Introduction – Christ came to make us children of God.
I. The Galatian Struggle, Which Is the Human Struggle, 3:1-3.
A. The Galatians were falling into the trap of thinking that they were saved by grace, but stayed saved by works.
B. This is not a struggle that is particular and unique to the Galatians.
1. This is the general struggle of humanity.
2. We tend to think that somehow we can do something to show that we are worthy in the sight of God.
3. Our problem is not that we are antinomian by nature, but that we love lists of things that we can do on our own thereby being in charge of our own salvation.
II. The Purpose of the Law, 3:10-21.
A. The law is good and perfect and a gift from God.
B. The law has very important and specific purposes for which God gave it to his people.
C. The law does not and cannot save a sinner, 3:11, 21.
III. The Law, the History of Redemption, and Christ, 4:1-5.
A. Paul here is not speaking of the law in the life of the individual, though we can draw some applications to that.
B. He is speaking of the place of the law in the history of redemption.
C. Christ came at the time the Father appointed for him to come, 4:4
D. God sent his Son with a mission: to redeem his people, 5.
E. Christ's mission was accomplished under three conditions.
1. He was born of a human.
2. He was born under the law.
3. He remained God.
F. Christ's mission was accomplished and it was sufficient to redeem all of the elect of God.
IV. Not Slaves, but Sons and Daughters of the Heavenly Father, 4:6-7, 3:26-29.
A. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God adopts those who believe in him, 4:5b.
B. God didn't make people slave to the law.
C. He provided more than redemption – God the Father adopted us through Jesus Christ, 3:26, 7.
D. You are sons and daughters of God the Father, 7.
E. As sons and daughters, we are heirs of the promises made to Abraham, 3:29, and the most magnificent promise made to Abraham is that God is going to be our God and our children's God.
F. It is this complete abandonment of ourselves to the grace of God in Jesus Christ that will produce genuine obedience and sanctification, 5:13
Conclusion
Christ Jesus became man to redeem a people to himself through whom the Father adopts us. What a great gift!
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