are some of the world’s systems that try to hold us down.

Then we get to verse four and everything changes. “But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son.” From this point on in the passage for today, there is new hope. There is something new that is about to happen. God, Himself, is claiming us by becoming one of us. He sent His Spirit to us so we would cry out to Him and recognize Him as our Creator, our Redeemer, and giver of Life. This allows us to be “heirs” and be adopted into the family of God.

This is a family like no other. In this family there is freedom from the Law. We are no longer bound to do what “the world” tells us to do, or believe in what everyone else says is truth. We are free to live differently and experience the inheritance of eternal life and the riches of God that He generously wants to give. This is not always what we think it may be.

Eternal life and salvation are for right now, not just a future time. For God’s riches, mercy, grace and blessings to come through us for us to live in, we should be open to receive and allow these to be evident in our lives. So what is it we can receive? God can and does bless in many ways; but we can and do receive peace, hope, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, the presence of God Himself, and much more.

Remembering this is what God is wanting to give us and live through our lives, we can know we are His child, call upon Him and receive all He wants to give so that we can live differently in a world that really wants to hold us down and think only of ourselves and keep us addicted to something so we are held back.

What enslaves you? Technology? Now we go back to the beginning, but this time we remember that we are FREE from being in bondage of anything that keeps us from Jesus Christ.

#LiveFreeInChrist