If a Son, Then an Heir

2018-05-05

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, (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. (7) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:1-7)

In the previous chapter, the Bible tells us that as believers in Christ, we are Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to the promise of God to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). This passage is a continuation of that discussion. Before Christ, the best we can ever be is a child heir that never realizes the true promises of God.

  1. A child heir does not have the full privileges of a son. The child is genetically connected to the father, but the inheritance of that son is not realized at birth. He is not of age and does not have the legal rights as the full-grown son. The implication is that we are more than the child heir in Christ, as will see in a few verses. We lack nothing spiritually as believers in Christ. Galatians 4:1
  2. A child heir must be educated before he is grown. This child must learn to be mature. Like the schoolmaster example in Galatians 3:24, this child has teachers instructing him in the right way. The law taught us our need for a Savior. As a thermometer tells us a sick, but is not the cure, the law shows us our need for Christ.

    Note the carefully ordered narrative of Genesis: First, Abraham believed the promises of God (Genesis 15). Circumcision was given as the sign of God’s covenant with him (Genesis 17). Then the law was inaugurated in Exodus 20 at Sinai.

    The Old Testament saints, like Abraham, believed the promises of God, and did not depend on their performance of commandments. When David committed adultery, he was thankful for God’s mercy (Psalm 51), as the law would have required his death (Leviticus 20:10). David did not appeal to his works.

    To think that one could boast to God of their performance of the works of the law is to misunderstand sin. Our sin places a wedge between us and God, and it is up to God to show mercy. Saints from all ages know this. Galatians 4:2
  3. A child heir is in bondage to the elements of the world. The elements of the world are the carnal requirements of the law as well as any manmade rules that one uses to puff themselves up. We can use such things to make ourselves feel more spiritual than others. However, the nature of dos and don’ts does not make us acceptable to God, but rather condemns us. We will never measure up to God’s standards. The law teaches us that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Galatians 4:3

In Christ, we have received the promises of being an heir and a son. We lack nothing. Christ did many things for us; let us examine these things.

  1. Christ came in the fullness of time. God waited for exactly right time in human history to send His Son to die for humanity.
  2. Christ came, made of a woman. Christ was born of a virgin, He was a new head of a new human race, without sin, and not descended from Adam (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
  3. Christ came, made under the law. He lived in this world system, and was subject to the law, and kept it.
  4. Christ redeemed us from under the law. The law, which was good in every way, condemned us as wicked sinners. Dying and rising with Christ set us free from that condemnation of the law.
  5. In Christ we receive the adoption of sons. This is not adoption as we normally think of it, such as joining a new family, though that may be true. We are mature sons lacking nothing in Christ, fully heirs of God.
  6. In Christ we receive the Holy Spirit. Because we are sons, God has given us the Holy Spirit within us. He continually calls out to God the Father from within us.
  7. We are not servants, but sons and heirs. We have it better than the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 13:16-17; 1 Peter 1:10). We are truly sons (1 John 3:1-3) and truly heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) of eternal life (Titus 3:7), of salvation (Hebrews 1:14) and of the kingdom (James 2:5).

Christ had to physically come down here and rescue us from our hopeless estate. He lived that perfect life that we could not. The Old Testament saints were godly men and women but did not have the privilege to see all that Christ has done for us.