Galatians
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Galatians Chapter 4

 

  • Galatians 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
  • 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
  • 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
  • 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

As children heirs are not much different that servants because they are in the learning stage under teachers and tutors until the time of their maturity and coming of age. This comparison is used to show how before Christ we were under a sort of bondage to the elements of the world. Elements in this case meaning principles and elementary rules. We were under bondage to the law until Jesus came to deliver us from the curse of the law and then we become children of God and free from bondage of the old law of ceremonies, rituals and free from the bondage of the curse of sin.

That is why Jesus had to come from heaven and become one of us. He had to become flesh, keep the law in all points in order to fulfill the law. God gave the dominion of the earth to man.

  • Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  

Man sinned and became separated from God. God sent the law to show man how he had sinned and how he was separated from God. Man could not save himself. He needed a savior. Since the dominion of the earth was given to man, a man had to be a savior. No ordinary man could do this for we were too weak and could not keep the law and could not live a sinless life. The sinful nature was inborn in all of us. The savior had to be God, yet had to be man. God's Son, Jesus Christ had to become flesh and blood. He had to leave His place in heaven and become one of us in order to save us.

Breaking the law brings death both eternally and physically. Sin separates from God. Jesus came and did not break the law, did not sin and when the time appointed came, He offered up himself to be the sacrificial lamb that was to be sacrificed to pay for all our sins. He was the only one worthy to be that sacrifice. A lamb sacrificed as an offering for sin had to be spotless and Jesus Christ had to be without any sin Himself so that when he died, He died without just cause since he did not break the law and did not sin. His death paid the penalty for sin on our behalf. Now we who believe do not have to die for our own sins. Our physical bodies will temporarily have to die but the eternal soul that dwells within us will not have to die a spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God in hell. The soul that sins, shall die the scripture says. Through Jesus that sin is paid for and we don't have to die eternally.

  • Galatians 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
  • 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

We were all slaves to sin and Satan. Jesus paid the price for our freedom. Jesus came and was made after the law, born of woman to redeem those who were under the law. We become children of God when we receive His Spirit into our hearts.

  • Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
  • 8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
  • 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
  • 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
  • 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

They were observing rituals again. Being religious, using outward religious feasts, rites and service to appear religious but left off godly living which comes as a result of the gospel. There is no substitute for the cleansing of the inner man by the new birth. The fountain of living water flowing through our spirit. Praise God. The gospel is a cleansing, renewing, refreshing, flowing, pure, change in the inward man that makes alive. A good comparison is clean, pure, mountain stream flowing freely without any pollution.

Why do we even desire to go back under any kind of bondage whether it be sin or trying to observe religious rituals? We are to be free to serve God out of love, peace and in joy. We now can serve God because we want to. We receive His Holy Spirit because we want to receive. If we are right in our hearts we will not want to sin, commit adultery, or spend all our time in worldly pastimes etc. We will want to spend time in the presence of our Lord and in His word.

  • Galatians 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
  • 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
  • 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
  • 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
  • 16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
  • 17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
  • 18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

Paul was upset and in doubt of the Galatians because they were once zealous for the gospel and so full of love that they would have plucked out their eyes and given them to Paul if it would have been possible. They appeared to be a little troubled at Paul because of his correction. Paul marvels that they who begun in the spirit desired to go back under the bondage of the law to trust in it for their salvation instead of Christ. He is speaking mostly of the ritual of circumcision. This divided them from Gentile believers because they did not observe that ritual. Paul was saying that they were saved by faith in Christ not observing days, months, feasts, and rituals.

Religion is no substitute for the new birth. The inward man is renewed, revived and changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. No outward observance can replace it. The law pointed us to Christ our savior. The law pointed out what sin was and was in force until the one came to deliver us from the curse of the law and bring us to a new and better way of salvation. Before Christ we had no inner power and strength to keep from sin.

The human nature will sin unless it is changed by the power of God and filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes we are then capable of sin because we are never without a will to choose. In Jesus Christ though, we are given God's Holy Spirit to give us victory over sin. We can choose to yield to this Holy Spirit of go back to our old ways. Through Christ we can learn the spirit or intent of the law instead of the exact letter of the law which no one can possibly keep but through Christ we can keep the intent of the law and live by the law of Christ which is also a law that works by love.

  • Galatians 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
  • 17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
  • 18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
  • 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
  • 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
  • 21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

They were in danger of falling from grace and were listening to those who wanted them under bondage to the law again. They were losing the love of God and getting angry at Paul for telling them the truth. Paul was only trying to restore them back to the right way of salvation. Nothing takes the place of trust in Christ. Nothing guards against sin like completely trusting in Christ. Let us be careful not to get angry with those that are trying to correct us in the word of God.

  • Galatians 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
  • 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

He compares Abraham's two sons. One was born by a bondmaid and one by a free woman. The one was born by the flesh. There was nothing spiritual or miraculous about his birth. This birth was natural. Hagar represented the old law and the old covenant. The birth of Isaac was a miracle. Sarah represented a new covenant and a new way. The new covenant was a new way, which came by the grace and gift of God. There was nothing Sarah could do to have a child. She was barren and also past the age of childbearing. She gave birth by the mercy, power and help of God. It represented a new free gift of God. Slavery and religious observances cannot deliver us from sin and bondage. Faith in Christ does. The new covenant has the power to change the inner man, the real us. 

  • Galatians 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
  • 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
  • 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Religion alone is not enough to save. Religion cannot change the heart of man. Religion is sometimes bondage. Sometimes it is hate instead of love. Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ brings freedom from all that. Hate is a heavy burden to carry. Fear is another one. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, a gift from God through faith in the Son, Jesus Christ; comes a power to overcome sin. Instead we have the power to love, to have joy, peace, and contentment. This is more than religion. It's a new beginning, a new way. Yet we must always be on our guard to avoid the temptation that comes from Satan to bring us back into hate, strife, vain religious substitutes and many other distractions from the power of the Holy Spirit freely given to all who will believe and receive Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection.

  • Galatians 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
  • 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
  • 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
  • 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
  • 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

This should cause rejoicing. The teaching of faith allows the gospel to come to anyone no matter what our natural birth was. Whether we be Jew, Gentile, man, woman, child, weak, strong, Arabian, Asian, European, or any other race, we can be part of the new covenant. The spiritual birth comes by way of faith and not works of the law. Even now though those that still walk in the flesh can't understand those that walk in the spirit and will sometimes persecute and try to silence those that walk in the true of God's word. DC

  
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